Advances in school mental health quality and sustainability

Abstract

For the first 2016 issue of Advances in School Mental Health Promotion, we are pleased to present a group of articles that reflect the cutting edge of high quality, evidence-based mental health services and supports delivered in school settings. As was noted in previous editorial notes of the journal (see Improving Quality in SMH, October 2015), the topic of quality assurance and improvement continues to be a central theme in the field of school mental health as evidenced by the many manuscripts we receive on this topic. This issue brings together a collection of articles that reflect core dimensions of school mental health quality, including evidence-based practice implementation and sustainability of school mental health interventions. The first two articles focus on school-based cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) for students. Ruocco and colleagues used a nonrandomized control design to evaluate a school-based CBT group intervention program for children with anxiety in Western Sydney, Australia. Results from this study showed that children who received the Get Lost Mr. Scary intervention had significant reductions in anxiety and behavioral symptoms from pre to post intervention. Results also showed improvements in parent and teacher ratings of student anxiety, supporting the effectiveness of the program. The authors’ use of a wait-list control design, involving multi-informant, longitudinal data, and mixed methods data collection provides readers with an excellent example of strong evaluation methodology in the context of schools. Shapiro and colleagues conducted a pilot evaluation of the feasibility and acceptability of a single-session, school-based psychoeducational program focused on CBT and mindfulness techniques in Quebec, Canada. Adolescent student self-report measures showed overall satisfaction with the program, along with increased understanding and willingness to use learned strategies. This study adds to existing literature on adolescent stress and stress management techniques particularly in schools; students reported significant levels of stress, interest in learning stress management techniques, yet limited instruction in this area. Findings point to the promise of single-session programing in high school settings as feasible, acceptable, and effective. The other two articles also focus on the quality of school mental health services, but from a broader perspective, incorporating aspects of the potential sustainability or permanency of school mental health programs. Although not always considered under the umbrella of quality, the construct of sustainability is critical to the advancement of school mental health quality. In our newly established National Quality Initiative (see www.theSHAPEsystem.com), the national Center for School Mental Health charges comprehensive school mental health systems across the United States with measuring and working toward improvement on several domains of sustainability: Funding and Resources, Resource Utilization, System Quality, Documenting and Reporting of Impact, and System Marketing and Promotion. Using qualitative data analysis, Amaresha and colleagues explored and evaluated the experiences of school teachers who participated in five school mental health informational sessions in Bangalore, India. Teacher reports support the expansion for school mental health programing to increase and improve knowledge and understanding of student mental health problems. Findings suggest that reallocation of personnel resources, by task shifting some tasks of student