Provides a comprehensive ten-step sequence for implementing population-based services that improve wellness and academic success for individual students and entire schools, and offers suggestions for engaging parents.

One in five U.S. adults experiences a mental illness within a given year. With more than 550,000 people working to support this underserved community, the mental healthcare system has grappled with inadequacies and shortcomings in safety, quality, and care delivery. There is a wide range of problems, from access-to-care issues and errors, to complications stemming from poor care. Our country is also on an unsustainable path as our healthcare expenditure keeps growing. To add to all of this, we are facing a rampant epidemic of burnout among healthcare workers. Modern advancements introduced with many promises—such as electronic medical records, newer medications, or advanced treatments—have created unique challenges when ushered into a highly regulated healthcare system. What does it take to provide patients with everything they need—the right quality of care, at the right time, and at the right cost—to keep them healthy? Which process steps add value? Which steps are wasteful? A widely accepted fact is that a conservative 30-50% of every step in the mental healthcare process does not help patients feel better or stay better. When considering delays in care, workarounds, excessive documentation, and an overuse of auditing, the care system has moved highly skilled clinicians away from providing value, as administrative tasks continue to encroach on their time. There is a clear need to rethink and redesign the system of care. This book is a primer for understanding the current state of the mental health system and the performance improvement skills and leadership acumen needed to address existing challenges. Sheppard Pratt, the award-winning, leading institution for mental healthcare in America, provided the focus on mental healthcare and became the laboratory for this body of work over the course of eight years. It hired a seasoned systems thinker with improvement expertise to work with mental health professionals and solve some of their most complex and chronic problems. The book is a result of the collaboration between a practicing psychiatrist in a leadership role and the systems engineer. Working together, they demonstrate how to think about redesigning care and redefining the nature of work to enhance value for both the people served and the healthcare workforce. They crafted a multi-pronged approach towards culture change at Sheppard Pratt, including implementing a course on "Learning to Improve," which introduced staff to a performance improvement methodology. There are several vignettes interwoven throughout the book that describe the complexities and constraints of the system. Solving some of these challenges creates a new paradigm of work while minimizing waste and enhancing value.

"This soundly structured book reinforces and enriches educators′ skills in population-based mental health. It provides usable information on how to get administrative buy-in for implementing coordinated, proven prevention and intervention practices. Rich with Web connections and references, it can serve as a textbook, a practitioner′s workbook, and as a tool kit for implementation." —Kevin P. Dwyer, Consultant, Turnaround for Children Former President, National Association of School Psychologists The road map for designing and implementing effective mental health services for all students! Studies have shown that mental wellness is a key determinant of students′ academic and developmental success, but simply addressing the problems of individual students is not enough. Increasingly, schools are turning to population-based models for providing mental health services to ensure that students maintain the psychological, social, and emotional competence needed for learning. This comprehensive guidebook demonstrates how to use this approach to effectively assess mental health needs and design appropriate prevention and intervention strategies that will benefit individual students, whole classrooms, and an entire school population. Drawing from a wealth of current research and backed by evidence supporting the effectiveness of the population-based approach, this wide-ranging resource offers: Formal and informal strategies for identifying and prioritizing a school′s mental health needs, as well as risk and protective factors Insights into creating and managing a nurturing school environment, promoting psychological well-being, and preventing mental health problems Suggestions for engaging parents in the process of fostering mental health Intervention strategies that address significant behavioral problems, including violence, bullying, depression, and difficulty relating to peers An integrated ten-step sequence for shifting from conventional approaches that focus only on individual problems to population-based services that support all students Transforming School Mental Health Services is the ideal resource for school mental health professionals and critical decision makers looking to optimize students′ wellness and educational performance.

This book provides vivid examples of school mental health innovations from 18 countries, addressing mental health promotion, prevention and interventions. These initiatives and innovations enable readers from different regions and disciplines to apply strategies to help students achieve and maintain mental health, enhance their learning outcomes and access services, worldwide.

"We have come a long way over the past few decades in our understanding of mental illness and its potential treatments. Yet, tragically, many across the country who struggle with serious mental illness are unable to find effective, quality medical treatment. As a federal commission on mental health concluded, the system of care is in shambles. But why? And how do we fix it?" "Timothy A. Kelly, former Commissioner of Virginia's Department of Mental Health, Retardation, and Substance Abuse, brings his three decades of experience as mental health commissioner, psychology professor, and clinician to bear in confronting this crisis in America's mental health care system. In clear and accessible terms, he exposes the weaknesses in the current system, examining how and why one of the world's richest and most advanced countries has allowed its most vulnerable citizens to be victimized by the very system designed to help them." --Book Jacket.

For many children, schools are the main or only providers of mental health services. In this visionary and comprehensive book, two nationally known experts describe a new approach to school-based mental health—one that better serves students, maximizes resources, and promotes academic performance. The authors describe how educators can effectively coordinate internal and external resources to support a healthy school environment and help at-risk students overcome barriers to learning. School leaders, psychologists, counselors, and policy makers will find essential guidance, including: • An overview of the history and current state of school mental health programs, discussing major issues confronting the field • Strategies for effective school-based initiatives, including addressing behavior issues, introducing classroom-based activities, and coordinating with community resources • A call to action for higher-quality mental health programming across public schools—including how collaboration, research, and advocacy can make a difference Gain the knowledge you need to develop or improve your school's mental health program to better serve both the academic and mental health needs of your students!

School-Based Family Counseling: Transforming Family-School Relationships is the most comprehensive handbook available describing the new field of School-Based Family Counseling (SBFC). Organized around the SBFC Model the book explicitly shows mental health practitioners how to make remedial and preventive interventions that help students by linking family and school. Chapters are organized using common sub-headings such as: Multicultural Counseling Considerations, Evidence-Based Support, Procedure, Case Study, and Resources. The book has an explicit "how to" focus that will assist readers in developing basic competencies in School-Based Family Counseling.