Providing School-Based Mental Health Services: Successful Collaborations and Referral Challenges

• In Event: Collaboration With Community-Based Organizations in Counseling

Abstract

A troubling number of youth have unmet mental health needs in the U.S., with up to half of all failures to complete secondary education being attributed to psychiatric concerns (Husky et al., 2011). School Based Mental Health services have been identified as an avenue to address this significant social problem. The present study evaluates a collaborative program between a community mental health agency and public high schools in California. The program seeks to increase awareness of mental health services, and to reduce barriers to access in order to support and treat students with mental health concerns. This paper describes the program; including referral challenges and unintended consequences of school based mental health. Recommendations and future directions will be discussed.

Authors

• Lisa De La Rue, University of San Francisco

• Charles Chege, Pacific Clinics