The focus of the work group is on the individual student and family receiving behavioral and mental health services from a practitioner eligible to receive reimbursement at school. The practitioner providing the services must be appropriately credentialed.

The work group has developed a state strategic plan for coordinated Behavioral and Mental Health Services delivered at school through the assistance of a Seed Grant from Shared Agenda Partnership. It is now coming up with ways to promote the plan.

The work group will also foster the development of local planning and implementation of behavioral and mental health services delivered at school through a pilot project.

The North Carolina Collaborative for Children and Families established the School Based Behavioral and Mental Health Services Working Group to explore ways that schools can access and provide mental health services for their students and their families. While some Local Education Agencies and community partners in conjunction with families provide a variety of services and supports to children and families, the variation in LEAs across the state is considerable.

Buncombe County, Chatham County and New Hanover County developed strategic plans for the provision of school mental and behavioral health supports and services with a small grant from the School-based Behavioral and Mental Health Work Group of the NC State Collaborative on Children, Youth and Families through funds provided by the IDEA Partnership, a national collaborative that “is dedicated to improving outcomes for students and youth with disabilities by joining state agencies and stakeholders through shared work and learning.” (http://www.ideapartnership.org/). Funds were also provided by the NC Department of Public Instruction through its homeless education funds. (http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/schoolimprovement/alternative/homeless/)

Lead agencies for each of the planning projects are as follows:

Buncombe County: Buncombe County Schools
Chatham County: Chatham Child Wellbeing Collaborative
New Hanover County: Family Support Network of Southeastern North Carolina

Information on the planning projects and outcomes is posted in respective folders in the Repository section on this page.

Thirteen 2-hour continuing education courses on topics in school mental health are available online at http://www.aheconnect.com/smhp/. Each course costs $25.00. The course titles are:
1. Addressing Barriers to Learning: A Comprehensive Approach to School Mental Health
2. Addressing Barriers to Learning through Communication
3. Addressing Barriers to Learning through Positive Behavioral Intervention
4. Addressing Youth Risk and Resiliency Factors, Crisis Intervention and Follow-up Support
5. Addressing Adolescent Depression and Suicide
6. Addressing the Needs of Students with ADHD and Conduct Disorders
7. Addressing the Needs of Students with Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Bipolar Disorder
8. Addressing Emotional Trauma in Students: Bullying & Harassment; Neglect & Abuse
9. Addressing Adolescent Substance Abuse
10. Toward a Comprehensive Approach to School Mental Health: Making the Change
11. Addressing the Needs of Students with Eating Disorders
12. Addressing the Emotional Effects of Adolescent Pregnancy and HIV/AIDS
13. Addressing Cultural Diversity in School Mental Health
For more information, go to http://www.eahec.ecu.edu/smhptraining2.cfm#online.