Answering the Call for School-Based Mental Health

2020 ◽  
pp. 57-76
Author(s):  
Maxine Blanche Langdon Starr
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Mental Health Provider ◽  
Counseling Services ◽  
Mental Health Providers ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Culturally Competent ◽  
School Based

A largely unmet need exists for school-based mental health services by students who are of an ethnic minority and who may not have insurance, access, and/or the knowledge of mental health services. These same students may not receive effective, culturally sensitive counseling services, interventions, or valid/accurate measures of psychological testing. In order to resonate and connect with these students who need the most help and support despite these barriers to accessing quality treatment, what is the school-based mental health provider to do? This chapter will initially discuss a comprehensive review of culturally competent interventions for school-based mental health providers as well as recommendations for culturally competent training for mental health providers and school staff to ensure that culturally competent collaboration and appropriate support exists for all students.

Answering the Call for School-Based Mental Health

2021 ◽  
pp. 469-488
Author(s):  
Maxine Blanche Langdon Starr
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Mental Health Provider ◽  
Counseling Services ◽  
Mental Health Providers ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Culturally Competent ◽  
School Based

A largely unmet need exists for school-based mental health services by students who are of an ethnic minority and who may not have insurance, access, and/or the knowledge of mental health services. These same students may not receive effective, culturally sensitive counseling services, interventions, or valid/accurate measures of psychological testing. In order to resonate and connect with these students who need the most help and support despite these barriers to accessing quality treatment, what is the school-based mental health provider to do? This chapter will initially discuss a comprehensive review of culturally competent interventions for school-based mental health providers as well as recommendations for culturally competent training for mental health providers and school staff to ensure that culturally competent collaboration and appropriate support exists for all students.

Developing a Mental Health Resource for Consumers

1997 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 40
Author(s):  
Deborah Saltman ◽  
Bronwyn Veale ◽  
Gina Bloom
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Consumer Information ◽  
Mental Health Providers ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Mental Health Resource

Little is known about how consumers select mental health providers. In the literature there is an absence of information to assist consumers and referral agencies including general practitioners, in making informed choices. This paper reports the research process undertaken to develop such a resource. Interviews were conducted with representatives from a variety of groups identified by consumers and providers as supplying mental health services, including: general practitioners, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, Relationships Australia (NSW), Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), postnatal depression self-help groups, Lifeline, the Gay and Lesbian Counselling Service of NSW, spiritual healers, and, consumer consultants. The interviews covered issues of cost, type of services provided, goals of management, limitations of therapy, consumer information about the process, sessions, therapist credentials, training, background and experience, professional and personal development, quality assurance, research, referral, access, and confidentiality. Indicators for ascertaining effectiveness of the therapist's work were also delineated. Although there was a great deal of similarity in views concerning the nature of therapy held by a range of providers of mental health services, differences of approach did emerge that need to be brought to the awareness of consumers. Comparing responses of mental health providers to the same questions allows other issues such as priorities and access to be gauged by comparing these responses. The strength of this approach is that it allows the presentation of information in a manner that allows consumers to make comparisons and choices based on information obtained in a context similar to the therapeutic situation.

scholarly journals Community work – a cure for stigma and social exclusion?

2009 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 281-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justine Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Mental Health Providers ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Cost

SummaryIt is possible to tackle exclusion by altering the nature of transactions between individuals and groups, including mental health services. One way to do this is to cultivate ‘social capital’ or interdependence between individuals and groups – as well as giving, each is entitled, but not compelled, to claim something in return. It is difficult, if not impossible, to sustain stigma and social exclusion when people are meeting mutual needs, building trust and helping each other. Mental health providers can foster social capital by creating community cohesion, namely interdependent relationships between individuals and organisations. This approach has been put into practice in the USA, where providers assert that small investments in building social capital return many times the cost. In the UK there is evidence that community development can make a contribution to mental health but it does not fit well with conventional approaches to mental health services – it calls for different skills and a vision that is collective rather than individualised.

scholarly journals Priorities and preferences for school-based mental health services in India: a multi-stakeholder study with adolescents, parents, school staff, and mental health providers

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Parikh ◽  
D. Michelson ◽  
M. Sapru ◽  
R. Sahu ◽  
A. Singh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Stepped Care ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
School Based ◽  
School Counsellors ◽  
Life Problems ◽  
Different Levels

Background.Schools are important settings for increasing reach and uptake of adolescent mental health interventions. There is limited consensus on the focus and content of school-based mental health services (SBMHSs), particularly in low-resource settings. This study elicited the views of diverse stakeholders in two urban settings in India about their priorities and preferences for SBMHSs.Methods.We completed semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with adolescents (n  =  191), parents (n  =  9), teachers (n  =  78), school counsellors (n  =  15), clinical psychologists/psychiatrists (n  =  7) in two urban sites in India (Delhi and Goa). Qualitative data were obtained on prioritized outcomes, preferred content and delivery methods, and indicated barriers.Results.All stakeholders indicated the need for and acceptability of SBMHSs. Adolescents prioritized resolution of life problems and exhibited a preference for practical guidance. Parents and teachers emphasized functional outcomes and preferred to be involved in interventions. In contrast, adolescents' favored limited involvement from parents and teachers, was related to widespread concerns about confidentiality. Face-to-face counselling was deemed to be the most acceptable delivery format; self-help was less frequently endorsed but was relatively more acceptable if blended with guidance or delivered using digital technology. Structured sensitization was recommended to promote adolescent's engagement. Providers endorsed a stepped care approach to address different levels of mental health need among adolescents.Conclusion.SBMHSs are desired by adolescents and adult stakeholders in this setting where few such services exist. Sensitization activities are required to support implementation. School counsellors have an important role in identifying and treating adolescents with different levels of mental health needs, and a suite of interventions is needed to target these needs effectively and efficiently.

scholarly journals Development of a Perceived Access Inventory for Community Care Mental Healthcare Services for Veterans

2019 ◽  
Vol 184 (7-8) ◽  
pp. e301-e308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey M Pyne ◽  
P Adam Kelly ◽  
Ellen P Fischer ◽  
Christopher J Miller ◽  
Patricia Wright ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Community Mental Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Community Care ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Community Mental Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Providers ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Perceived Access

Abstract Introduction Access to high-quality healthcare, including mental healthcare, is a high priority for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Meaningful monitoring of progress will require patient-centered measures of access. To that end, we developed the Perceived Access Inventory focused on access to VA mental health services (PAI-VA). However, VA is purchasing increasing amounts of mental health services from community mental health providers. In this paper, we describe the development of a PAI for users of VA-funded community mental healthcare that incorporates access barriers unique to community care service use and compares the barriers most frequently reported by veterans using community mental health services to those most frequently reported by veterans using VA mental health services. Materials and Methods We conducted mixed qualitative and quantitative interviews with 25 veterans who had experience using community mental health services through the Veterans Choice Program (VCP). We used opt-out invitation letters to recruit veterans from three geographic regions. Data were collected on sociodemographics, rurality, symptom severity, and service satisfaction. Participants also completed two measures of perceived barriers to mental healthcare: the PAI-VA adapted to focus on access to mental healthcare in the community and Hoge’s 13-item measure. This study was reviewed and approved by the VA Central Institutional Review Board. Results Analysis of qualitative interview data identified four topics that were not addressed in the PAI-VA: veterans being billed directly by a VCP mental health provider, lack of care coordination and communication between VCP and VA mental health providers, veterans needing to travel to a VA facility to have VCP provider prescriptions filled, and delays in VCP re-authorization. To develop a PAI for community-care users, we created items corresponding to each of the four community-care-specific topics and added them to the 43-item PAI-VA. When we compared the 10 most frequently endorsed barriers to mental healthcare in this study sample to the ten most frequently endorsed by a separate sample of current VA mental healthcare users, six items were common to both groups. The four items unique to community-care were: long waits for the first mental health appointment, lack of awareness of available mental health services, short appointments, and providers’ lack of knowledge of military culture. Conclusions Four new barriers specific to veteran access to community mental healthcare were identified. These barriers, which were largely administrative rather than arising from the clinical encounter itself, were included in the PAI for community care. Study strengths include capturing access barriers from the veteran experience across three geographic regions. Weaknesses include the relatively small number of participants and data collection from an early stage of Veteran Choice Program implementation. As VA expands its coverage of community-based mental healthcare, being able to assess the success of the initiative from the perspective of program users becomes increasingly important. The 47-item PAI for community care offers a useful tool to identify barriers experienced by veterans in accessing mental healthcare in the community, overall and in specific settings, as well as to track the impact of interventions to improve access to mental healthcare.

Engaging Families in School-Based Mental Health Treatment

2004 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 211-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda M. Vanderbleek
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Family Involvement ◽  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Counseling Services ◽  
Health Counseling ◽  
School Based ◽  
Federal Mandate

Increasing populations of students are unprepared for learning due to emotional or behavioral problems. Yet, school-based mental health services are fragmented, marginalized, and underutilized. Despite the federal mandate to improve all student achievement and an increased ability to identify students needing mental health services, school-based mental health services are noticeably absent from school reform initiatives. The research clearly shows family involvement in school-based mental health services is effective in improving student academic performance. By understanding barriers to school-based mental health counseling services and strategies for increasing family enrollment and retention, mental health counselors can help increase students' academic readiness and the integration of mental health services into the structure of the nation's schools.

Integrating Spirituality and Mental Health Services

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-133
Author(s):  
Matthew McWhorter ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Mental Health Providers ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Clinical Integration ◽  
Clinical Model ◽  
Christian Anthropology ◽  
Moral Training

Contemporary mental health professionals exhibit interest in integrating spirituality into the services they provide to clients. This clinical integration raises questions about both the goals of mental health services and the professional relevance of mental health providers’ spiritual competency. Drawing on the Christian anthropology of St. Thomas Aquinas, Benedict Ashley’s approach to psychotherapy differentiates psychopharmacological, psychotherapeutic, and spiritual approaches on the basis of the different domains of a client’s personality. These domains are the focus of different professions, and Ashley’s account suggests that mental health providers who lack additional spiritual-moral training should adopt a clinical model that recognizes their work is spiritually oriented but not spiritually directive.

scholarly journals Pasifika preferences for mental health support in Australia: focus group study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 373-379
Author(s):  
Roman Kingi ◽  
Wani Erick ◽  
Vili Hapaki Nosa ◽  
Janine Paynter ◽  
Debra de Silva
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Mental Health Providers ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Mental Health Support

Introduction: Mental wellbeing is a growing health issue for Pacific Islands communities (Pasifika), particularly amongst people who have resettled in a different country. We explored whether Pasifika people living in Australia think mental health services meet their needs. Methods: We ran eight two-hour focus groups with 183 adults living in Queensland, Australia. There were representatives from the following ethnic groups: Cook Islands, Fiji, Maori, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tokelau and Tonga. We also included mental health providers. We analysed the feedback using thematic analysis. Findings: Pasifika people welcomed having an opportunity to discuss mental wellbeing openly. They said that economic issues, social isolation, cultural differences, shame and substance use contributed to increasingly poor mental health amongst Pasifika communities in Australia. They wanted to work with mainstream services to develop culturally appropriate and engaging models to support mental wellbeing. They suggested opportunities to harness churches, community groups, schools, social media and radio to raise awareness about mental health.  Conclusions: Working in partnership with Pasifika communities could strengthen mainstream mental health services and reduce the burden on acute services in Australia. This could include collecting better ethnicity data to help plan services, empowering community structures to promote mental wellbeing and training staff to support Pasifika communities. The key message was that services can work ‘with’ Pasifika communities, not ‘to’ them.

scholarly journals Language Discordance in Mental Health Services: An Exploratory Survey of Mental Health Providers and Interpreters

Societies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 66
Author(s):  
Mansha Mirza ◽  
Elizabeth Harrison ◽  
Jacob Bentley ◽  
Hui-Ching Chang ◽  
Dina Birman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Limited English Proficiency ◽  
Language Barriers ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mental Health Providers ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Snowball Sampling

Global migration has contributed to greater language diversity in many parts of the world. Many migrants experience language barriers in their adopted countries. Language barriers hinder access to healthcare, including mental health. There exists little research on the extent of communication difficulties during language discordant mental health services. A cross-sectional observational study design was used to examine prevalence of communication challenges, use of communication best practices, and training needs among mental health providers and interpreters working with immigrants with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) in the United States. Using snowball sampling methods, 38 providers and 34 interpreters were recruited to complete online surveys. Challenges reported by interpreters pertained to technicalities of communication, while those reported by providers pertained to content of communication. Communication best practices such as pre-session briefings and post-session debriefings were used infrequently by providers in the sample. Providers with higher education levels were more likely to endorse some best practices. Fifty-four percent of the providers and 84% of the interpreters were interested in additional training in working with patients with LEP. Findings suggest the need for customized trainings for providers and interpreters to improve the quality of mental healthcare for patients with LEP.

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