ED X350B - Data-informed Mental Health Supports

Course Description

This course covers the practical details of implementing mental health best practices in schools, including using universal screeners to identify students in need, creating referral processes and protocols, and collecting and analyzing data to inform service delivery and program evaluation.

Course Outline

Lesson 1: Creating Referral Systems

• Referral processes and protocols in a Multi Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework
• Student referral processes and practices
• Strategies for implementing and/or improving a school’s referral system

Lesson 2: Organizing Mental Health Teams

• Characteristics of effective school-based mental health teams
• Primary responsibilities of school-level, school mental health teams
• Strategies for establishing and maintaining effective community partnerships

Lesson 3: Needs Assessment and Resource Mapping

• Methods for identifying student mental health needs
• Resource mapping techniques for effective allocation of mental health services

Lesson 4: Screeners

• Universal screeners and their role in identifying students in need of mental health support
• Reasons why schools are well suited to conduct universal mental health screening
• Practices for the effective implementation of universal mental health screening in a school setting
• Ethical considerations associated with the use of mental health screeners in educational environments

Lesson 5: Tools and Strategies

• Importance of data in shaping mental health support strategies
• How mental health or counseling teams utilize data-informed decision-making in a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS)
• Strategies for progress monitoring as a tool to guide decision-making

Learner Outcomes

Lesson 1: Creating Referral Systems

• Identify appropriate referral processes and protocols in a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework
• Recognize effective strategies within student referral processes and practices
• Develop a strategy for implementing or improving a school’s referral system

Lesson 2: Organizing Mental Health Teams

• Describe characteristics of effective school-based mental health teams
• Outline the primary responsibilities of school-level, school mental health teams
• Describe strategies for establishing and maintaining effective community partnerships

Lesson 3: Needs Assessment and Resource Mapping

• Understand methods for identifying student mental health needs.
• Apply resource mapping techniques for effective allocation of mental health service resources.

Lesson 4: Screeners

• Understand the purpose of universal screeners and their role in identifying students in need of mental health support
• Explain the reasons why schools are well suited to conduct universal mental health screening
• Outline practices for the effective implementation of universal mental health screening in a school setting
• Analyze the ethical considerations associated with the use of mental health screeners in educational environments

Lesson 5: Tools and Strategies

• Understand the importance of data in shaping mental health support strategies
• Examine how mental health or counseling teams utilize data-informed decision-making in a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS)
• Describe strategies for progress monitoring as a tool to guide decision-making