Universal Screening

School Behavioral Health Team Readiness

This course will help school administrators and mental health staff understand the history of behavioral health teams (BHT) and how this teaming structure can help support mental health concerns. Explore how BHT aligns with the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) and other frameworks and reflect on current systems related to the role of school leaders, school-level teams, mental health supports, and partnerships with community-based providers. Then, get a team together and plan for the next steps needed to get your school ready for a BHT.

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School Mental Health Screening Part I: Benefits and Cautions of Universal Mental Health Screening

Universal screening has improved the physical outcomes for millions of children who get routine dental and eye exams at their school buildings each year. Screening for mental health issues in schools has become a topic of discussion for many district leaders. Will the benefits of identifying students most at-risk of physical health problems translate when those difficulties are in the mental health realm? The answer is complicated.

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School Mental Health Screening Part I: Benefits and Cautions of Universal Mental Health Screening

Universal screening has improved the physical outcomes for millions of children who get routine dental and eye exams at their school buildings each year. Screening for mental health issues in schools has become a topic of discussion for many district leaders. Will the benefits of identifying students most at-risk of physical health problems translate when those difficulties are in the mental health realm? This article explores the complexity of mental health screening.

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Centers of Wellness – Example of Mental Health Teaming

Read about how the Sacramento County Office of Education connect with students, families and school staff by providing mental health supports on campus. They work with the school community to reduce barriers and stigma regarding mental health issues and to increase access to care for students and families. The purpose of a Coordination of Services Team (COST) is to provide students equitable access to education by coordinating school-wide efforts to ensure that the overall system of support works together effectively. COST area of focus takes a holistic approach and includes academic, behavioral, attendance, social-emotional, mental health, and overall wellness.

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Implementation of Universal Mental Health Screening in Illinois Schools

Illinois State Board of Education developed a strategic approach in 2023, which was supported by the release of a Readiness Tool to understand school districts’ capacity to implement universal mental health screening of all students in Illinois. The report is the next step to guide a phased approach to universal mental health screening of all K-12 students enrolled in Illinois school districts. Find the Landscape Scan on Mental Health Screening Practices report, Readiness Tool and School Screening Readiness report on ISBE’s website.  

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The purpose of this document is to lay out what a possible timeline could look like for the Universal Screening process and who might need to be involved with each step. Considerations are made for professional development and communication necessary for the transparent delivery of a Universal Screener that stakeholders support and the results in more youth being supported by appropriate interventions.

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Teaming Guide for School Mental Health

A school mental health team is a group of school and community stakeholders at the school-or district-level that meets regularly, uses data-based decision making, and relies on action planning to support student mental health. This guide contains background information on teaming, best practices, possible action steps, examples from the field, and resources.

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SHAPE System Assessments

The SHAPE System offers many tools to improve school mental health systems, including assessments and profiles on school mental health, trauma-responsiveness, culture and equity. Additionally, it highlights assessments available to state/territory and pre-school accounts. To access and complete assessments, create an account and register as an individual, school, preschool, district, state/territory, or entity.

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School Mental Health Quality Assessment

The School Mental Health Quality Assessment School Version (SMHQA-S) is designed for school teams to 1) assess the comprehensiveness of their school mental health system and 2) identify priority areas for improvement. The SMHQA-S covers seven domains of comprehensive school mental health, which includes a full continuum of supports for the wellbeing of students, families, and the school community.

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