254834 Impact of School-Based Mental Health Programs on Children's School Outcomes and Acute Mental Health Service Utilization

Wednesday, October 31, 2012 : 11:30 AM - 11:45 AM

Christina Kang-Yi, PhD , Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
David S. Mandell, ScD , Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
Cathy Bolton, PhD , Community Behavioral Health, Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health & Intellectual Disabilities Services, Philadelphia, PA
Trevor R. Hadley, PhD , Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
  
Background: This study examined the impact of school-based mental health programs on children's school outcomes and the utilization of acute mental health services.

Methods: The study sample included 468 Medicaid-enrolled children aged 6 to 17 years who entered one of two school-based mental health programs including School-Based Behavioral Health Program (SBBH) and School Therapeutic Support Staff Program (School TSS) in a metropolitan area sometime between September 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007. A multilevel analysis was performed to determine the relative effects of SBBH and School TSS on children's absence, suspension, grade promotion, use of the Crisis Response Center (CRC), and use of inpatient psychiatric hospitalization, as well as the association of child and school-level factors on the outcomes of interest.

Results: Descriptive analysis revealed little change in average number of monthly days absent (2.19 to 2.09 days). The mean number of monthly days suspended out-of-school decreased from 0.100 to 0.003 days (p < .001). The percentage of children promoted to the next grade increased almost 13% after the program enrollment (p < .01). There was no statistically significant change in CRC visits or inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations. Program type did not predict outcome changes except grade promotion.

Conclusions: The findings provide the support for the positive effect of school-based mental health programs on some children's school outcomes. The lack of difference between programs suggests the need to identify active mechanisms associated with outcome to make the delivery of care more efficient.

Learning Areas:
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify significant individual, mental health program and school contextual factors that are associated with children’s school outcomes and acute mental health service utilization. 2. Design school-based mental health program evaluations. 3. Demonstrate the importance of school-wide models to improve children’s behavioral health outcomes.

Keywords: Mental Health Services, School-Based Programs

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have conducted major school-based mental health program evaluations collaborating with the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health since 2008. I am a research scientist at Policy Lab at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia with interests in mental health needs of children in kinship foster care and caregivers. I have published in several peer reviewed journals.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 5156.0: Mental Health Programs and Services in Schools