Beyond the four walls: The evolution of school psychological services during the COVID-19 outbreak

Disparities in the Implementation of School-Based Mental Health Supports Among K-12 Public Schools

OBJECTIVE

The authors sought to explore the availability of mental health supports within public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic by using survey data from a nationally representative sample of U.S. K-12 public schools collected in October-November 2021.

METHODS

The prevalence of 11 school-based mental health supports was examined within the sample (N=437 schools). Chi-square tests and adjusted logistic regression models were used to identify associations between school-level characteristics and mental health supports. School characteristics included level (elementary, middle, or high school), locale (city, town, suburb, or rural area), poverty level, having a full-time school nurse, and having a school-based health center.

RESULTS

Universal mental health programs were more prevalent than more individualized and group-based supports (e.g., therapy groups); however, prevalence of certain mental health supports was low among schools (e.g., only 53% implemented schoolwide trauma-informed practices). Schools having middle to high levels of poverty or located in rural areas or towns and elementary schools and schools without a health infrastructure were less likely to implement mental health supports, even after analyses were adjusted for school-level characteristics. For example, compared with low-poverty schools, mid-poverty schools had lower odds of implementing prosocial skills training for students (adjusted OR [AOR]=0.49, 95% CI=0.27-0.88) and providing confidential mental health screening (AOR=0.42, 95% CI=0.22-0.79).

CONCLUSIONS

Implementation levels of school-based mental health supports leave substantial room for improvement, and numerous disparities existed by school characteristics. Higher-poverty areas, schools in rural areas or towns, and elementary schools and schools without a health infrastructure may require assistance in ensuring equitable access to mental health supports.

Impacts of COVID-19 on the school experience of children and adolescents with special educational needs and disabilities

This review of research conducted between March 2020-April 2023 summarizes the impact of COVID-19 on the learning and school experiences of children and adolescents with special educational needs and dis/abilities (SENDs) including youth with neurodevelopmental disorders, learning differences, intellectual, developmental, and other disabilities. This research highlights the far-reaching consequences of COVID-19, with the most detrimental effects experienced by students of color, those from under-resourced communities, and those with multiple marginalized identities, whose struggles with systemic inequities have been amplified by the pandemic. To date, most studies have been cross-sectional and utilized qualitative methods. Future research should examine long-term impacts and ways to promote growth in learning and social-emotional functioning among students with SENDs.

The Experiences of Australian School Mental Health Professionals during COVID-19 Lockdowns

Young people have emerged as one of the most impacted groups from the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions to daily activities, with disruptions to schooling, social interactions, and connections. Simultaneously, students' access to school mental health professionals were restricted or modified. The aim of this paper was to identify how school mental health professionals supported and addressed the mental health needs of young people during COVID-19 restrictions in Australia. School mental health professionals were surveyed during the 2020 lockdowns using a questionnaire designed by researchers in the United States of America. The innovations school mental health staff adopted to support students during lockdowns and remote learning were presented, including telehealth services, digital resources, and the online training and support they received/provided. The barriers and facilitators to providing counselling and assessment services during lockdowns were identified, including issues with providing psychometric assessments during remote learning, and ethical concerns when delivering remote counselling to students. Recommendations have been included, which address how school mental health professionals could be supported to assess and treat young people during future pandemics and school restrictions.

Mental health and academic achievement among Chinese adolescents during COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating role of self-regulation learning

The changes that COVID-19 pandemic has brought upon the world are unprecedented. Its impact on students' learning is equally profound, making it critical to heed students' academic achievement effects that may derive from these alterations. Therefore, the present study explored an integrative model of mental health, self-regulated learning and academic achievement among adolescents during the pandemic. Participants were 1001 senior high school students (Mage = 17.00, SDage = 0.78, 48.7% female) from China. Results showed that the degree to which students were mentally healthy was not significantly related to academic achievement, whereas academic achievement and mental health were positively associated with self-regulated learning. Following structural equation modelling analysis, the effect of mental health on academic achievement was fully mediated by self-regulated learning. Taken together, the findings emphasised the necessity of developing self-regulated learning strategies during public health emergencies and have clinical and educational implications for planning psychological interventions in order to improve mental health and academic performance as well.

Where Is Counseling in School Psychology Literature? A Review of Six Prominent School Psychology Journals

School psychology professionals rely on professional literature to access information on scientifically supported practices. Counseling is certainly one of those practices. The purpose of this review was to determine how many articles published in prominent peer-reviewed school psychology journals have addressed providing effective counseling services to children and youth. We wanted to determine the types of counseling approaches that were described in those articles and which approaches garnered the most attention. Findings revealed that there were relatively few articles about counseling in prominent school psychology journals. Interestingly, most studies employed quantitative rather than qualitative designs and analyses. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) was the approach that was implemented the most in empirical studies across the school psychology journals. Empirical studies mainly included elementary and middle school students from diverse racial and ethnic groups who were receiving counseling services in a small group (tier 2) format. Implications for the profession of school psychology are provided.

Roles and Functions of School Mental Health Professionals Within Comprehensive School Mental Health Systems

Mental health concerns are on the rise among youth, contributing to a growing need for school-based mental health services. However, challenges to service provision arise due, in part, to workforce shortages, service fragmentation, and inefficient allocation of staff time. The current study describes the professional competencies and time allocation of four school-based mental health professions (i.e., school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, and school nurses) in order to demonstrate how schools can leverage the skills of their existing staff to coordinate a comprehensive approach to support student mental health. First, we identified the core clinical competencies needed to implement the key features of comprehensive school mental health systems. Then, we crosswalked these clinical competencies with the training standards of the four professions. Finally, we conducted a systematic review of the literature to understand how these professionals' time is allocated, as well as their responsibilities related to the provision of mental health services. Results demonstrated that, although all four professions receive training in most of the core competencies needed to implement comprehensive school mental health services, their skillsets are often underutilized in day-to-day practice. Thus, we concluded that there are at least two untapped opportunities for school leaders to support student mental health-first, maximize the use of school mental health professionals through task-shifting (i.e., reassigning tasks less central to mental health service delivery to other staff), and second, implement an integrated model of school mental health services to efficiently leverage the mental health training of professionals.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12310-022-09535-0.

COVID-19 and Australian school psychology: Qualitative perspectives for enhancing future practice

The challenges and changes driven by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the education sector have been linked to high rates of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic symptoms in school-aged populations. Despite this, it is also acknowledged that children and young people can be resilient and adaptable, with the right support in place. In schools, psychologists play an important role in supporting students' learning, behavior, wellbeing, and mental health. The aim of this study is to investigate the practices of Australian school psychologists during COVID-19 related school closures, focusing on their experiences and challenges and how they adapted their practices. Twelve Australian school psychologists were interviewed and, after member checks were undertaken, interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Six interrelated themes were identified including: (a) heightened student psychological stress, (b) alternative delivery modes and associated challenges, (c) close collaboration with families, (d) participants personal challenges during COVID-19, (e) assessment during COVID-19, and (f) possible long-term practice changes post pandemic. The results of this study have implications for policies to support students in future pandemics or where physical school attendance is disrupted (e.g., natural disasters).

Describing Changes in Telebehavioral Health Utilization and Services Delivery in Rural School Settings in Pre- and Early Stages of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

BACKGROUND

Receiving treatment for behavioral health disorders remains problematic due to profound provider shortages. Telebehavioral health services are effective for providing quality care, but research literature on these services in schools is limited.

METHODS

Data were collected during Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 semesters on all students receiving telebehavioral health services from 15 school-based telehealth programs across the U.S.

RESULTS

From Fall 2019 to Spring 2020, 62 schools providing services during both periods increased the number of students served from 396 to 745, increased the average number of encounters per student from 2.4 to 4.1, increased the percentage of encounters delivered by clinical social workers, mental health counselors, and clinical psychologists (all p < .001), and increased the use of individual counseling, family counseling, and group counseling (all p < .001). Schools that initiated the service in Spring 2020 (n = 25) averaged 6.5 encounters for the 301 students receiving services, delivered mostly by clinical social workers or professional counselors, using individual counseling.

CONCLUSION

Overall, data indicate programs significantly increased both behavioral services provided to their ongoing schools and increased the number of schools served. Undoubtedly telebehavioral health care delivery provided a swift and necessary response to the challenges posed by the growing pandemic threat.

Special education staff well-being and the effectiveness of remote services during the COVID-19 pandemic

Since March 2020, many school districts across the country have employed remote learning procedures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, schools continued to provide special education services, yet little is known about how services were adapted for remote or hybrid learning during the height of the pandemic in the United States. In the current study, 332 respondents completed a web-based survey that asked what special education services were provided remotely, whether services were deemed effective, and how remote learning has influenced their well-being. Most respondents identified as White (79.5%), females (92.4%), and worked as special education teachers (52.9%) and school psychologists (35.4%). In compliance with federal guidelines, most respondents continued to hold individualized education plan meetings, conduct assessments, and provide interventions and related services. There was a significant decrease in respondents' reports of efficacy and sense of school connectedness during remote and hybrid learning. Respondents' identification as a person of color, along with reports of higher school connectedness and self-efficacy were positive predictors of their perceived effectiveness of remote special education service delivery. Recommendations are made for school districts to inform decisions regarding their approach to special education services and staff support during remote or hybrid learning.