School based health centers (SBHC) provide healthcare services to youth and their families. In response to the global health crisis from COVID-19, schools' closures have impacted the access to vital services during times of increased need for physical and mental healthcare. Youth of minority racial and ethnic backgrounds living in urban settings face compounding factors including adverse childhood events, economic disadvantages, and barriers to healthcare. The mental health response of SBHCs in New York City as it relates to population specific factors such as family supports, economic considerations, and healthcare correlates is explored. The role of school based health centers and recommendations for interventions addressing mental health concerns in youth during COVID-19 are discussed.

The aim of the present study was to examine participant perceptions, expectations, and experiences regarding religious discussion in a secular therapy setting. A total of 135 nonclinical participants were interviewed using standardized protocols (i.e., interview with/without religious inquiry) to simulate a hypothetical psychotherapy intake session. Participants rated the interviewer on characteristics that have been shown to correlate with an improved therapeutic alliance. Expectations of religious discussion in secular settings prior to participating and experience of religious discussion after participating in the study were also measured. Results indicate that the majority of individuals (62.6%) believe that religiosity is an important domain of mental health that should be addressed by mental health professionals, but approximately half of the sample (48.9%) did not expect therapists to assess religiosity. Expectations and desire to engage in religious discussion were dependent on the religiosity level of the individual. Additionally, individuals asked about their religiosity during the interview experienced the interviewer as more empathetic, warm, understanding, experienced, trustworthy, and friendly. Participants reported being more willing to disclose personal information to the interviewer in the future when queried about their religiosity during initial interviews. Further, individuals asked about their religiosity during the interview were significantly more comfortable with religious discussion at post measure than those not asked about their religiosity. Comfort with religious discussion was found to be a significant mediator in the relationship between assessment of religiosity and higher ratings of the interviewer and increased willingness to disclose in future therapy with the interviewer.

School based health centers (SBHCs) are often at the front line of medical and mental health services for students in the schools they serve. Citywide school closures in New York City in March 2020 and ongoing social distancing procedures resulted in significant changes in SBHC services as well as access to these services. Furthermore, the combination of COVID-19 related stressors and the increased likelihood of adverse childhood events experienced by urban youth creates conditions for the exacerbation of mental health concerns among youth in metropolitan areas. The following article will explore the role of SBHCs as community agents focused on prevention and reduction of mental health concerns prior and during the current pandemic, as well as existing health disparities experienced by urban youth populations. The authors will also discuss research examining mental health concerns already present in global populations affected by COVID-19 as it may foreshadow the challenges to be faced by U.S. urban youth. Lastly, the authors describe recommendations, practice implications, and opportunities for preventative strategies and therapeutic interventions in school based health settings. Impact and ImplicationsSchool based health centers provide health care services to youth and their families. Times of crisis often result in school closures preventing access to vital services during times of increased need for physical and mental health care. The role of school based health centers and recommendations for interventions addressing mental health concerns in youth during COVID-19 are discussed.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new stressors, which have led to adjustment difficulties or exacerbation of existing mental health concerns for many students and their families. Yet, school closings and social distancing measures pose barriers to obtaining mental health care through school-based mental health providers. The present manuscript aims to address many of these barriers through a model entitled, “Multiphasic Process Model of Interventions.” This model illustrates stressors and interventions corresponding to distinct COVID-19 and school closures phases (i.e., early, acute, reentry, and postphases) and describes ways school-based mental health providers can respond to students’ mental health needs within each phase. The manuscript is organized in three sections by phase: Section A: Stressors youth and their families faced during each phase, Section B: Theory-driven interventions to address corresponding stressors, and Section C: Application of the proposed model using a real student client as an example. These model components are described in ways that would allow for generalizability across diverse educational settings and large-scale social issues requiring intervention.