Purpose of Review We review recent community interventions to promote mental health and social equity. We define community interventions as those that involve multi-sector partnerships, emphasize community members as integral to the intervention, and/ or deliver services in community settings. We examine literature in seven topic areas: collaborative care, early psychosis, schoolbased interventions, homelessness, criminal justice, global mental health, and mental health promotion/prevention. We adapt the social-ecological model for health promotion and provide a framework for understanding the actions of community interventions. Recent Findings There are recent examples of effective interventions in each topic area. The majority of interventions focus on individual, family/interpersonal, and program/institutional social-ecological levels, with few intervening on whole communities or involving multiple non-healthcare sectors. Findings from many studies reinforce the interplay among mental health, interpersonal relationships, and social determinants of health. Summary There is evidence for the effectiveness of community interventions for improving mental health and some social outcomes across social-ecological levels. Studies indicate the importance of ongoing resources and training to maintain long-term outcomes, explicit attention to ethics and processes to foster equitable partnerships, and policy reform to support sustainable healthcare-community collaborations. Keywords Mental health (MeSH). Mental health intervention (MeSH). Community networks (MeSH). Social problems (MeSH). Community interventions (MeSH). Community-based interventions (MeSH). Social determinants of health. Mental health equity. Health disparities. Multi-sector interventions

When implemented with appropriate family, school, and community involvement, mental health screening in schools has the potential to be a cornerstone of a transformed mental health system. Screening, as part of a coordinated and comprehensive school mental health program, complements the mission of schools, identifies youth in need, links them to effective services, and contributes to positive educational outcomes valued by families, schools, and communities.

The purpose of this study was to test a three component framework for enhancing quality in school mental health (SMH), focusing on quality assessment and improvement (QAI), family engagement/empowerment, and modular evidence-based practice (EBP) implementation in three established SMH programs. The study involved a 2-year, multisite (Delaware, Maryland, Texas) formative evaluation with clinicians randomly assigned to participate in either the QAI (target) intervention or a Wellness Plus Information (WPI, comparison) intervention. As hypothesized, clinicians who participated in the QAI condition demonstrated significantly greater implementation of quality indicators and greater implementation of EBP as compared to clinicians in the WPI condition. However, contrary to original hypotheses, findings did not reveal differences between the conditions in knowledge or attitudes toward EBP, clinician self-efficacy, or student psychosocial outcomes. Implications for future research on quality improvement in SMH are discussed, with an emphasis on the need to examine the impact of increased implementation and resource support to SMH clinicians.

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The report from President George W. Bush's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health (NFC), Achieving the Promise: Transforming Mental Health Care in America(2003), proposes goals and recommendations for improving mental health services. This report has significant implications for the delivery of mental health services through the schools. A focused discussion of the potential opportunities and challenges of implementing NFC recommendations related to school-based mental health is presented. Strategies for addressing five key areas at the intersection of school mental health and the Commission's recommendations include: stigma reduction, suicide prevention, expansion and improvement of school mental health, and screening and treatment of co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders.