Executive functions (EFs) develop rapidly in preschoolers and lay an important foundation for school readiness. One potential method of supporting EF development is through mindfulness‐based interventions (MBIs). Whereas studies with older children and adults have supported this approach, research with young children has been more limited. In the current study, we evaluated the effectiveness, acceptability, and feasibility of Mini‐Mind, a 12‐session MBI created specifically for preschoolers. We used a randomized controlled design in a sample of 27 (intervention n = 12) preschoolers (3–5 years old). The evaluation included indirect measures of EF skills completed by teachers who were blinded to the experimental condition of the students. Additionally, parents, teachers, children, and facilitators provided feedback about the acceptability and feasibility of the intervention. Findings revealed mostly nonsignificant, small‐to‐medium effects in favor of the intervention group on indirect measures of EF skills. Furthermore, Mini‐Mind was rated as highly feasible and acceptable by children and stakeholders. Overall, the findings support the implementation and continued evaluation of Mini‐Mind in more diverse settings.

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.

Background To support student mental health, school staff must have knowledge of evidence-based practices and the capacity to implement them. One approach used to address this challenge is a group-based telementoring model called Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO). In other applications (e.g., healthcare settings), ECHO has been shown to increase healthcare professionals’ self-efficacy and knowledge of evidence-based practices leading to improved patient outcomes. Objectives This study examined the potential for ECHO to be used as a method for increasing school staff engagement and knowledge of evidence-based school mental health practices. Methods Using a quasi-experimental design, this study compared outcomes across two professional development experiences aimed at promoting school staff ability to provide evidence-based mental health services. School staff from four school districts participated in a school mental health training initiative. All participants ( N = 57) had access to asynchronous, online mental health modules. A sub-sample ( n = 33) was also offered monthly ECHO sessions. Results Tests of group difference in outcomes revealed significant increases in engagement with online learning ( d = 0.58) and satisfaction ( d = 0.82) for those who participated in ECHO as compared to those who did not. Knowledge about evidence-based practices was not significantly different between groups. Conclusions Results suggest that group-based telementoring may be a promising approach for improving engagement and satisfaction with training initiatives aimed at promoting evidence-based school mental health practices. However, further study of ProjectECHO using experimental designs is needed to make causal inferences about its effect on provider outcomes.

Scant research exists on adolescent thinking about sexual harassment (SH), and even less on Black adolescents’ thinking. We listened to Black students as they thought aloud about a hypothetical SH dilemma. Participants were 7th graders (N = 21, 10 girls, M = 13.2 years, SD = 2.9) who identified as Black or African American. We presented a hypothetical dilemma about a boy who continues to touch a girl despite her request to stop. Participants were asked to take the perspective of each character as well as their own as a bystander. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we identified patterns in responses and two themes. Black girls saw the event as a failed social transaction requiring relationship repair. Black boys saw the dilemma as individual risk taking that could result in punishment. We consider these themes within an intersectional framework and compare them to the more familiar gendered framework used in research. Our findings provide insight into how Black adolescents think about SH and suggest entry points for culturally responsive social and emotional learning (SEL) curricula.