Findings From the Health Related Research of the Interprofessional Research Commission on Pupil Personnel Services*

Abstract

Recognizing the need for greater cooperation and coordination within a group of services commonly labeled pupil personnel services or pupil services, meetings began in 1961 among personnel in the professional associations representing these professions and school administrators and personnel in the U.S. Office of Education and the National Institute of Mental Health. A Commission was formed made up of the official representatives of a dozen professional organizations, and in time the Commission has come to have 18 member organizations including in the health Association, and similar organizations representing other practitioner groups, such as psychologists, social workers, counselors, attendance workers, and speech and hearing specialists, and consumers of pupil services such as school administrators, teachers, and others.The Commission secured a grant from the National Institute of Rtental Health in 1963 to carry out a five year program of research and demonstrations which operated out of a central office, which I represent, and several universities. These research projects attempted to investigate some of the more significant questions facing pupil services. For example, can one persou be traiiied to perform most of the functions of the school psychologist, social worker, arid counselor in a single elementary school if he is backed by strong persons from each discipline a t the board of education level; or is teaming of services a better model? What is the relative efficacy of direct services to students as compared with consultation services to teachers? Should pupil personnel workers spend more of their time working with groups rather than with individuals?With the exception of a major study of pupil services in 20 school systems identified by their peers as having excellent programs, the major research and demonstration projects of the Commission were completed in the summer of 1968 and all final reports are now available. What of what we learned might be of special interest to the health professions?Pupil services are expensive and the cry is for more. I n a survey of more than 100 systems with coordinated programs of pupil services John Gaskins found that more money nationwide was being spent for guidance than for any other service, an average of $12.77Let's start with money.

Promises and disaffections in mental health programs in schools

“…Efforts, hope, good will, skilled personnel, and lots of money have been invested in mental health programs for schools. Without exhausting the literature, we reviewed over 400 recent books, articles, project proposals, and symposia reports on such school programs.a Hospitals increasingly are providing psychiatric consultation services to their neighborhood schools and there are many special researchand-service programs (D'Angelo & Walsh, 1967;Liddle & Fisher, 1966;Wheeler, 1966;Schwartz, 1967;Stennett, 1966). In addition, federal, state, and city bureaus provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and supportive services to school children.…”

“…The literature conveys an impression of nearly endless discussions about how this should be done. "Mental health responsibilities" in the roles of school nurse or psychiatric nurse, school guidance counselor, teacher, psychiatrist, psychologist, and social worker are described and elaborated (Berlin, 1966;Fifield, 1967;Fisher, 1966;Fredlund, 1967;Hollister, 1966;Kate, 1963;Nebo, 1960;Starkman, 1966). Repetition and overlap between roles described is such that the name of one profession could sometimes be substituted for another without changing the sense of an article.…”

“…During the same decade, schools had doubled their nursing staffs and quadrupled their ranks of counselors-increases that out-distance the expanded numbers of school children (Liddle & Reighard, 1966). The number of school psychologists has increased over 500% since the 1950's (Liddle & Fisher, 1966).…”