School‐based health centers: Opportunities and challenges for school psychologists

Abstract

School psychologists have the potential to contribute to the development and delivery of health and mental health services through school-based health centers (SBHCs). Possible roles for school psychologists within SBHCs are described. Factors that influence school psychologists' efforts within SBHCs are discussed, including factors such as system reforms, school system governance, importance of SBHC to stakeholders, and availability of funding. Knowledge of collaborative problem solving, effective prevention and intervention strategies, and recognition of limitations of traditional mental health programs were also identified as facilitators of the school psychologist's role in a SBHC. Factors that may impede the development of SBHCs are reviewed. These factors include definitional confusion, deemphasis on prevention, community stigma, limited resources, lack of integration and coordination of services, and an emphasis on a narrow role of providing only medical services. Additional factors discussed include the narrow role of school psychologists, space limitations, the challenge of collaboration, role strain, and lack of research on interventions within a SBHC. Strategies for overcoming barriers are suggested.

Delivering school‐based mental health services by school psychologists: Education, training, and ethical issues

“…In the 1970s, school‐based mental health centers (SMHCs) emerged, with well over 1,000 in existence by the early 2000s (Weist et al, 2003). SMHCs offer an array of services to students, ranging from behavioral health to physical health care (Carlson et al, 1995; Meyers & Swerdlik, 2003), regardless of special education status. Although sometimes staffed by school psychologists, other school personnel, such as social workers, counselors, clinical psychologists, and psychiatrists, often provide mental health services (Brown & Bolen, 2003).…”

“…Discussions regarding the role and function of school psychologists in addressing the mental health needs of students have taken place in the literature (e.g., Bardon, 1968; Brown & Bolen, 2003; Kramer & Epps, 1991; Meyers & Swerdlik, 2003; Semrud‐Clikeman, 2005; Shapiro, 1991; Tharinger, Pryzwansky, & Miller, 2008) and at conferences (e.g., 1954 Thayer Convention; Fagan, 2005; Semrud‐Clikeman, 2005) for more than 50 years. Few articles, however, have addressed the training of school psychologists who plan to provide mental health services to students or the ethical issues that may occur during the delivery of school‐based mental health services (SMHS).…”

The school‐based health center as a resource for prevention and health promotion

“…The school is an ideal point of entry for delivering universal and preventive services that address a variety of factors affecting children's physical and mental health (Meyers & Swerdlik, 2003). Unmet mental health needs and physical health problems are important barriers to school learning for children and adolescents (Adelman, 1998;Gall, Pagano, Desmond, Perrin, & Murphy, 2000).…”

All different or all the same? Exploring the diversity of professional practices in Portuguese school psychology

“…It has also long been associated with an inefficient use of school psychologists' time for responding to the needs of students on a case-by-case basis (Merrell et al, 2012), thus producing quite a small impact on the school population (Fagan & Wise, 2007). Ultimately, it has been recognized as unsustainable considering that the number of students with learning and mental health problems is growing without a corresponding increase in schools and community resources (Doll & Cummings, 2007;Merrell et al, 2012;Meyers & Swerdlik, 2003). Nonetheless, a referral-based and individually focused model of practice was observed in about a third of Portuguese practitioners.…”

“…Nonetheless, school psychologists have been recently called to adopt a public health perspective within their practice (Cummings et al, 2004;Doll & Cummings, 2007;Ehrhardt-Padgett et al 2004;Gutkin & Song, 2013;Gutkin, 2012;Nastasi, 2004;Strein et al, 2003;Ysseldyke et al, 2006). Within this framework, school psychologists are expected to provide a comprehensive continuum of services that range from prevention and early intervention to treatment (Meyers & Swerdlik, 2003;Nastasi, 2000Nastasi, , 2004. This multilevel approach is intended to meet the needs of the entire school community by matching the level of support to the nature and severity of students' problems (Ysseldyke et al, 2006).…”