Universal Mental Health Screening: Steps for School Counselors Through Multidisciplinary Teaming

Abstract

School counselors collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to implement universal mental health screening (UMHS) in schools and this work is especially pertinent in light of the U.S. K–12 mental health crisis. Because the school counseling UMHS literature is still emerging, expanding this literature is necessary, particularly to meet students’ mental health concerns. The present study examined the qualitative experiences of school counselors and other multidisciplinary UMHS team members implementing screening. We coded data through a phenomenological lens and used deductive coding from the National Center for School Mental Health’s (2018) eight steps to UMHS. We discuss not only the results but applications and implications, geared toward school counselors at the building and district level to assist with their practice.