Interagency Collaboration to Improve School Outcomes for Students With Mental Health Challenges

Abstract

Students with significant emotional-behavioral concerns and mental illness tend to experience poor educational and social outcomes. This chapter describes some of the challenges facing schools that are responsible for educating students with and at-risk for mental health challenges. Although some students encounter numerous risks, thereby increasing the chances of developing mental illness and failing school, there are also protective factors that can be identified and harnessed to counterbalance such risks and promote higher levels of resilience. By examining relationships among factors such as poverty, mental well-being, family engagement, resiliency, and school performance, a school-focused, community-based framework is suggested for responding to and overcoming these challenges. This chapter provides practical guidelines for schools, community agencies, and families to work together to support and engage young people who are at-risk for school failure due to emotional-behavioral concerns and mental health challenges.