Building a team to coordinate supports and referrals is a significant component of successful school mental health partnerships. Coordination teams come in many different shapes, sizes, and names. One approach for coordinating and working together is through a site-based Coordination of Services Team (COST) (see guide and resources included below).
Regardless of what the coordination process is called, there are several important components: Based on your needs assessment, an overall understanding of the entire continuum of services available in the system of care. It is important that various coordination teams, to the best of their ability, understand who provides what services in the system of care, how students are referred to services, and eligibility determinations. A universal referral form that allows students, parents, and all staff to refer students when there is indication support could be beneficial. Examples of COST referral forms are also included. The referral form ensures that students have access to available services.
Regular meetings among support staff and school staff to discuss student referrals and create plans of support at the school site level. Regular meetings ensure that staff have the opportunity to share data (while ensuring confidentiality) and report back on student outcomes, reflect on trends and needs that are coming up across the school and ways to increase school wide efforts. For example, a high number of referrals for freshman girls experiencing anxiety during the first six months of school could lead to creating support groups and curriculum implemented across a class that all freshmen are taking.
Screening students school-wide for mental health risks enables students to access early intervention and allows schools to notice trends and create supports tailored to their communities. Coordination between mental health agencies and the school personnel is required for quality and effective screening and planning for meeting students’ needs. See more information about School-wide screening protocols, as well as specific considerations about screening for trauma in the resources below.
Tracking student data and outcomes of referrals and services ensures that the needs of the students are being met as well as identifying early warning indicators that will help provide early intervention for often overlooked students. Some school sites have been able to implement the COST referral form and services to students’ educational accounts through the school so that teachers and all staff can access real time updates on what is working to help the student.
One of the biggest challenges in coordinating student mental health programs and services arises around issues of confidentiality, protected health and student information, and data sharing; simply put, there are federal and state laws that protect student and patient information. We have included a comprehensive guide to help partners understand these laws and identify practices to facilitate coordination and protect student information.
