ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This article reviews challenges to collaboration in school mental health (SMH) and presents practical strategies for overcoming them. METHODS: The importance of collaboration to the success of SMH programs is reviewed, with a particular focus on collaboration between school- and community-employed professionals. Challenges to effective collaboration between school- and community-employed professionals in SMH are considered. Strategies for overcoming challenges to effective collaboration are presented. RESULTS: Marginalization of the SMH agenda, limited interdisciplinary teamwork, restricted coordination mechanisms, confidentiality concerns, and resource and funding issues are key challenges to collaboration. Strategies targeted toward each of these challenges may help improve the effectiveness of SMH programs and ultimately student outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Collaboration between school- and community-employed professionals is critical to the success of SMH programs. Despite its promise, the success of SMH programs can be jeopardized by ineffective collaboration between school- and community-employed professionals. Strategies to overcome marginalization, promote authentic interdisciplinary teamwork, build effective coordination mechanisms, protect student and family confidentiality, and promote policy change and resource enhancements should be addressed in SMH improvement planning.
Subject(s)
Community Mental Health Services/organization & administration , Cooperative Behavior , Health Promotion/organization & administration , Health Services Accessibility/organization & administration , Interprofessional Relations , School Health Services/organization & administration , Adolescent , Child , Health Services Needs and Demand , Humans , United StatesABSTRACT
Expanded school mental health (ESMH) utilizes interprofessional collaboration to implement learning support and mental health promotion strategies in schools. This study reports on the early development and initial psychometric examination of a new scale, the Index of Interprofessional Team Collaboration for Expanded School Mental Health (IITC-ESMH), for measuring the functioning of interprofessional teams. Exploratory factor analysis results, using data collected from 436 members of interprofessional teams in schools, yielded a 26-item scale with a four-factor model (a) Reflection on Process, (b) Professional Flexibility, (c) Newly Created Professional Activities, and (d) Role Interdependence. Cronbach's alphas for the four factors were .91, .91, .84, and .80 respectively. The findings from this study provide evidence to support the IITC-ESMH as a reliable instrument for measuring interprofessional collaboration.
