Providing Services within a School-Based Intensive Mental Health Program

Abstract

As outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 1990, 1997), emotional disturbance (ED) is designated by a multidisciplinary team, including the parents, when a child shows a number of difficulties in functioning. Within the group labeled ED, impairments in functioning range from relatively mild difficulties that can typically be managed in regular educational settings (with additional supports) to moderate or severe disturbances in multiple domains (Hodges, 2004). It is this more severely disturbed spectrum of children with serious emotional disturbance (SED) that is most in need of the intensive mental health service model described here. This chapter discusses the Intensive Mental Health Program (IMHP), a school-based therapeutic classroom designed to address the needs of children with moderate-to- severe SED through diverse, comprehensive services (Vernberg, Roberts, & Nyre, 2002). One unique characteristic of the IMHP is to require children's continued enrollment in their original, neighborhood school for half of their school day to facilitate the goal of an eventual full-time transition back to the neighborhood school. Service delivery features are held constant across all children in the IMHP and are organized into six areas of service: therapeutic classroom, neighborhood school, home, collaboration, transition, and supervision. Additionally, psychological treatment features of this program are discussed. Staff requirements, and the creation and costs of the IMHP program are examined. The model of IMHP service delivery not only shows promise in outcomes for children with severe SED, but it also provides a favorable example of child-focused, professional collaboration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved). (chapter)