Student Outcomes From Participation in the Mental Health Action Plan Pilot Program: A Case Study

Abstract

Since schools are an ideal setting for students to receive mental health services, Mental Health Action Plans (MHAPs) were developed to define and detail the ways in which student mental health needs can be addressed at school. Similar to Individualized Education Plans and 504 plans, MHAPs are individualized plans, grounded in person-centered care planning. The goal of this case study was to identify how implementing a MHAP at the middle school level affected student mental health and academic performance. Three students (ages 11–13), caregivers, and teachers were included in the study. Two school counselors facilitated three MHAP Meetings per student throughout the 2022–2023 school year. Participant characteristics, MHAP Document details, and selected evidence-based interventions are described. A one-group pretest-posttest design was employed by administering rating scales before and after the MHAP Program implementation. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the overall change in the pre-post measure data and paired samples t-tests were used to compare mean ratings. Results suggest mixed, although promising, academic, social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes, in part due to informant discrepancies and limitations of the study design employed. The MHAP Program also highlighted student academic difficulties that required additional intervention. Study results indicated MHAPs could be a trauma-informed mechanism to meet student mental health needs in school and connect students to additional academic support, as needed. Limitations and future directions are discussed.