Preparing School Mental Health Professionals: Competencies in Interdisciplinary and Cross-System Collaboration

Abstract

(from the chapter) Over the last 10-15 years, there has been significant momentum in the development and implementation of school mental health (SMH) programs, both nationally and internationally. Effectively intervening in differing cases hinges on the extent to which educators and school mental health (SMH) providers can flexibly negotiate an integrated treatment plan meeting the unique mental health and educational needs of students. The purpose of this chapter is twofold: (1) to outline the competencies that facilitate interdisciplinary and cross-system service coordination among SMH professionals in the educational context and (2) to offer examples of training models and learning experiences (at both preservice and in-service levels) that systematically focus on the development of competencies needed for interdisciplinary and cross-system clinical work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved)