Promising Practices for Engaging Families and Communities around Mental Health in Schools

As the volume and complexity of mental health needs of school-aged children has grown, the capacity of schools to meet those needs has been challenging at best. School closures and social isolation during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated disconcerting trends regarding levels of anxiety, depression, and suicidality in children and adolescents. As resources continue to be strained for many schools, innovative approaches to addressing school mental health are necessary.

Promising Practices for Engaging Families and Communities around Mental Health in Schools is part of the Family School Community Partnership Issues series. This volume explores promising practices for engaging families and communities around mental health in schools. Through compelling case studies, it highlights collaborations that creatively engage systems of care to help schools respond to mental health concerns.

This book also introduces new paradigms for whole child support within the school-family-community context. It offers thoughtful analysis of the ethical, policy, and practical tensions that arise when addressing mental health in partnership with families and communities. Promising Practices for Engaging Families and Communities around Mental Health in Schools is an essential resource for educators, mental health professionals, and policymakers seeking inclusive, collaborative solutions to today’s school mental health challenges.