School-based mental health services: The Baltimore models

Abstract

Through a variety of state and local funding and administrative arrangements, expanded school mental health (ESMH) programs have been developed in nearly half of the 176 Baltimore City schools over the past decade. These programs augment existing services provided by the school and help to ensure that a comprehensive range of services (assessment, prevention, case management, treatment) are available to youth in special and regular education. Baltimore's leadership in the emerging ESMH field led to the development of the Center for School Mental Health Assistance (CSMHA), one of two national centers that provide support and technical assistance to promote comprehensive mental health programs for youth in schools. This paper shares experiences associated with the growth of ESMH programs in Baltimore and activities and initiatives of the CSMHA. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.