The History and Future of School Mental Health

Abstract

Beginning in the 1980s, mental health programs in schools began to expand beyond those delivered solely by schools and school employees. This was related to growing recognition of the limitations of separate community and school mental health efforts, and of the benefits of working together. These “expanded” school mental health (SMH) programs began to gain momentum in the 1990s and are now a major national force. This chapter reviews key milestones in the history of the field and the critical policy themes (e.g., federalism, school decision-making, healthcare reform, financing) that are being confronted. It concludes with a review of major opportunities for the further growth and development of the field, including embedding programs within multi-tiered systems of support, improving training and workforce development, improving interdisciplinary and cross-system collaboration, enhancing high-quality and evidence-based practice, and developing effective systems of implementation support. A brief review of international developments concludes the chapter.