WestEd News
Meagan O'Malley, Staci Wendt, and Christina Pate Publish in Educational Administration Quarterly
Article: A View from the Top: Superintendents’ Perceptions of Mental Health Supports in Rural School Districts
Publication: Educational Administration Quarterly
Publisher: Sage
Publication Date: June 27, 2018
Related WestEd Authors: Meagan O’Malley, Staci Wendt, Christina Pate
Related WestEd Program: Health & Justice Program
Excerpt from abstract:
A chasm exists between the expanding mental health needs of school-aged youth and the school resources available to address them. Education agencies must efficiently allocate their limited resources by adopting innovative public health models. The need for these effective approaches is acute in rural regions, where resources tend to be scarce. This mixed-methods study of school superintendents illuminates key opportunities to optimize access to care for students struggling with mental health needs in rural communities.
A key finding indicates that budget constraints and access to trained school-based and community-based mental health personnel are the most frequently cited barriers to addressing mental health in schools.
Posted on October 1, 2018