Mental Health Prevention and Intervention in PK-12 Education: Missing Link or Misappropriation?

Mental Health Prevention and Intervention in PK-12 Education: Missing Link or Misappropriation? Trigg A. Even, PhD, LPC-S, NCC

Take a Closer Look! School Counseling May Be the Missing Link to Academic Achievement Trigg A. Even, PhD, LPC-S, NCC

Assumptions Core business of education is teaching & learning Schools face increasing internal & external pressure to be all things to all students Philosophical debates don t matter as much as needing to implement practical solutions for responding to real-world challenges We have to start with what we have and build from there.

Fundamental Question How are students different as a result of what school counselors do?

The Take-Away Schools may be the most important and accessible institution in which advances in mental health care will be realized. Addressing mental health and social-emotional health factors is a critical component of educating the whole child. School counselors are uniquely qualified and positioned to be the Educational Leaders who advocate for comprehensive supportive services in the school. Even & Quast (in review)

To what extent does the literature describe a relationship between public education spending and academic achievement... And mental health programming and academic achievement? Even & Quast (2017, in review) To what extent does the literature describe a relationship between students mental health, social/emotional wellbeing and academic achievement?

Mental Health in School-aged Youth 25 students/class = 5 students = 3 students who may need professional support (b/c they re not getting it anywhere else) 1000 students/campus = 200 students = 120 students who may need professional support

Pair Up & Discuss 120 Kids who need help with mental health/behavioral health condition... TX average = 1 School Counselor: 500 Students 30% time allocated to Responsive Services 2 counselors = 24 hours per week (That s 12 minutes per student/per week)

Mental Health & Academic Achievement stress absenteeism behavior problems discipline problems disruptions to school climate dropout delays in learning social skill deficits poor concentration (Armistead, 2008; Charvat, 2008; Erickson & Abel, 2013)

Mental Health & Academic Achievement There IS a link between mental health/wellness and academic achievement! Secondary school students with depression are at a higher risk for academic impairment and disrupted educational attainment (Asarnow et al., 2005). 65% of studies between 1961-2000 on academic achievement differences found MH as a core reason for underperformance (Trout et al., 2003) Gumora and Arsenio (2002) found that disrupted emotions/affect regulation affects GPA more than cognitive ability/aptitude. 46% of high school dropout is attributable to MH problems (Stoep, Weiss, Kuo, Cheney, and Cohen, 2003)

Education Spending To what extent does the literature describe a relationship between public education spending and academic achievement?

Education $$ = Academic Achievement 2016 = $11,841 per student 2006 = $9266 per student 1971 = $4060 per student 138% (inflation-adjusted) increase 1985-2007 Education Week (2016) Lips et al. (2008)

The 65% Rule of Instructional Expenditures According to Jones & Sate (2010) Schools that spent less than 60% of budget on instruction = lowest passing rate on standardized core subject tests Highest percentage of passing rates were at the 60-64.99% ratio Effect size was small; no added benefit of spending beyond 60-65% Bracey (2006) suggested schools evaluate spending diagnostically; allocate funds where academic achievement gains can be shown

Spending for School Counseling?? Results are mixed... Broad student support expenditures were inversely related to 1994-95 ITBS scores (Jacques & Brorsen, 2002) Reback (2010) found no gain in standardized test scores by adding one FTE school counselor Gains in academic achievement from MH interventions did not hold over time (Hoagwood et al., 2007) El. boys math & reading scores increased 1 percentile point with addition of 1 FTE school counselor (Carrel & Hoekstra, 2014) Full implementation of ASCA model = increases in pass rates on standardized state tests (Carey & Dimmitt, 2012)... and higher ACT scores (Carey et al., 2012) Performance of students in RAMP schools exceeded performance of students in non-ramp schools (Wilkerson et al., 2013).

Summary Spending MORE does not appear to increase academic achievement. Spending PURPOSEFULLY and STRATEGICALLY does appear to make a difference. Fidelity of Treatment - academic achievement gains ARE realized when school counseling programs are fully implemented and comprehensive (ASCA, 2016) Armistead, 2008; Carey & Harrington, 2010, 2010b; Desrochers, 2015

Talking Points School counselors as mental health specialists may be the missing link to reaching academic achievement gains Resources must be allocated strategically Implementation is KEY - we won t get there on bare bones programming Effective MH/SEL programs are comprehensive, integrated, and authentic (Desrochers, 2015)

Promising MH Program Strategies Opponents of school mental health initiatives argue that mental health services fall outside of the mandate of public education. Just the opposite is true. Schools form the essential construct of society s commitment to help children become productive citizens. - Armistead (2008, para. 17)

Mental Health Assessment & Followup/Referral Counseling Comprehensive means full range of MH services Assessment (screening, measuring strengths and difficulties, etc.) is understood as a Universal/Tier 1 strategy Erickson & Abel (2013) - school-wide suicide and depression screening process Gruman et al. (2013) - SC were actually MORE available for direct, responsive services with an assessment and tracking program; standardized test scores increased Follow-up counseling (ind., group, and referral counseling) align with secondary (Tier 2) and tertiary (Tier 3) interventions (Armistead, 2008; Desrochers, 2015)

Small Group Counseling Whiston et al. (2011) found significant effects of school counseling services on academic achievement Responsive services inputs produced some of the largest effects Small group counseling was the most impactful Students who participated in small group counseling outperformed those who did not by 1/3 SD (Whiston & Quimby, 2009)

Family Partnering & Parent Education Much research evidence on the family dynamicacademic achievement interaction (Ghazarian & Buehler, 2010; Harold et al., 2007; Hinkle & Wells, 2005; Unger et al., 2000) Parent/family involvement in school counseling program led to higher GPA s; positively correlated with ac. achievement (Dotterer & Wherspann, 2016) Higher performing schools have measurably more collaboration with and involvement of families (Henderson & Mapp, 2002)

Social-Emotional Programming According to CASEL (2016), SEL is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions (para.1).

Social-Emotional Programming Mental health & well-being, AND academic achievement, are intrinsically linked with SEL (CASEL, 2008) Students who receive SEL programming scored on average, 11 percentile points higher on standardized tests (Durlak et al., 2011) Belfield et al. (2015), the average return on a school s investment in social emotional programming for ensuring student success and well-being is 11:1, meaning that for every dollar invested across the six SEL interventions, there is a return of eleven dollars (p.5)

SEL Program Strategies Reduce aggression and violence Promote positive self-concept Reduce substance use Improve problem solving and emotional self-regulation Implement responsive classrooms Support student development of cognitive and socialemotional competence Belfield et al. (2015); CASEL (2016)

it requires hard work. But when a school provides its students with comprehensive, integrated, and authentic mental health services, performance Type improves a quote significantly here. across the board. Supporting students mental wellness creates significant improvements in school climate, student behavior, and academic performance (Desrochers, 2015, p. 50) Johnny Appleseed

Selected References Durlak, J.A., Weissberg, R.P., Dymnicki, A.B., Taylor, R.D., & Schellinger, K.B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405-432. Gumora G., & Arsenio W.F. (2002). Emotionality, emotion regulation, and school performance in middle school children. Journal of School Psychology, 40, 395 413. Jacques, C., & Brorsen, B.W. (2003). Relationship between types of school district expenditures and student performance. Applied Economics Letters, 9, 997-1002. Jones, T.B., & Slate, J.R. (2010). The 65% instructional expenditure ratio and student achievement: Does money matter? Current Issues in Education, 13(4). Retrieved from www.cie.asu.edu. Lips, D., Watkins, S.L., & Fleming, J. (2008). Does spending more on education improve academic achievement? (Backgrounder Report # 2179). The Heritage Foundation. Washington, D.C. Nelson, R., Benner, G.J., Lane, K., & Smith, B.W. (2004). Academic achievement of K-12 students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Exceptional Children, 71(1), 59-73. Reback, R. (2010). Non-instructional spending improves non-cognitive outcomes: Discontinuity evidence from a unique school counselor financing system. Education, 5(2), 105-137.

Contact Info UNT Dallas trigg.even@untdallas.edu Trigg A. Even, PhD, LPC-S, NCC 1376 Private Practice 5225 trigg@midlothian-counseling.com 972-338- 469-612-

Mental Health Prevention and Intervention in PK-12 Education: Missing Link or Misappropriation? Trigg A. Even, PhD, LPC-S, NCC, University of North Texas Dallas Presented at the Texas School Counselor Association Conference, Feb. 2017, Arlington, TX Abstract The prevalence of mental health challenges among school-aged youth continues to alarm policy makers and reformers alike. Public schools may be the most accessible institution in which advances in mental healthcare reform will be realized. In order to invite education policy makers to consider mental health prevention and intervention a critical component of education s core business, mental health advocates must engage in meaningful dialogue about the relationship between mental health prevention/intervention programming and academic achievement at the PK-12 level. Similarly, education policy makers must take a calculated risk to leverage resources for mental health prevention and intervention within the context of comprehensive educational programming. The Dialogue Fewer than 20% of school-aged youth with a mental health condition receive the mental health care they need (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). While differences of opinion exist on whether mental health prevention and intervention services fall within the scope and practice of public education (Armistead, 2008), schools may represent the best opportunity to provide critical mental health prevention and intervention services. Reaching Consensus The core business of education even for those institutions that adopt a comprehensive, whole-child model is academics. We expect all children to learn. We expect the institution of public education to maximize resources so that all children can learn. In this age of accountability and data-driven decision-making, some key questions emerge within the dialogue about what all kids need in order to achieve academically, what works in education, what hasn t been tried, and what education can do with what it has been given. Mental Health Programming in Schools MH services are a low-cost, evidence-based approach for boosting academic achievement by as much as 11 points (Durlak et al., 2011) Quality and fidelity of implementation is key (ASCA, 2012) Academic achievement gains are realized when school counseling services are fully implemented (ASCA, 2016) it requires hard work. But when a school provides its students with comprehensive, integrated, and authentic mental health services, performance improves significantly across the board. Supporting students mental wellness creates Comprehensive MH services include social skills guidance, responsive classrooms, small group counseling, resource and referrals, parent education, support for transition years, and staff development. MH programming is integrated across the educational program (Desrochers, 2015).

Selected References American School Counselor Association (ASCA, 2016). Empirical research studies supporting the value of school counseling. Alexandria, VA. Retrieved from www.schoolcounselor.org. American School Counselor Association (ASCA, 2012). The ASCA National Model: A framework for school counseling programs (3 rd ed.). Alexandria, VA. Armistead, R.J. (2008, March). School-based mental health services promote academic success. School Board News Viewpoint. National Association of School Psychologists. Bethesda, MD. Carey, J.C., & Harrington, K. M. (2010). Nebraska school counseling evaluation report. Amherst, MA: Center for School Counseling Outcome Research and Evaluation. Carey, J.C., & Harrington, K. M.(2010b). Utah school counseling evaluation report. Amherst, MA: Center for School Counseling Outcome Research and Evaluation. Charvat, J.L. (2008, December). Research on the relationship between mental health and academic achievement. National Association of School Psychologists. Bethesda, MD. Retrieved from www.nasponline.org. Coulson, A.J. (2014, March). State education trends: Academic performance and spending over the past 40 years. (Policy Analysis #746). The Cato Institute Center for Educational Freedom. Washington, D.C. Desrochers, J.E. (2015, October). RX for mental health. Educational Leadership, 73(2), 46-50. Durlak, J.A., Weissberg, R.P., Dymnicki, A.B., Taylor, R.D., & Schellinger, K.B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405-432. Even, T.A., & Quast, H. (in review). Mental health and social emotional programming in schools: Missing link or misappropriation? Submitted for review to Journal of School Counseling. Gumora G., & Arsenio W.F. (2002). Emotionality, emotion regulation, and school performance in middle school children. Journal of School Psychology, 40, 395 413. Jacques, C., & Brorsen, B.W. (2003). Relationship between types of school district expenditures and student performance. Applied Economics Letters, 9, 997-1002. Jones, T.B., & Slate, J.R. (2010). The 65% instructional expenditure ratio and student achievement: Does money matter? Current Issues in Education, 13(4). Retrieved from www.cie.asu.edu. Lips, D., Watkins, S.L., & Fleming, J. (2008). Does spending more on education improve academic achievement? (Backgrounder Report # 2179). The Heritage Foundation. Washington, D.C. Nelson, R., Benner, G.J., Lane, K., & Smith, B.W. (2004). Academic achievement of K-12 students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Exceptional Children, 71(1), 59-73. Reback, R. (2010). Non-instructional spending improves non-cognitive outcomes: Discontinuity evidence from a unique school counselor financing system. Education, 5(2), 105-137.