School-Based Mental Health: A Review of the National Literature

Abstract

The evidence base for the effectiveness of School-Based Mental Health (SBMH) programs is slowly gaining robustness and indicates that SBMH programs can have a positive impact on individual students' attendance, behavioral, and academic functioning, as well as on system-level outcomes. Based on a review of the national literature, this report summarizes current knowledge including ten principles of best practice suggested in the literature, interventions for various presenting problems, models presently used across different states, questions regarding the implementation and sustainability of programs, strategies for financing SBMH, and information about available national resources.