Perception of School Staff Regarding the Effectiveness of a Youth Mental Health Program in Schools

There is an ongoing debate about how to serve the number of students that are affected by mental health problems. Some schools have moved toward implementing whole school programs. The purpose of these programs is to teach adults who directly interact with school age children, such as parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, and caring citizens how to respond to an adolescent that is facing a crisis or a mental health challenge. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of such a program. The goals of this study are to (a) determine the short-term outcomes of this initiative from school staff perspective, and (b) determine new directions for improving the program based on school staff’s recommendations. Survey questionnaires will be used to collect data from staff members. Descriptive statistics will be used to inform recommendations for the next steps in the development of the program. Staff surveyed endorsed the satisfaction of the implementation of the mental health program in their schools