Special Education Teachers and Mental Health Professionals: Collaborating to Support Students with Mental Health Issues in the Clasroom

In Ontario, teachers are increasingly expected to take on the role of front-line professionals who participate in early mental health interventions to support students in the classroom. Literature reveals a lack of research conducted on the frequency and effectiveness of the collaboration between teachers and mental health professionals. This qualitative research study is aimed to explore this topic further. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with two special education teachers and a mental health professional. Findings suggest that weekly face-to-face meetings with a multi-disciplinary team and ongoing dialogue between special education teachers and mental health professionals are beneficial. This collaboration can result in numerous social benefits for students with mental health issues such as improved self-esteem, and academic benefits such as greater individual programming. Participants reported challenges such as differences in opinion, limited funding and resources, and limited training and collaborative experience. Despite these challenges, they also reported receiving support from school administrators, families/caregivers, mental health professionals, and collaborating agencies