• Gayla Caddell – Coordinator, Child & Adolescent Mental Illness Services• 334-353-7832• gayla.caddell@mh.alabama.gov

• LaToya Patterson – Coordinator of School Based Mental Health Services

ADMH Contact Information

• Tina Sanders – Education Administrator, Special Education Services • 334-694-4805• tsanders1@alsde.edu

• Elizabeth Greene – Education Specialist, Special Education Services

ALSDE Contact Information

An Overview of the ALSDE & ADMH School Based Mental Health Collaborative Program

Overview of Mental Health Services in Alabama

MENTAL HEALTH OVERVIEW• Commissioner (Governor’s Cabinet)

• Three Areas of Services (MI/SA/ID)

• MI Community Programs• Serious Mental Illness (SMI) - Adults• Serious Emotional Disturbance

(SED) - Children & Adolescents

SED - Children & Adolescents

• Age 18 years or less• Must have primary mental health

diagnosis (not Substance Use Disorder, Developmental/ Intellectual Disability, Organic Mental Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, or Autism Spectrum Disorder

Must meet Both:

SED - Children & Adolescents

• Out-of-Home Placement as result of a SED• Functional Impairment OR Symptoms OR Risk of

Separation as result of a SED• Functional impairment could affect autonomy, community,

family/family equivalent, school, or work• Symptoms include either Features Associated with Psychotic

Disorder OR Suicidal or Homicidal Gesture or Ideation• Risk of Separation indicates there is an imminent risk of

separation from family/family equivalent or without treatment or placement in a more restrictive treatment setting

Must meet

Either:

Mental Health Continuum of Care –SED Services

Early Childhood• MH (0-5)• Mental Health

Prevention

Outpatient• Individual• Group• Family• Psychiatric/Nursing• Telepsychiatry• Consultation• Crisis

Outreach• Respite• Intensive Care

Coordination• In-Home Intervention• Peer Support Services

Meaningful Day• Day Treatment• School-Based Mental

Health (SBMH) Collaboration

Mental Health Continuum of Care –SED Services

Why Does Mental Health Matter in Schools?

• Addressing mental health needs in school is critically important because 1 in 5 children and youth have a diagnosable emotional, behavioral or mental health disorder and 1 in 10 young people have a mental health challenge that is severe enough to impair how they function at home, school or in the community.

There have been at least 43 incidents of gunfire on school

grounds in 2018.• When it comes to how American children are exposed to

gun violence, gunfire at schools is just the tip of the iceberg–every year, over 2,700 children and teens are shot and killed and nearly 14,500 more are shot and injured.

• An estimated 3 million American children are exposed to shootings per year. Witnessing shootings — whether in their schools, their communities or their homes– can have a devastating impact.

• Children exposed to violence, crime, and abuse are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol; suffer from depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder; fail or have difficulties in school; and engage in criminal activity.

Suicide

• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from 1999 through 2015, 1,309 children ages 5 to 12 took their own lives in the United States.

Gov. Kay Ivey’sSecuring Alabama’s Facilities of Education

SAFE Council• The SAFE Council makes 10 recommendations in three areas: physical security,

threat assessments and mental health, and coordinated training and planning by state agencies.

• Physical Security• Funding for School Resource Officers (SROs) and District Safety Coordinators (DSCs)

• Bond Issue for Enhancing School Building Security

• Surveillance Systems Linked to Law Enforcement

• Threat Assessments and Mental Health• School-Based Mental Health

• Identifying Warning Signs

• Reporting Threats

• Tracking School Violence

• Coordinated Training and Planning• Empowered and Accountable District Safety Coordinators

• Building a Culture of Safety

• School Safety Training and Compliance Teams

School & Mental Health Services –Where We Started

Early Collaboration – Mental Health & Education at State and Local Levels• Development & Funding for Day

Treatments • Policy Development – educational

programs within RTC• Limited Co-location of mental health

services in school systems• Limited access provided to mental health to

come into the school – i.e. IHI and CM• Summer Programs

School Based Mental Health (SBMH) Collaboration ADMH and ALSDE have identified the need for a

deliberate strategy aimed at improving service quality within and continuity between the two departments.

The AIM: • To achieve greater integration of MH services between the community

mental health centers and the public schools• To increase the utilization of evidence-based practices.

The integration of these services will foster continuity of care and ensure sustained gains in academic and

developmental domains for children, youth, and their families.

Goal of SBMH Collaboration

The GOAL of the SBMH collaboration between ADMH and its providers and the ALSDE and Alabama’s local

education agencies is to:Ensure that children and adolescents, both general and special education, enrolled in local school systems have access to high quality mental health prevention, early

intervention, and treatment services.

To be effective, comprehensive mental health services in schools must be provided by an on-site master’s level

mental health professional in collaboration with teachers, administrators, and families.

School Based Mental Health Services in Alabama

SBMH Partnership benefits:

• Mental Health Prevention – training for a population

• Improved awareness, collaboration and integration between Mental Health and Education resources at the State and Community levels

• Significant improvements in access to care for children and adolescents who are experiencing social/emotional problems that negatively affect academic success.

• Addresses common barriers to seeking services: - Transportation Issues - Stigma- “No-Shows” at MH Appts. - “No-Shows” at School!

• Access to the full array of MH services available through the Community Mental Health Center

• More consumers receiving needed services, with cost savings for many school systems

SBMH Collaboration Provides:

High quality services that

build on existing school

programs, services, and

strategies;

A

Continuum of care in a

school setting-

mental health education and

promotion through intensive

intervention;

Authentic parent/family

engagement;

Meaningful children and

youth involvement

Culturally and linguistically competent

service provision; and

Data-driven planning,

evaluation, and quality

improvement.

School Based Mental Health (SBMH) Collaboration MODEL

“Nuts and Bolts”

Initial Orientation

Formalized Agreement between MH and LEA

Data Collection & Reporting

Standardized Referral Process

“Gatekeeper” Bridges MH & ED Functions

School Based Mental Health (SBMH) Collaboration MODEL

“Nuts and Bolts”

Regular Accountability Meetings

School provide space, MH provides Therapist

Separation of School Records & MH Records

Annual Review of SBMH Commitment

SBMH Expected Outcomes and Performance Indicators

Provided by Alabama Department of Education:

• Number of students with unexcused absences > than 7 days reduced

• Number of unexcused absences > than 7 days reducedRates of school attendance

improved

• Number of students with out-of-control suspension > than 10 days reduced

• Number of out-of-school suspensions > than 10 days reduced

School behavior improved

• Number of students receiving the Alabama High School Diploma or advancing to the next grade level increases

Student promotion/graduation rate

improved

SBMH Expected Outcomes and Performance Indicators

Provided by local Mental Health Authorities:

• Number of students receiving mental health services increased• Number of services provided/hours of services provided increased

Student/Family engagement improved

Provided by Alabama State Mental Health Department based on Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS):

• Number of students whose level of life domain functioning improve

Total level of life domain functioning improved

• Number of students with arrests decreasesDelinquent behavior improved

• Number of students/families whose perception of care improvesFamily/Youth perception of care improved

• Number of students/families whose social connectedness improves. Social Connectedness

School Based Mental Health Collaboration

Contact Information

Gayla Caddell --- MI Children ‘s Services Coordinator; Alabama Department of Mental Health(334) 353-7832gayla.caddell@mh.alabama.gov

Tina Sanders --- Alabama Department of Education Special Education Services(334) 694-4805tsanders1@alsde.edu

Requirements to be officially designated as a “School Based Mental Health Collaboration Partner” include:1. Participate in an Initial Orientation

meeting with representatives from ADMH and ALSDE.

2. Formalize the relationship between the Community Mental Health Center and the local school system(s) participating in the School Based Mental Health Collaboration with a written Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), contract, or similar instrument that is reviewed and renewed on a regular basis.

3. Participate in Data Collection and Reporting as required.

4. Use and maintain Standardized Referral Process/Documentation.

5. Utilize a “Gatekeeper” at each school, who is preferably the School counselor.

6. Conduct Regular Executive Meetings to share billing/services provided and to solve problems and discuss difficult cases as required.

7. Schools provide private space and internet access: CMHCs provide master’s-level therapists with own computer or other record-keeping capability.

8. Staff with maintain Separation of School Records and Mental Health Records for legal and confidentiality purposes.

Alabama Department of Mental Health

andAlabama Department of Education

School Based Mental Health Collaboration

The goal of the School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMH) collaboration between Alabama Department of Mental Health and its providers and the Alabama Department of Education and Alabama’s local education agencies is to ensure that children and adolescents, both general and special education, enrolled in local school systems have access to high quality mental health prevention, early intervention, and treatment services. To be effective, comprehensive mental health services in schools must be provided by an on-site master’s level mental health professional in collaboration with teachers, administrators, and families.

The SBMH programs are designed to ensure that mental health needs of children and adolescents in the public schools are identified early on and addressed in a competent manner through a school, family, and community mental health partnership.

With the ultimate goal of optimal social-emotional health for school-aged children and adolescents who are appropriate for these services, SBMH provides:

• High quality services that build on existing school programs, services, and strategies;

• A continuum of care in a school setting-mental health education and promotion through intensive intervention;

• Authentic parent/family engagement;

• Meaningful children and youth involvement;

• Culturally and linguistically competent service provision; and

• Data-driven planning, evaluation, and quality improvement.

The Alabama Department of Mental Health and Alabama Department of Education have identified the need for a deliberate strategy aimed at improving service quality within and continuity between the two departments. The aim is to achieve greater integration of mental health services between the community mental health centers and the public schools and to increase the utilization of evidence-based practices. The integration of these services will foster continuity of care and ensure sustained gains in academic and developmental domains for children, youth, and their families.

Provided by Alabama Department of Education:

Rates of school attendance improved

• Number of students with unexcused absences > than 7 days reduced

• Number of unexcused absences > than 7 days reduced

School behavior improved

• Number of students with out-of-control suspension > than 10 days reduced

• Number of out-of-school suspensions > than 10 days reduced

Student graduation rate improved

• Number of students receiving the Alabama High School Diploma increases

Provided by local Mental Health Authorities:

Student/Family engagement improved

• Number of students receiving mental health services increased

• Number of services provided/hours of services provided increased

Provided by Alabama State Mental Health Department based on Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS):

Total level of life domain functioning improved

• Number of students whose level of life domain functioning improve

Delinquent behavior improved

• Number of students with arrests decreases

Family/Youth perception of care improved

• Number of students/families whose perception of care improves

Social Connectedness

• Number of students/families whose social connectedness improves.

The Goal of SBMH SBMH Expected Outcomes and Performance Indicators

Mental Health Resourceswww.mh.Alabama.gov

Options Include:• Provider Directory• Crisis Numbers for MI

Questions & Answers