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A Cross-Walk of Professional Competencies Involved in Expanded School Mental Health: An Exploratory Study

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Abstract

Expanded school mental health (ESMH) programs often involve individuals from a variety of professions working together to address student needs evident across school, family, and community systems. Profession-driven differences in philosophies, expectations regarding confidentiality, and graduate training that reinforces isolated rather than interprofessional approaches to working with students, however, represent real challenges to maximizing the potential of ESMH. To address these issues, this exploratory study identified a common set of competencies to support interprofessional practice in ESMH. A total of 51 competencies were identified across seven theme areas, including: (1) Key Policies and Laws; (2) Interprofessional Collaboration; (3) Cross-Systems Collaboration; (4) Provision of Academic, Social-Emotional, and Behavioral Learning Supports; (5) Data-Driven Decision-Making; (6) Personal and Professional Growth and Well-Being; and, (7) Cultural Competence. Mapping of the competencies to existing accreditation and practice standards for selected professions revealed shared and unique competencies. Implications for workforce development and future research are offered.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Megan Lehnert, Mark Weist, and the members of the Mental Health Education Integration Consortium.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Social Work, Ohio State University, 1947 College Road, Rm 015, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Annahita Ball & Dawn Anderson-Butcher

  2. Department of Counselor Education, Counseling Psychology, and Rehabilitation & Human Services, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Elizabeth A. Mellin

  3. Department of Psychology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA

    Jennifer H. Green

Authors
  1. Annahita Ball
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  2. Dawn Anderson-Butcher
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  3. Elizabeth A. Mellin
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  4. Jennifer H. Green
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Correspondence to Annahita Ball.

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Ball, A., Anderson-Butcher, D., Mellin, E.A. et al. A Cross-Walk of Professional Competencies Involved in Expanded School Mental Health: An Exploratory Study. School Mental Health 2, 114–124 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-010-9039-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-010-9039-0

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