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Toward the Integration of Education and Mental Health in Schools

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Abstract

Education and mental health integration will be advanced when the goal of mental health includes effective schooling and the goal of effective schools includes the healthy functioning of students. To build a solid foundation for this reciprocal agenda, especially within the zeitgeist of recent educational reforms, a change in the fundamental framework within which school mental health is conceptualized is needed. This change involves acknowledging a new set of priorities, which include: the use of naturalistic resources within schools to implement and sustain effective supports for students’ learning and emotional/behavioral health; inclusion of integrated models to enhance learning and promote health; attention to improving outcomes for all students, including those with serious emotional/behavioral needs; and strengthening the active involvement of parents. A strong research agenda to support these new priorities is essential.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Illinois at Chicago, Institute for Juvenile Research, 1747 W. Roosevelt Rd., Room 155, Chicago, IL, 60608, USA

    Marc S. Atkins

  2. Columbia University and New York Office of Mental Health, New York, NY, USA

    Kimberly E. Hoagwood

  3. University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Krista Kutash

  4. W.T. Grant Foundation and New York University, New York, NY, USA

    Edward Seidman

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  1. Marc S. Atkins
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  2. Kimberly E. Hoagwood
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  3. Krista Kutash
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  4. Edward Seidman
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Correspondence to Marc S. Atkins.

Additional information

A paper prepared for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: Issues and Solutions Conference held September 23–24, 2009 in Nashville, TN.

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Atkins, M.S., Hoagwood, K.E., Kutash, K. et al. Toward the Integration of Education and Mental Health in Schools. Adm Policy Ment Health 37, 40–47 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-010-0299-7

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