The Ten Step Action Planning Guide for Quality Improvement in School Mental Health

1. The Ten Step Action Planning Guide for Quality Improvement in School Mental Health Nancy A. Lever, Ph.D.1, Sharon H. Stephan, Ph.D.1, & Laura Hurwitz, LCSW2 1Center for School Mental Health University of Maryland, Baltimore 2National Assembly on School-Based Health Care Washington, DC

2. Step One Identify a team of at least three stakeholders to assess the quality of mental health services and programming within your school. Designate one person as team leader. Potential members could include: • Educator • Family Member/Advocate • Guidance Counselor • Health Provider • Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) Team Leader • School Administrator • School Psychologist • School Social Worker • School-Based Community Mental Health Provider • Student Support Team Leader

3. Step Two Have individuals independently complete an assessment of school mental health services. Take a moment to review ratings and to consider what you identified as strengths and weaknesses in your school’s mental health programs and services.

4. Step Three Set up a 45-60 minute planning meeting in which the team will discuss the findings from the survey and develop an action plan for the school year.

5. Step Four As a team, review the results of the assessment. Consider the following: • Which indicators were rated the highest and the lowest? • Were there any patterns or clustering of scores? • In which indicators was there the most and least agreement in ratings?

6. Step Five Develop a consensus around which indicators to focus on during the school year. Select one to three by considering these questions: • What are the most pressing mental health issues within your school? • Which indicators are in most need of improvement? • Which of these can you realistically impact during the school year? • Which indicators best fit with other school priorities?

7. Step Six Develop an action plan that outlines at least three action steps/strategies that will help your school improve around the selected quality indicators. Be specific--Identify whom, what, when, and how within your plan.

8. Step Seven If your selected quality indicators do not address family and/or youth engagement, develop an action plan around enhancing family and youth involvement at your school. Be creative and seek input from youth and families.

9. Step Eight Consider what may prevent you from getting this important work done. Discuss as a group strategies that could help you to overcome these barriers.

10. Step Nine Agree as a team how to: • follow-up with one another on progress (e.g., monthly meetings, email communication, discussions) • incorporate quality improvement activities into other teams and committees at the school.

11. Step Ten Evaluate your progress regularly by: • re-administering the assessment • comparing your scores – Consider: • Where were there improvements or decline? • To what do you attribute the changes? • In which areas is there still need for improvement? • modifying the action plan

12. Congratulations on yourteam effort!