Course overview

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) provided historic funding to help meet the goal set by President Biden to double the number of school-based mental health professionals and address the nation's youth mental health crisis. (U.S. Department of Education [USDE], 2022). The BSCA has dedicated one billion dollars to be distributed over the next five years through the USDE to help schools positively impact student mental health by recruiting, preparing, hiring, and training school-based mental health professionals (USDE, 2022). Schools can be a hub where youth receive support, including mental health care, to address non-academic barriers to student academic success (Lenares-Solomon et al., 2019). The Center for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) published a monograph about improving the quality of life and outcomes for children and youth, especially those who are at risk for experiencing emotional and behavioral challenges. Barrett et al. (2017) write that 20% of children and youth have an identified need for mental health services, but only about one-third of these children receive help. Schools can be the ideal environment for implementing tiered mental health support. Therefore, counselor educators are uniquely positioned to address this call to action. While emerging counselors must learn to implement newly formed skills when completing practicum and internship requirements, there needs to be more emphasis on navigating employment systems in counselor preparation programs. This webinar will explore strategies and best practices already established in pK-12 education and how to align counselor education programs to meet the evolving landscape of mental health.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Illustrate the need for embedded SBMHP and to meet the mental health needs of students through multi-tiered supports.
  2. Discuss counselor training program standards to prepare emerging counselors for placement post-grad.
  3. Summarize current practices for Counselor Educators and Clinical supervisors in the preparation process and compose suggestions for best practice.

Course curriculum

    1. The Evolution of School-Based Mental Health - Implications for Counselor Educators

About this course

  • Free

Leanne Campbell

Leanne Campbell is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a National Certified Counselor, and a certified pK-12 school counselor. Leanne is a Counselor Education and Supervision doctoral student at Adams State University and an adjunct faculty member at Northeastern State University and Adams State University. Leanne has worked in Oklahoma schools as both a school counselor and a school-based mental health therapist. This Fall, in addition to teaching at Adams State University, she is the Coordinator of School Counselor Training through Oklahoma State University’s Project UPCAST and in private group practice at Ellie Mental Health.