Partnering with Schools to Adapt a Team Science Intervention: Processes and Challenges.

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Public Health
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Public schools are key providers of mental health services for children in the U.S.
• Services range from universal programs to individualized clinical support.
• Effective delivery requires coordination among diverse professionals, often lacking in multidisciplinary collaboration training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the community-partnered adaptation of the Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) intervention for school settings.
• To address challenges in school-based mental health service provision.
• To enhance the effectiveness of evidence-based mental health services in schools.

Main Methods:

• Needs assessment interviews with stakeholders to identify challenges, successes, and goals.
• Community advisory board guidance for adaptation and implementation planning.
• Tailoring the TeamSTEPPS intervention and developing flexible training and individualized implementation plans.

Main Results:

• Needs assessment revealed overarching themes of limited resources, communication challenges, and poor role clarity.
• The TeamSTEPPS intervention was adapted for the school context.
• Flexible training and individualized implementation plans were developed to mitigate barriers.

Conclusions:

• Adapting evidence-based interventions like TeamSTEPPS is feasible and necessary for improving school mental health services.
• Addressing resource limitations, communication, and role clarity is crucial for successful implementation.
• Piloting the adapted intervention and implementation strategies is underway in three school districts.