Research & Evaluation
The NCSMH leads innovation in comprehensive school mental health systems designing and evaluating cutting-edge programs, practices and policies to advance high impact outcomes for youth, families, educators and communities.
*An asterisk indicates that a project is complete.
Project Title:
Culturally Responsive, Anti-Racist, and Equitable (CARE) School Assessment
Project Staff:
- Samantha Reaves, Lead Developer
- Taneisha Carter, Developer
- Tiffany Beason, Developer
- Jerica Knox, Developer
- Dana Cunningham, Developer
- Brittany Patterson, Developer
Funding Source:
SAMHSA - Danya Institute
Project Partners:
Danya Institute
Project Description:
The CARE School Assessment was developed using Mixed Methods-Ground Theory approach to develop a new quality improvement tool for CARE in schools. The tool includes 5 domains covering School Climate, School Discipline, Teaming & Collaboration, Curricula and Teaching Practices, & Professional Development. Schools and districts can rate their use of best practices and utilize action planning template and resource library to engage in quality improvement. The assessment is available on the SHAPE System.
Contact:
Samantha Reaves, sreaves@som.umaryland.edu
Project Title:
Expanding the SMHP FAMILY (Focus on Access to Mental Health Interventions and Local Resources to Promote Youth-Family-School Well-Being)
Project Staff:
- Brittany Patterson, Principal Investigator
- Cindy Schaeffer, Co-Principal Investigator
- Jennifer Cox, School Mental Health Program Director
Funding Source:
Community Health Resources Commission (CHRC)
Project Partners:
Broken Wall Church, Tree House Project, St. Luke's Youth Center (SLYC)
Project Description:
This project seeks to enhance the capacities of school-based stakeholders for supporting the growing mental health needs of youth by providing family education programming, implementing educator training, and bolstering universal interventions provided to youth and families during and after school hours.
Contact:
Brittany Patterson, bpatterson@som.umaryland.edu
Project Title:
iKinnect Mobile Technology to Reduce Teen Substance Misuse and Health Disparities
Project Staff:
- Cindy Schaeffer, Principal Investigator
- Aijah Goodwin, Co-Principal Investigator
Funding Source:
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Project Partner:
Evidence-Based Practice Institute, Inc.
Project Description:
The aims of this study are to further develop and test a paired mobile app platform to support parents delivering to teens evidence-based practices aimed at reducing adolescent substance abuse and co-occurring mental health problems. The study builds upon a previous study demonstrating iKinnect's efficacy with youth engaging in serious conduct problems. A randomized clinical trial will follow the app development and formative evaluation stage.
Contact:
Cindy Schaeffer, CSchaeffer@som.umaryland.edu
Project Title:
Improving the Cultural and Contextual Mental Health Help-Seeking Process for Black Adolescents: The Role of Digital Technology
Project Staff:
- Aijah Goodwin, Co-Principal Investigator
- Cindy Schaeffer, Co-Principal Investigator
Funding Source:
APA Division 53 SCCAP Child Mental Health in Action Funding
Project Description:
This research project will utilize a mixed-methods, strengths-based approach using survey and interview data to examine the role of technology as a self-help support selection to update the cultural and contextual mental health help-seeking process for Black youth with internalizing concerns.
Contact:
Aijah Goodwin, abarutigoodwin@som.umaryland.edu
Project Title:
Maryland Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education II (MD-AWARE II)
Project Staff:
- Sharon Hoover, Principal Investigator
- Tiffany Beason, Trainer
- Taneisha Carter, Lead Evaluation Specialist
- Jerica Knox, Lead Evaluator
- Nancy Lever, Training and Technical Assistance Lead
Funding Source:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Project Partners:
- Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE)
- Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS)
- Caroline County Public Schools (CCPS)
- Tablot County Public Schools (TCPS)
- Mental Health Association of Maryland (MHAMD)
- Maryland Coalition of Families (MCF)
- The Family Tree
- Central-Eastern Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC)
Project Description:
MD-AWARE II supports three local school systems in Maryland, Baltimore City Public Schools, Talbot County Public Schools, and Caroline County Public Schools, in enhancing student and family access to a multi-tiered system of evidence-based practices to support school mental health. The goals and objectives MD-AWARE II are:
- Partnering agencies will use a train-the-trainer model to disseminate interventions such as Youth Mental Health First Aid, ACE Interface, and Persuade. Refer to school staff and community members. These interventions support trainees’ ability to identify and refer youth and families that may benefit from mental health resources.
- Family Navigators will be integrated into each school system to connect students and families with resources including mental health supports.
- Clinicians working within each school system will receive training in evidence-based interventions for students who have experienced trauma such as Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) and Bounce Back. Trainings will also be available in the evidence-based practices Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT).
- Telepsychiatry services for students and families will be implemented or expanded in each school system.
- District leadership teams will use the School Health Assessment and Performance Evaluation system (SHAPE; theshapesystem.com) to develop and implement strategic plans to improve high-quality sustainable school mental health.
- The Maryland Educational and Behavioral Health Community of Practice will serve as a state advisory group for MD-AWARE II. Each district will develop a local advisory group to review policy and make recommendations to support school mental health.
Contact:
Taneisha Carter, tacarter@som.umaryland.edu
Project Title:
Maryland Early Intervention for Psychosis Expansion Project on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Considerations in Psychosis Pre-Service Training
Project Staff:
- Nancy Lever, Principal Investigator
- Caitlyn McNulty, Senior Research Assistant
- Margo Menkes, Psychology Intern
- Nikita Parson, Pre-Service Training Coordinator
- Brittany Patterson, Faculty Content Expert
- Cameron Sheedy, Senior Project Coordinator
- Lauren Wright, Senior Communications Specialist
Funding Source:
COVID Expansion, ARPA
Project Partners:
- Morgan State University School of Social Work
- UMBC Department of Psychology
Project Description:
Build the foundation for an interdisciplinary cross-university project related to bringing the early identification and treatment of youth with psychosis to pre-service training of graduate level mental health students. Develop professional development tools and resources, including a video library of clips from individuals with lived experience related to psychosis to assist faculty members at University of Maryland, Baltimore, University of Maryland Baltimore County, and Morgan State University in delivering evidence-based, culturally responsive education and skill development related to the assessment and early treatment of mental illness with psychosis.
Contact:
Cameron Sheedy, CSheedy@som.umaryland.edu
Project Title:
Mental Health Literacy in Baltimore City Public Schools
Project Staff:
- Brittany Patterson, Principal Investigator
- Jennifer Cox, School Mental Health Program Director
- Nancy Lever, Senior Faculty Advisor
Funding Source:
Hearst Foundation
Project Description:
With higher rates of mental health challenges resulting from the pandemic, psychoeducational and skill-building curriculums in classrooms offer the opportunity to reach a larger number of students and to equip them with critical coping and problem-solving skills. The SMHP will implement a mental health literacy (MHL) curriculum to reduce stigma, increase mental health knowledge, and enhance students' coping capacities.
Contact:
Brittany Patterson, bpatterson@som.umaryland.edu
Nancy Lever, nlever@som.umaryland.edu
Project Title:
Organizational Well-Being Inventory for Schools
Project Staff:
- Sharon Hoover, Principal Investigator
- Samantha Reaves, Co-Investigator
Funding Source:
SAMHSA - Danya Institute
Project Partners:
Danya Institute
Project Description:
The Organizational Well-Being Inventory for Schools (OWBI-S) was established through an empirically-based development process to measure 8 key domains of organizational efforts to implement policies and practices that promote well-being for school staff. The instrument is available at www.theSHAPEsystem.com.
Contact:
Sharon Hoover, shoover@som.umaryland.edu
Project Title:
School Mental Health Quality Assessment: Pre-School Version
Project Staff:
- Nancy Lever, Principal Investigator
- Samantha Reaves, Developer
- Samantha Hartley, Postdoctoral Fellow
Funding Source:
Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) Network
Project Partners:
MHTTC Nebraska (Brandy Clarke); Rachel Schumacher
Project Description:
The School Mental Health Quality Assessment: Pre-School Version (SMHQA-PS) was developed to expand national performance standards for school mental health down to our youngest learners and the teams that support them. The assessment tool was developed using a mixed-methods approach.
Contact:
Samantha Reaves, sreaves@som.umaryland.edu
Project Title:
School Psych Sistahs: Investigating a Digital Retention Program for Women of Color in School Psychology
Project Staff:
- Jerica Knox, Principal Investigator
Funding Source:
Society for the Study of School Psychology
Project Description:
This mixed method study investigates the experiences of women of color in school psychology in a digital retention program. The program consists of 8 online didactics and discussions surrounding occupational self-efficacy, self-care habits, and navigating racial discrimination in schools.
Contact:
Jerica Knox, jerica.knox@som.umaryland.edu
Project Title:
Student Health Assessment, Response, and Evaluation (SHARE)
Project Staff:
- Sharon Hoover, Principal Investigator
- Jerica Knox, Expert Faculty
- Karah Palmer, Lead Project Coordinator
- Sam Reaves, Expert Faculty
Funding Source:
National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH)
Project Partners:
3C Institute
Project Description:
Direct to Phase II project, SHARE, is a collaboration between the 3C Institute (3C; 3cisd.com) and the National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH; schoolmentalhealth.org) to support the iterative development and testing of a novel technology-based software platform—SHARE (Student Health Assessment, Response, and Evaluation)—to increase access to and use of psychometrically sound mental health and mental health-related assessment measures by mental health staff in schools. SHARE will be customized to facilitate service delivery in schools through an iterative, user-centered process with school mental health (SMH) providers and school and district administrators. SHARE will be specifically designed to minimize practical and logistical barriers to routine use of mental health assessment in schools.
Contact:
Karah Palmer, karah.palmer@som.umaryland.edu
Project Staff:
- Sharon Hoover, Principal Investigator
- Jill Bohnenkamp, Co-Investigator
- Dana Cunningham, Social Emotional Evaluation Liaison
- Joanna Prout, Research Manager
- Sam Reaves, Research Associate
- Karah Palmer, Research Coordinator
- Yourdanos Bekele, Research Assistant
Funding Source:
Kaiser Permanente
Project Partners:
Alliance for a Healthier Generation
Project Description:
In collaboration with Kaiser Permanente, the NCSMH is performing an evaluation of the Resilience in School Environments (RISE) nationwide by collecting information about the implementation and effectiveness of trauma-informed training and policy in a total of 40 schools. The evaluation includes measures of staff and student well-being, school climate, and the extent to which school policies and procedures align with recommended practices for trauma-informed care.
Contact:
Karah Palmer, karah.palmer@som.umaryland.edu
Project Title:
Maryland Healthy Transitions (MD-HT)
Project Staff:
- Sharon Hoover, UMB Principal Investigator
- Sylvia McCree-Huntley, Outreach & Education Lead
- Perrin Robinson, Lead Evaluator
- Cameron Sheedy, Evaluation Coordinator
Funding Source:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Project Partners:
Maryland Behavioral Health Administration
Project Description:
MD-HT is a five-year grant funded by SAMHSA through the Now Is The Time initiative. The target population is transition-aged youth (TAY) between the ages of 16-25 with a serious mental health condition that impairs functioning. University of Maryland Baltimore conducts the program evaluation, in addition to providing outreach and education support. Each TAY works with a Transition Facilitator to create an individualized treatment plan. MD-HT goals include supporting TAY in in successfully transitioning to adult roles through supported employment, supported education and linking TAY to relevant services and supports. Healthy Transitions providers and staff can view our provider resources page. If you are looking for information on the outreach & education, visit Training & Technical Assistance. View the Healthy Transitions Leadership Team.
Contact:
Perrin Robinson, probinso@som.umaryland.edu
Outreach & Education Newsletters:
- March 2023 - Maryland Healthy Transitions Outreach & Education Newsletter
- February 2023 - Maryland Healthy Transitions Outreach & Education Newsletter
- January 2023 - Maryland Healthy Transitions Outreach & Education Newsletter
- December 2022 - Maryland Healthy Transitions Outreach & Education Newsletter
- November 2022 - Maryland Healthy Transitions Outreach & Education Newsletter
Project Staff:
- Sharon Hoover, Principal Investigator
- Jill Bohnenkamp, Co-Principal Investigator
- Elizabeth Connors, Co-Investigator
Project Partners:
National Association of School Nurses, Center for Mental Health Services in Pediatric Primary Care at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Sacramento State University School of Nursing
Project Description:
The Mental Health Training Intervention for Health Providers in Schools (MH-TIPS) is an innovative in-service training and implementation support system for school nurses and other school health providers aimed at enhancing their competence in managing the needs of students with or at risk for emotional and behavioral difficulties that interfere with learning. MH-TIPS was developed by the NCSMH in partnership with the National Association of School Nurses and the Center for Mental Health Services in Pediatric Primary Care at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The MH-TIPS training program includes core training content components linked to the context of school health providers with respect to student mental health issues including:
- Strategies and Skills to Promote Positive and Supportive Interactions for Student Mental Health Issues
- Mental Health Identification and Assessment
- Mental Health Referral and Resource Mapping
- Mental Health Crisis Response and Safety Assessment
- Mental Health Intervention Best Practices for Delivery by School Health Providers
- Psychotropic Medication
The entire MH-TIPS training course is available online at https://mdbehavioralhealth.com/training. The MH-TIPS Interactive Online Platform includes:
- Implementation training videos
- School health provider mental health video vignettes
- Downloadable resources and tools
- Frequently asked questions
- Interviews with experts
- Opportunity to earn continuing education credits
Publication on MH-TIPS:
Bohnenkamp, J. H., Hoover, S. A., Connors, E. H., Wissow, L., Bobo, N., & Mazyck, D. (2018). The mental health training intervention for school nurses and other health providers in schools. The Journal of School Nursing, 1059840518785437. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059840518785437
Contact:
Jill Bohnenkamp, jbohnenk@som.umaryland.edu.
Project Staff:
- Mark Weist, University of South Carolina, Principal Investigator
- Sharon Hoover, UMB Principal Investigator
- Brittany Patterson, Co-Investigator
- Jen Cox, Clinical Supervisor
- Sam Reaves, Research Associate
- Karah Palmer, Project Coordinator
Funding Source:
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
Project Description:
The purpose of this project is to conduct a randomized trial of two packages of school-based, evidence-based interventions, one with enhancements in family and educator engagement, to determine the relative impact on student outcomes. The study involves a partnership with 20 middle schools, 10 in Maryland and 10 in South Carolina, with interventions supporting students in 6th, 7th and 8th grades. Intervention schools will have educators implementing mental health literacy and parent leaders working to enhance family engagement and reduce mental health stigma.
Contact:
Brittany Patterson, bpatterson@som.umaryland.edu
Project Staff:
- Cindy Schaeffer, Principal Investigator
- Sharon Hoover, Co-Principal Investigator
- Jill Bohnenkamp, Co-Investigator
- Yourdanos Bekele, Senior Clinical Research Assistant
Funding Source:
U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Comprehensive School Safety Initiative – “Demonstration, Evaluation, and Validation Tests for School Safety”
Project Partners:
Cecil County Public Schools
Project Description:
Cecil County Public Schools is partnering with the NCSMH to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention package in reducing exclusionary discipline practices. Interventions include trauma support for students, training in de-escalation techniques for school staff and school resource officers, implementation of a graduated discipline and restorative practice model at secondary schools, and training for school resource officers on child development and mental health. Outcome measures will include suspension/expulsion rates, referrals to juvenile justice, and ratings of school climate. NCSMH is coordinating implementation with a team from Cecil County Public Schools and will be evaluating the effectiveness of the interventions as well the providing a cost-benefit analysis.
Contact:
Yourdanos Bekele, ybekele@som.umaryland.edu
This project is currently paused due to COVID-19.
Project Staff:
- Sharon Hoover, Co-Principal Investigator
- Jill Bohnenkamp, Co-Principal Investigator
- Eric Slade, PhD, Co-Investigator
- Cindy Schaeffer, Co-Investigator
Funding Source:
U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Comprehensive School Safety Initiative- “Developing Knowledge about What Works to Make Schools Safe”
Project Partners:
Baltimore County Public Schools
Project Description:
Baltimore County Public Schools is partnering with the NCSMH to conduct a randomized controlled trial of the impact of the Comprehensive Emotional and Behavioral Health Crisis Response and Prevention Intervention (EBH-CRP) on school safety. The EBH-CRP intervention is a comprehensive training, organization and support protocol for schools and communities to strengthen their ability to serve students’ mental health needs. The services included in the EBH-CRP intervention will include universal prevention, early identification, assessment and service linkage, crisis response and post crisis relapse prevention. NCSMH is the research partner for this trial and will evaluate the impact of this large scale, multi-faceted mental health focused intervention on school safety outcomes.
Contact:
Jill Bohnenkamp. jbohnenk@som.umaryland.edu