Research has estimated that the percentage of children and adolescents experiencing significant mental health difficulties is as high as 20% of all youth, and that only one-fourth of these students receive therapeutic services outside of school. Given this gap between the need and availability of mental health services, schools often become the…

School psychologists can play an important advocacy role in ensuring the latest evidence-based practices for students presenting with symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are being implemented in their districts. ADHD is a highly stigmatized disorder due to a number of misconceptions (e.g., the prevalence of ADHD has…

Approximately 20% of children in the United States experience significant mental, emotional, or behavioral symptoms that would qualify them for a psychiatric diagnosis (Burns et al., 1995; Costello et al., 2003). Unfortunately, only 15%-30% of these children receive any type of help or support (Ringel & Sturm, 2001; United States Public Health…

The integration of behavioral health services in primary care has become increasingly popular in pediatric settings in recent years. While there are various models of integrated behavioral health (IBH), the aim is constant: to increase access to behavioral and mental health care through collaboration between behavioral health providers and…

There is evidence that cyberbullying is a problem that is increasing among children and adolescents. Although often occurring outside of school, its effects often find their way into the offices of principals and school mental health providers. This article reviews the issues involved in cyberbullying and its effects and points the way toward…

Apni Shala (Hindi for Our School) is a nonprofit educational foundation located in Mumbai, India. It was set up in 2013 to promote mental health skill development in children in local elementary schools. The goals of the program include increasing emotional literacy of children within a culturally relevant framework and destigmatizing mental…

This fifth article of the Social Justice Committee's series on health disparities expands on previous articles (i.e., Tan et al., 2020; Ormiston et al., 2021) to discuss applications of advocacy by school psychologists to improve health parity for youth. As previously outlined in Proctor et al. (2020), health disparities are restricted…

Early childhood, defined as infancy through age 5 years, is a critical period and serves as the foundation for development throughout the life span. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in July 2015, there were almost 20 million children ages birth to 5 years. The physical health of infants and young children is addressed and monitored through…

Advocating for social justice is one of the National Association of School Psychologists' (NASP's) five strategic goals, and school psychologists have an ethical and professional responsibility to ensure that all children and youth receive what they need for their educational success. In part 1 of this series the authors proposed that climate…

All four authors of this article are active in the movement toward more comprehensive school mental health (SMH) services involving community mental health staff joining school employees to increase the depth and quality of programs and services within the multitiered system of support (MTSS; Garbacz, 2019; Mellin & Weist, 2011; Weist, Lever,…

Early identification of ASD allows for clinical intervention through mental and behavioral health supports, potentially providing individualized services in the educational setting. This article highlights the research-to-practice gap that exists within evaluations for ASD in schools. Lack of training, variability in assessment guidelines,…

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are a group of disorders directly caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. This spectrum of disorders cause neurodevelopmental, neurobehavioral, and mental health effects. The consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure are permanent, leaving children and adults with behavioral and learning difficulties throughout…

As schools began to close in March of 2020, there was a quick transition to online and virtual options to keep students engaged in learning and to protect students from COVID-19. With schools suspending in-person classes, many children stopped engaging in academic instructional activities due to lack of technological resources, school programming,…

In this article, the author will review data documenting the significant and painful burden mental illness places on children and review the burden mental illness places on the school and society. In addition, the author will offer that school psychologists are perfectly positioned to promote mental wellness and qualified to address the challenges…

School psychologists have a professional and ethical responsibility to advocate for schools, communities, and systems that ensure equity and fairness for all children and youth. This requires addressing systemic issues that lead to inequitable outcomes in schools and engaging in advocacy for the broader societal and public policy issues that…