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Partnering for Student Wellness

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Mental Health
Interventions
Behavioral: Wellness
Behavioral: Partnership
Registration Number
NCT03901274
Lead Sponsor
University of South Carolina
Brief Summary

This study will evaluate whether the evidence-based Clinical Services Supports (CSS) framework paired with an evidence-based Patient Centered Enhancement (PCE) compared to CSS alone will improve middle school students' social, emotional/behavioral, and academic functioning.

Detailed Description

The mental health needs of children and youth are well-documented as an under-addressed and significant public health need in the United States. A number of barriers prevent children, youth, and families from accessing behavioral health services in standard clinic settings, including lack of sufficient transportation, cost, and stigma related to receiving services. School behavioral health (SBH) programs-in which community mental health providers join school teams to better address the social, emotional/behavioral, and academic needs of students-are growing in the United States because of their ability to reach youth who need, but may not otherwise receive, services. However, these efforts are limited by a lack of patient and stakeholder engagement. This has commonly resulted in SBH programs not being implemented, implemented inconsistently, or underutilized. The study will compare an evidence-based Patient-Centered Enhancements (PCE) intervention added to an evidence-based framework termed Clinical Services Supports (CSS) in a three-year intervention for students in middle schools. Investigators predict the addition of the PCE intervention will improve school climate and enhance SBH services, resulting in significantly improved social, emotional/behavioral, and academic outcomes in students. The study has three aims:

1. Investigators will evaluate the extent to which PCE increases the number of students and families receiving school behavioral health services and expressing satisfaction with services received.

2. Investigators will evaluate the impact of PCE on students' social, emotional/behavioral, and academic outcomes throughout the course of the intervention period (sixth through eighth grade).

3. Investigators will evaluate the follow-up effects of PCE on social, emotional/behavioral, and academic outcomes and risk behaviors in a sample of students followed into high school.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
1279
Inclusion Criteria
  • Middle school student
  • Receives school-based behavioral health services
  • Parent of a middle school student
  • Parent of a student receiving school-based behavioral health services
  • Enrolled in a participating school
Exclusion Criteria
  • Not a middle school student
  • Not receiving school-based behavioral health services
  • Not a parent of a middle school student
  • Does not have a child receiving school-based behavioral health services
  • Not enrolled in a participating school

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Wellness ConditionWellnessParticipants in this condition will receive school-based behavioral health services from clinicians who are trained in the evidence-based Wellness Framework.
PartnershipPartnershipParticipants in this condition will receive school-based behavioral health services from clinicians who are trained in the evidence-based Wellness framework. The clinicians in this condition will receive additional training on patient-centered enhancements called the Partnership intervention.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in academic gradesBaseline (summer before intervention), mid-treatment (annually for three years of intervention), post-treatment (one year after intervention)

Quarterly academic grades for ELA, math, social studies, and science

Change in client satisfaction with servicesMid-treatment (through three years of intervention, an average of 3 per year)

Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8 (CSQ-8): 8-item measure for youth 11 and older and adults to assess individual's satisfaction with counseling services. The items range from 1 "Poor" to 4 "Excellent".

Change in emotional/behavioral functioning of students receiving servicesBaseline (intake), mid-treatment (through three years of intervention, an average of 3 per year), post-treatment (one year after intervention)

Brief Problem Checklist: 12-item questionnaire measuring externalizing and internalizing problems. The Brief Problem Checklist ranges from 1 "Not True" to 3 "Very True".

Change in academic attendance ratesBaseline (summer before intervention), mid-treatment (annually for three years of intervention), post-treatment (one year after intervention)

Quarterly attendance (tardy and absence); including date, type of attendance (excused, unexcused), and reason for absence or tardy (if applicable)

Change in access to servicesBaseline (summer before intervention), mid-treatment (annually for three years of intervention)

Number of sessions conducted by the clinician in categories of assessment; individual, group, and family therapy; case management; and teacher consultation

Change in discipline ratesBaseline (summer before intervention), mid-treatment (annually for three years of intervention), post-treatment (one year after intervention)

Quarterly discipline; including date, reason for office discipline referral, consequence as a result of the referral, and length of the consequence (if applicable)

Change in perceptions of school climateBaseline (summer before intervention), mid-treatment (annually for three years of intervention), post-treatment (one year after intervention)

School Climate Survey (SCS): a free, online climate survey from the US Department of Education. The SCS is a 73-item questionnaire for students and an 83-item questionnaire for school staff on a 4 point scale ranging from 1 "Strongly Agree" to 4 "Strongly Disagree".

Change in social functioning of students receiving servicesBaseline (intake), mid-treatment (through three years of intervention, an average of 3 per year), post-treatment (one year after intervention)

Child and Adolescent Social and Adaptive Functioning Scale (CASAFS): 24-item measure on school performance, peer relations, family relations, and home duties/self-care. The items range from 1 "Never" to 4 "Always". For some items, a 5th option "Does not apply to me" is available.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in mental health knowledge and perceived stigmaBaseline (intake), mid-treatment (through three years of intervention, an average of 3 per year)

The Guide Curriculum Assessment (GSA): utilizing two subscales: Mental Health Knowledge (30 items; 1 "True" to 3 "Don't know"), Perceived Stigma (12 items; 1 "Strongly Agree" to 7 "Strongly Disagree")

Change in family-school-community partnershipsBaseline (intake), mid-treatment (through three years of intervention, an average of 3 per year)

Parent Participation Engagement Measure is a 5 item measure with items ranging from 0 "Not applicable" to 5 "Very much".

Trial Locations

Locations (3)

Medical University of South Carolina

🇺🇸

Charleston, South Carolina, United States

University of Maryland, Baltimore

🇺🇸

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

University of South Carolina

🇺🇸

Columbia, South Carolina, United States

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