Promoting school mental health with a systems of care approach: Perspectives from community partners

An estimated 20% of youth ages 5-18 have a diagnosable mental health problem. The challenge for communities is to overcome obstacles to traditional community-based care that contribute to low rates of treatment for children. The purpose of this small qualitative study was to identify challenges to the implementation of a Systems of Care (SOC) approach to school mental health within an urban community. Identifying processes that either hinder or effectively create and sustain a collaborative SOC partnership between systems is vital to social workers and mental health professionals working to address the mental health needs of underserved youth.