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All students deserve safe schools and access to mental health supports. Our research informs best practice and policy in school mental health. We study ways to increase access to effective school mental health support. We also study ways to prevent violence and trauma in schools.

Screening

We study ways to identify students who would benefit from extra mental health support.

SAEBRS & I-BEGIN Screeners

We developed a universal screener that identifies school-age children who could use some help building social and emotional skills. This screener is called the Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener or SAEBRS.

For our current project, we are adapting the SAEBRS screener to be used with children ages 3 to 5 who speak English or Spanish. The early childhood screener is called the Identifying Behavioral and Emotional Growth Indicators and Needs screener or I-BEGIN.

Development and Validation of the Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener for Early Childhood

The primary purpose of this project is to develop and validate a social, emotional, and behavioral risk screener for early childhood. The assessment will be an online and application-based universal screening system available in both English and Spanish. It will be aligned with the Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS), a universal screener for K–12 settings that has been adopted in all 50 states, with the aim of supporting transition planning between early childhood and K–12 settings as well as informing intervention.

Project MIDAS: Development of a Multi-Informant Decisional Assessment System

The purpose of this project is to develop and validate a multi-informant decisional assessment system (MIDAS) to integrate and use multiple sources of data for accurate and efficient identification of social-emotional and behavioral (SEB) concerns in middle school students.

Problem Analysis

We develop ways for schools to find the mental health interventions that will meet their unique needs.

Development of Assessment Tools and Educator Training to Support Tier 2 Behavioral Intervention Selection

The purpose of this project was to support the development and validation of the Intervention Selection Profile (ISP), a suite of brief assessment tools to identify appropriate interventions for students in need of Tier 2 support.

Intervention Selection Profile (ISP) – Function Implementation Guide

Intervention Selection Profile (ISP) – Function Observation Form

Intervention Selection Profile (ISP) – Function Scoring Tool

Project ADVICE

Utilizing discrete event simulation to improve the use of evidence and inform school mental health services

We are developing software to help MTSS teams find the best strategies for improving behavior and mental health in their schools. Our ADVICE software compares the impact and costs of Tier I/II interventions based on school size, need, and resources.

Intervention

We find ways to address the mental health needs of students in the classroom.

Check-in/Check-out

Check-In/Check-Out (CICO) is a Tier 2, group-oriented intervention to decrease attention-seeking behaviors. It is designed to provide students with consistent, scheduled adult attention each day.

Evaluation the Efficacy of a Daily Check-in/Check-out Intervention for Students At-Risk for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of Check-in/Check-out (CICO) for improving social, emotional, and academic behavior of elementary school students at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). CICO is a manualized Tier 2 behavioral intervention commonly implemented within a multi-tiered framework and designed to improve the social and behavioral performance of students with emerging problem behavior.

Family Check-Up

The Family Check-Up® is an evidence-based approach to addressing the mental health and behavior of children aged 2-17.

Family-Centered Ecological Assessment & Intervention to Address Student Threats of Violence and Promote Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Competence

The purpose of this project is to develop and pilot test the Family Check-Up Threat Assessment model, a family-centered ecological approach to assessment of and intervention for students who make school violence threats.

Promoting Integrated Family-School-Community Mental Health Support Children in Rural Wisconsin Communities

This project promotes integrated family-school-community mental health support for children in rural Wisconsin communities. In this project, we (1) engage in formative planning with community partners to enhance readiness; (2) provide training to education and human service professionals, including Extension educators, school staff, and community members; (3) provide supervision of those professionals, titrating the level of support over time to promote independence; (4) help community partners evaluate the effectiveness of mental health services; and (5) conduct an analysis of effectiveness inclusive of factors related to successful implementation and sustainment, to enhance the success of similar efforts in the future.

Family-Centered Intervention in Schools to Reduce Social and Behavioral Problems From Early Elementary School to Adolescence

The purpose of this project is to examine the long-term efficacy of the Kindergarten Family Check-Up (FCU), a school-based, family-centered intervention intended to prevent student social and behavioral problems.

Family-School Collaboration in Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS)

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based, tiered framework for supporting students’ behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health. We study how families and schools can work together to strengthen the benefits of PBIS.

Promoting Family-School Collaboration in Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

The purpose of the project is to develop, refine, and conduct a test of the family–school collaboration (FSC) in the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework. This approach will enhance family-school collaboration in schoolwide PBIS and related schoolwide programs and practices.

Project EPIC: Enhancing Family-School-Community Partnerships through an Interconnected Systems Framework Collaboration

Project EPIC is a collaboration between Midwest PBIS Network and the School Mental Health Collaborative to offer training and coaching. Training and coaching will support implementation and sustainment of integrated mental health support within PBIS and enhanced family-school-community partnerships for middle schools.

Building an Efficient Targeted Intervention for Students At-Risk for Internalizing Problems: The Resilience Education Program (REP)

The purpose of this project is to further develop and refine the Resilience Education Program (REP). REP is a Tier 2 intervention for elementary students at risk for internalizing problems.

Systematic Efficacy Replication Study of “Teachers and Parents as Partners (TAPP)” in Elementary Schools

Previous studies demonstrate the benefits of the Teachers and Parents as Partners (TAPP) intervention when implemented by an outside coach. This study looks at TAPP’s effectiveness when delivered by school-based specialists. This may make it easier for schools to use TAPP long-term without having to rely on outside specialists. TAPP is also known as “Conjoint Behavioral Consultation.”

1025 W Johnson St, Suite 1078
Madison, Wisconsin 53706
Email: smhc@wcer.wisc.edu

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