Examples of currently available resources from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) can be found on the Office of Student and Family Support (SFS) webpages, including professional development, guidance and additional Mental and Behavioral Health and Wellness Supports for schools.
Additional resources are available on the Massachusetts School Mental Health Consortium (MASMHC) webpages, and the National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH) website, including but not limited to professional development opportunities and the School Health Assessment and Performance Evaluation (SHAPE) System.
See below for information about the Massachusetts CoIIN efforts that took place during school years 2020-2021 and 2021-2022.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) in partnership with the Massachusetts School Mental Health Consortium (MASMHC) engaged with ten district teams to engage in a learning collaborative during school year's 2020-2021 and 2021-2022. The network was facilitated by the National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH) and focused on establishing comprehensive school mental health systems in Massachusetts and in other participating states. State team members include representatives from parent and youth leadership organizations (CPLAN and PPAL/YouthMove), the Department of Mental Health (DMH), the Department of Public Health (DPH), the Department of Children & Families (DCF), and MassHealth.
A Comprehensive School Mental Health System (CSMHS) is defined as school-district-community-family partnerships that provide a continuum of evidence-based mental health services to support students, families, and the school community. A CSMHS:
District teams were provided with access to professional development, technical assistance, and ongoing coaching as they piloted practices to support the establishment of a CSMHS. Staff from NCSMH, in conjunction with DESE and MASMHC, facilitated virtual convenings to foster cross-collaboration between districts, highlight best practices for school mental health implementation, and support teams in developing and implementing action plans that are supported by continuous quality improvement practices. District teams also received training and coaching in conducting a formal needs assessment to determine priority areas of growth and relative strengths using assessments and processes that have proven results.
Some details about the commitment needed from participating districts is shown on the 2021-2022 site expectations overview . Participating districts also submitted monthly data (to the degree it was available), to inform the learning process.
Questions may be directed to DESE's Office of Student and Family Support via achievement@mass.gov or 781-338-3010.
Last Updated: January 24, 2024
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149
Voice: (781) 338-3000 TTY: (800) 439-2370
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