| Title: |
Redwood City School District Mental Health Counseling Program: Year 2 Implementation Study. Research Brief |
| Language: |
English |
| Authors: |
Kristin Geiser; Victoria Ren; Derric Heck; Albert Lowe; Stanford University, John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities (JGC) |
| Source: |
John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities. 2023. |
| Availability: |
John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities. Stanford University, 505 Lasuen Mall, Stanford, CA 94305. Tel: 650-723-3099; Fax: 650-736-7160; e-mail: gardnercenter@lists.stanford.edu; Web site: http://gardnercenter.stanford.edu |
| Peer Reviewed: |
N |
| Page Count: |
14 |
| Publication Date: |
2023 |
| Document Type: |
Reports - Research |
| Education Level: |
Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education; Kindergarten; Primary Education; Elementary Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: |
School Health Services; Mental Health; Mental Health Programs; Counseling Services; School Counselors; Counselor Role; Administrator Attitudes; Counselor Attitudes; Program Implementation; Program Evaluation; School Districts; Program Improvement; Kindergarten; Elementary Secondary Education; Capacity Building; Well Being; Program Effectiveness; Meetings; COVID-19; Pandemics; Multi Tiered Systems of Support; Health Promotion |
| Geographic Terms: |
California |
| Abstract: |
As the nation transitions from responding to the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to navigating its ongoing impact on youth and their communities, K-12 students continue to experience mental health and wellbeing challenges. In the fall of 2021, Redwood City School District (RCSD) placed a full-time, district-employed mental health counselor in each of its twelve schools in order to bolster district capacity to support mental health and wellbeing. This study aims to identify strategic opportunities for understanding and advancing the counseling program's impact as it moves into its third year. With these goals in mind, this research brief will describe findings related to three questions: (1) What is the role of RCSD's school-based mental health counselors?; (2) What are early signals or "lead indicators" of the value or impact of the counseling program?; and (3) What considerations might further improve the program as it moves into Year 3? To answer these questions, the authors conducted 19 interviews with district administrators, site administrators, and mental health counselors; and 22 participant observations of meetings related to the counseling program and student services more broadly. While the research team employed qualitative data analysis software (Dedoose 9.0.90) to facilitate the coding of qualitative data, the analysis of coded data followed a more traditional, iterative approach, moving between deductive and inductive reasoning. This research brief summarizes key findings and offers considerations for leveraging the counseling program to strengthen a district-wide, coordinated system of support for mental health and wellbeing and developing a theory-based evaluation of impact during Year 3 of program implementation. [This work is generously funded by Stanford's Office of the Provost through the Office of Community Engagement.] |
| Abstractor: |
ERIC |
| Entry Date: |
2024 |
| Accession Number: |
ED646972 |
| Database: |
ERIC |