The Ripple Effect

WITH FAMILIES FACING months- to year-long wait lists for behavioral health appointments, it’s easy to feel discouraged about the nation’s chances of stemming the crisis. However, there is cause for hope. We have a model for how to reach most kids now.

“Schools are uniquely positioned to support and enhance students’ social and emotional lives and behavioral health,” says Shella Dennery, PhD, director of Boston Children’s Hospital Neighborhood Partnerships (BCHNP). Youth spend most of their time each week in school, making it an ideal place to address their needs. A national leader in school behavioral health, BCHNP aims to uplift students and teachers by providing services, consultation, training and support. BCHNP staff and educators work together to nurture students’ sense of belonging. The goals? Create an open climate. Catch issues before they snowball. Promote a culture of prevention.

Since starting in 2002, BCHNP has partnered with 40 Boston Public Schools. Over the past decade, the program has helped 15,000 students, and its impact continues to grow.

Supporting Teachers, Supporting Kids

More than 1 in 3 teachers leave the field because of classroom management challenges and concerns about students’ behavioral health. BCHNP enhances teachers’ well-being by growing their knowledge and confidence to understand and address behavioral and emotional health. BCHNP team members are embedded within schools and meet regularly with educators to discuss particular students and plan group or classroom interventions. They lead peer-mentoring programs for refugee and immigrant youth, create lessons on substance use and screen time, and facilitate referrals for more intensive therapy and other services.

BCHNP offers free programs to help school staff expand their knowledge and skills through the Clough Foundation Training and Access Project (TAP). Since its inception, TAP has reached more than 11,000 school professionals across the United States through in-person training and online courses. Attendees learn how to help students experiencing grief and loss, partner with families and support kids after a behavioral health crisis. tap plans to create a video supplement for educators nationwide, amplifying the program’s impact.

“What’s so powerful about BCHNP is how it creates a culture of mental wellness within schools by focusing on prevention and early identification,” says Boston Children’s Psychiatrist-in-Chief Stacy Drury, MD, PhD. “As this culture becomes embedded in schools, it spreads to the community. This creates a protective effect for more kids than we could otherwise reach.”

To further advance change, the BCHNP team is leading efforts to expand state support for schoolwide behavioral health approaches. “We’re partnering with Boston Children’s Office of Government Relations to ensure that there are enough social workers and counselors in every school,” says Dr. Dennery.

“The more we bolster behavioral health resources in schools, the better chances we have of slowing the crisis,” says Dr. Drury.