Optimizing the roles of school mental health professionals

Each mental health discipline offers unique contributions to the development and operation of school-based mental health programs. The collaboration of professionals from different disciplines with each other, as well as with health and educational staff, is essential for service delivery in school settings. Conversely interprofessional conflicts and turf issues can impede the development of effective school-based mental health programs. The authors, who represent counseling, nursing, psychiatry, psychology and social work, discuss the roles and competencies of each profession in providing school-based mental health services. Training requirements within each discipline that relate to school mental health are described Barriers to effective interdisciplinary collaboration, and methods of overcoming them, are delineated.