A School-Based Mental Health Program

1. A School-Based Mental Health Program Presented by: Jennifer Fonseca

2. Purpose • To evaluate the availability and the needs of a school-based mental health program in two inner-city Chicago schools.

3. Research Question • What are the availabilities and the needs of a school-based mental health program as perceived by the school mental health center staff?

4. Setting • Two Urban Elementary Schools -Henry Suder Elementary School -Smyth Joyner Elementary School • Both located on the Near West Side of Chicago • Each surrounded by public housing -Henry Horner Housing Development -ABLA Public Housing

5. ABLA Public Housing(Addams, Brooks, Loomis, and Abbott)

6. The Henry Horner Homes on the Near West Side of Chicago

7. Participants • Henry Suder Elementary School Staff • Smyth Joyner Elementary School Staff • University of Illinois at Chicago Staff

8. What is the STARS program? • Student Therapeutic Activities and Resources Services (STARS) • Helps child talk about fears, worries, and issues that might be causing trouble in school, getting along with others, and following rules

9. Available Services Provided by the STARS Program • Individual student counseling • Class room observations • Individual talk sessions • Family counseling • Guidance counseling • Play Therapy • Anger Management • Stress Management

10. Methodology • A survey tool was used to guide a face-to-face interview with 10 staff members from the mental health program • Open-ended and close-ended questions were organized • Data was analyzed by using simple descriptive statistics

11. Assumptions • Faculty and staff are very familiar with the STARS program • Faculty and staff have had children who have shown behavioral problems in their classrooms

12. Limitations • Most of the faculty and staff at the schools are off during summer • Some faculty only taught during the summer and were not very familiar with the program • The mental health program (STARS) is fairly new

13. Results • Time mental health program has been in schools - 2 years • Contributing factors causing children to show behavioral problems in classroom -Limited Community -Excessive Television Resources (70%) Watching (90%) -Lack of Parental -Genetics (50%) Supervision (100%) -Exposure to Neighborhood -Poor Nutrition (70%) Violence (90%) -Other (50%)

14. Results (cont’d) • Behavioral concerns of children in the classroom -Difficulty Sustaining -Leaves seat in classroom when Tasks (90%) told not to (70%) -Does not seem to listen -Talks excessively (70%) when spoken to (50%) -Blurts out answers (80%) -Does not follow -Other (20%) instructions (60%) • Average amount of teachers who have had a child or children participate in the program at these schools - 70 %

15. Results (cont’d) • Behavioral changes in children who have participated in the program -Great Improvement Overall ( 70%) -Others did not answer • As perceived by faculty, were students meeting their needs through the program? -Yes ( 70%) -Others were not applicable

16. Results (cont’d) • Needs for the Program -More students need to participate in the program but have limitations such as no insurance -More interaction with parents, teachers, and health service officials -Some students need to be seen more often

17. Discussion • Faculty members agree that the STARS mental health program in both schools has shown positive impact on children in need • Plans for expanding program into other urban schools in underserved communities

18. Acknowledgements • Dr. Cynthia Barnes-Boyd Mentor • Dr. Barbara Preib-Lannon Facilitator of STARS program • SROP Staff