The School Mental Health: Quality Assessment and Improvement Project will improve the quality of care for minority youth who receive mental health services at three high schools in Baltimore City: Southern, Walbrook, and Southwestern. This project will be conducted to pilot test a program for initiating quality assurance and program evaluation activities for the School Mental Health Program (SMHP) in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Maryland, in Baltimore. This program is directed by Mark Weist, Ph.D. and has been in existence for several years.
One aim of this pilot project is to conduct stakeholder focus groups (including youth, parents, teachers, school health services personnel, and school and health department administrators) inform quality assurance and evaluation activities. A Peer Review Team will conduct a quality assurance program in Year 1. Intake and Individual Treatment Planning Form will be used by therapists to develop a treatment plan based on solving specific presenting problems for the youth attending counseling. The Peer Review Team will conduCt a quality assurance program in Year 1. An Intake and Individual Treatment Planning Form will be used by therapists to develop a treatment plan based on solving specific presenting problems for the youth attending counseling. The Peer Review Team will use this form evaluate the quality of care delivered by therapists. In Year 2 we will conduct a program evaluation to assess the outcome of therapy services from multiple perspectives: youth, therapist, and parent. Measures will include parent and youth interview nd questionnaires to assess emotional and behavioral functioning from therapist and student perspectives. Long-term aim include developing a model program for quality assurance activities and to evaluate therapy outcomes for minority, urban youth.
| Nabors, Laura A; Leff, Stephen S; Power, Thomas J (2004) Quality improvement activities and expanded school mental health services. Behav Modif 28:596-616 |
