The proposed study is in response to a Program Announcement entitled, Elimination of Health Disparities through Translation Research (R18). The purpose of the study is to adapt evidence-based interventions for use in urban schools with large numbers of low-income Latino students. The interventions will be delivered within a family-centered system for the delivery of mental health services for children that has the potential to be self- sustaining over time. The interventions, which are based on SW-PBS methodology, would address a range of behavioral disorders and concomitant peer difficulties experienced by children at school and at home. The study will take place in two public schools (K through 5th and K through 8th) in an urban area with high concentrations of low-income Latino families. Data will be collected simultaneously on three ongoing aspects of the project: (a) Development of a data collection system;(b) Improvement of key school systems;(c) Protocol modification and implementation. The proposed study is designed to reach all children attending the participating schools.
Aims of the study are: (1) To develop a data collection system for SW-PBS that is useful, efficient, and acceptable;(2) To build the capacity of the school system to support the implementation of SW-PBS;(3) To identify components of SW-PBS primary and secondary tier interventions that need adaptation;(4) To determine the feasibility of implementing SW-PBS interventions in two under-resourced schools;(5) To assess acceptability of Tier 1 and Tier 2 interventions (uptake);and (6) To estimate the health outcome associated with the implementation of the SW-PBS package. Evidence-based intervention packages will be identified and modified based on focus groups, follow-up interviews and brief surveys with 93 parents and 60 teachers. Tier 1 interventions will be implemented first on 1,027 students. Children who do not respond to Tier 1 interventions will be assigned to one or more interventions for Tier 2 or they will be assessed and referred for treatment in the community. It is expected that 154 children will receive Tier 2 interventions in the school and that 63 parents of children in Tier 2 will receive parental skills training at a community center. The proposed study is the result of a partnership between researchers, experts in school-wide positive behavior support (SW-PBS), teaching staff, school administrators, parents/caregivers and community mental health workers. The study addresses a specific goal of Healthy People 2010--reducing or eliminating mental health services disparities among ethnically diverse children. The study may contribute to the development of an efficient and effective system for the delivery of mental health services to low-income, inner-city children and families. Data obtained for this study may contribute to a better understanding of factors that facilitate the adaptation and implementation of evidence-based interventions in under-resourced urban schools. The adapted evidence-based interventions described in this proposal are likely to contribute to a reduction in mental health services disparities among urban ethnically-diverse children. The proposal may also increase research interest in the effectiveness of school-wide positive behavior support (SW-PBS) interventions in under-resourced urban schools.
The adapted evidence-based interventions described in this proposal are likely to contribute to a reduction in mental health services disparities among urban ethnically-diverse children. The proposal may also increase research interest in the effectiveness of school-wide positive behavior support (SW-PBS) interventions in under-resourced urban schools.
