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. 2023;52(1):65-84.
doi: 10.1007/s10566-022-09673-1. Epub 2022 Feb 1.

Supporting School Mental Health Providers: Evidence from a Short-Term Telementoring Model

Michael D Lyons  1   2 , Julia V Taylor  1 , Kathryn L Zeanah  1 , Sarah K Downey  1 , Faith A Zabek  1
Affiliations

Supporting School Mental Health Providers: Evidence from a Short-Term Telementoring Model

Michael D Lyons et al. Child Youth Care Forum. 2023.

Abstract

Background: To support student mental health, school staff must have knowledge of evidence-based practices and the capacity to implement them. One approach used to address this challenge is a group-based telementoring model called Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO). In other applications (e.g., healthcare settings), ECHO has been shown to increase healthcare professionals' self-efficacy and knowledge of evidence-based practices leading to improved patient outcomes.

Objectives: This study examined the potential for ECHO to be used as a method for increasing school staff engagement and knowledge of evidence-based school mental health practices.

Methods: Using a quasi-experimental design, this study compared outcomes across two professional development experiences aimed at promoting school staff ability to provide evidence-based mental health services. School staff from four school districts participated in a school mental health training initiative. All participants (N = 57) had access to asynchronous, online mental health modules. A sub-sample (n = 33) was also offered monthly ECHO sessions.

Results: Tests of group difference in outcomes revealed significant increases in engagement with online learning (d = 0.58) and satisfaction (d = 0.82) for those who participated in ECHO as compared to those who did not. Knowledge about evidence-based practices was not significantly different between groups.

Conclusions: Results suggest that group-based telementoring may be a promising approach for improving engagement and satisfaction with training initiatives aimed at promoting evidence-based school mental health practices. However, further study of ProjectECHO using experimental designs is needed to make causal inferences about its effect on provider outcomes.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of InterestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The flow chart of the inclusion process (TREND statement). *Demographic data were collected at the end of the study and had lower response rates
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Module engagement by Tele-ECHO condition over time. Note. Dashed vertical lines indicate dates ECHO occurred during the four-month period
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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