A Preliminary Exploration of Key Elements in Proactive Plans of Care for School Mental Health Service Coordination

Abstract

Proactive plans of care, or person-centered care plans that guide service provision, have yet to be studied extensively within school mental health. The purpose of this study was to employ a participant sample of school mental health providers in the United States to explore preferences for key elements to include in proactive plans of care for coordinating school mental healthcare across school transitions (N = 181 survey participants; N = 13 interview participants). Nearly three-quarters of participants (73.5%; n = 133) desired documentation of interventions implemented, with interviewees highlighting the importance of having an implementation plan and clear links between chosen interventions and students’ concerns. Other highly recommended elements included individualized goals (69.6%; n = 126), clarity about responsible personnel (62.4%; n = 113), and progress monitoring plans (61.3%; n = 111); implementation fidelity documentation (38.7%; n = 70) and scheduling meetings were least endorsed (36.5%; n = 66). Post-hoc analyses provided additional details related to perceived system readiness. Notably, schools with sufficient Tier 3 (intensive) mental health resources were more likely to have a plan for when to discontinue interventions.