Skip to main content

The Rutgers Center for Comprehensive School Mental Health (Rutgers-CCSMH) in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Counseling Professions delivers training, technical assistance, and consultation to K-12 schools, districts, and state education agencies to support the implementation of comprehensive school-based mental health systems. The Rutgers-CCSMH has extensive experience providing training and technical assistance locally, regionally, and nationally using an implementation science framework. The goal of the Rutgers-CCSMH is to facilitate the development of school mental health systems that meet the social and emotional needs of children and youth. Objectives include communicating the importance of mental health supports in schools, enhancing the capacity of schools to recognize and identify mental health concerns in students, educating staff on the best models of school-based mental health services, and establishing school infrastructure to support the implementation of these models. 

The Rutgers-CCSMH can address topics such as:  

  • developing a comprehensive school-based mental health system
  • needs assessment 
  • screening tools and resource mapping
  • data-driven decision making
  • establishing universal prevention
  • implementing group-based tier 2 interventions
  • partnering with community-based organizations
  • risk assessment and response
  • connecting with families
  • staff self-care

The Rutgers-CCSMH work is supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Cooperative Agreement, the New Jersey Department of Education, and other state and local contracts.