Previous studies have shown that significant numbers of children and adolescents experience a diagnosable mental illness, including substance abuse, with perhaps up to a quarter of youth exhibiting illness considered severe. These students could qualify for special education services under the category of emotional or behavior disturbance (E/BD), but many students are not receiving needed services. With a growing recognition of the need for school-based mental health services, more students may be able to have mental health needs met in school settings, and research shows that engaging families is critical for effective mental health treatment in children and youth. This chapter will review current research on challenges facing educators working to improve engagement with families of students with E/BD, and the most effective methods to encourage family engagement for students with E/BD to empower families and lessen the stigma of mental illness.
TopIntroduction
Research estimates that 9-14% of children ages zero to five years old in the United States experience challenges related to emotional and/or behavioral disorders (E/BD), which can have an adverse impact in the long term (Brauner & Stephens, 2006). Other research states that as much as 20% of youth experience behavior and mental health challenges, but less than 8% of youth have access to mental health-based treatment (Kataoka et al.2002; Merikangas et al.2010). Early identification of behavioral challenges is imperative, as family-centered care can help ease risks related to fostering mental health outcomes in children (Burak & Rolfes-Haase, 2018). This is vital as students with E/BD have lower academic achievement and higher drop-out rates than students receiving special education services in any other disability category (U.S. Department of Education, & Office of Civil Rights, 2016).
Early childhood mental health (ECMH) can be influenced by various factors within Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) socio-ecological model, including untreated mental health or substance use disorders, poverty and homelessness. These individual and community-based factors have been shown to negatively impact ECMH (Bayer et al., 2011; Garner & Shonkof, 2012). ECMH interventions are critical for young children to ensure future engagement in their education (Boat et al., 2016).
As a result, schools have become an on-site provider of mental health services for children because schools serve youth populations (Green et al., 2013; Rones & Hoagwood, 2000). In providing these services, schools reduce low-income family barriers to accessing mental health services, such as transportation and finance-based challenges (Lochman et al., 2006). The provision of mental health-based services in schools can help decrease the stigma associated with seeking mental health support in a clinical setting. (Owens et al., 2008).
Despite this knowledge of the benefits of early intervention, community supports, and family factors in children’s mental health, research demonstrates significant issues persist. In special education, the category of E/BD is one of the most underidentified disability categories (Walker et al., 2014). If students are identified, family engagement with parents and caregivers of students with E/BD is often poor (Carlson et al., 2020; Farley et al., 2022; Huscroft-D’Angelo et al., 2018).