PromOTe Youth Mental Health: an online professional development continuing education program
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Abstract
Youth mental illness is significantly on the rise, as statistics reveal that “1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year” (Mental Health By The Numbers, 2020, para 3). Rates of youth with severe depression increased from 5.9% in 2012 to 8.2% in 2015 (Nguyen, Hellbuyck, & Halpern, 2018). Despite these staggering statistics, the evidenced literature suggests that school systems have not successfully implemented mental health best practice interventions to promote youth mental health (Searcey van Vulpen, Habegar, & Simmons, 2018). Barriers that have impacted implementation of school-based mental health programs include: insufficient number of school mental health professionals, lack of staff training, lack of funding, and lack of parent support programs and prevention programs (Reinke, Stormont, Herman, Puri, & Goel, 2011).
Furthermore, occupational therapy practitioners are not being utilized in intermediate and secondary schools or within school-based mental health. Occupational therapy can play a critical role in early identification of children’s mental health needs and provide strategies that would allow students to participate in academic and social activities alongside their peers (Chan, Dennis, Kim, & Jankowski, 2017). PromOTe Youth Mental Health is a comprehensive, self-paced online professional development education program that provides school personnel with fundamental knowledge and strategies to substantially improve school-based mental health programs. The program has the potential to increase occupational therapy practitioner’s distinct and valuable role in school mental health, hence significantly enhancing school-based mental health programs and irrefutably promoting youth mental health.
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Attribution 4.0 International