Advancing Implementation of Single Session Interventions in Schools

Project Summary. Schools are one of the most common settings where youth seek mental health services, yet existing school-based mental health interventions are often difficult to implement due to time, cost, and staffing limitations. There is a particular need for school-based interventions that target students with mild or moderate concerns (often called Tier 2 interventions) to address problems before they escalate and require intensive treatment. Digital, self-administered Single Session Interventions (SSIs) are evidence-based supports that are intentionally structured to deliver a clinically-meaningful dosage of evidence-based content within one session. Although multiple studies have found clinical effectiveness for school-based SSIs, there have been no systemic efforts to understand how SSIs can be practically implemented in schools as Tier 2 supports. In line with Objective 4.2 of the NIMH Strategic Plan, which aims to “expedite adoption, sustained implementation, and continuous improvement of evidence-based mental health services” this project aims to understand how evidence-based SSIs can be sustainably implemented in schools as Tier 2 supports, ultimately improving the likelihood of youth accessing mental health support. This proposal serves as a critical step in furthering the PI’s long-term goal of becoming an expert in the implementation of scalable school-based mental health interventions and pursuing an independently funded research career. Through this project, the PI will conduct focus groups (five groups, total n = 25-30) among community members (i.e., students, parents/caregivers, teachers, school administrators, and school mental health providers) to assess perceived facilitators and barriers to the effective implementation of evidence-based SSIs in schools (Aim 1). The PI will then work in partnership with community members (n = 10-15) to co-design multi-level implementation strategies (i.e., student-directed, staff-directed, system-directed) for increasing uptake and promoting sustainability of school-based SSIs (Aim 2). The proposed project is significant because it is the first to systematically investigate the real-world implementation of SSIs in schools. The completion of this project in combination with a training plan that consists of mentorship, coursework, and professional development activities will allow the PI to develop expertise deploying implementation science methods in school settings (Training Aim 1), strengthen skills in qualitative data collection and analysis (Training Aim 2), and develop expertise in Human Centered Design for co-creation of implementation strategies (Training Aim 3). The PI will be in an ideal training environment at Northwestern University to conduct this study and learn how to develop a robust program of research. With the mentorship of Dr. Jessica Schleider (Sponsor), Dr. Sara Becker (Co-Sponsor), and an expert consultant team, this study will launch the PI’s development as an independent implementation scientist.