1.63 IMPROVING OUTCOMES AND ACCESS TO CARE: INTEGRATED SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS IN AN URBAN PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM

Objectives: Limited data exist on the effect of school-based mental health clinics on treatment outcomes of adolescents with psychiatric disorders. This study evaluates the pre-post change in functioning, hopefulness, and satisfaction among youth who complete treatment at school-based mental health clinics. Methods: In total, 540 students (aged 12-21 years) and their parents completed the Ohio Youth Problems, Functioning, and Satisfaction Scales during their open-label treatment at a school-based mental health clinic in Denver, Colorado. The scales were given to youth and parents upon initiating treatment and at 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month follow-up evaluations. Treatment consisted of a formal intake evaluation by licensed therapists and psychiatrists, as well as individually tailored evidence-based treatment regimens (e.g., CBT, trauma-focused CBT, dialectical behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, motivational interviewing, and family therapy). Psychotropic medication management was provided by board-certified CAPs. Statistical analyses examined the effect of treatment at a school-based mental health clinic on psychiatric problem severity, functioning, and hopefulness. Results: There was a 30.7 percent reduction (P < 0.0001) in problem severity scale (PSS) score (n = 106) from baseline to 3 months. The change in proportion of youth reporting ever hurting oneself decreased significantly (85.3 percent reduction in score) from baseline to the 3-month assessment (n = 103; P = 0.0278), as did the proportion (82.7 percent reduction in score) of youth reports of ever talking or thinking about death (n = 105; P = 0.0003) or ever feeling sad or depressed (76.8 percent reduction in score) (n = 104; P = 0.0002). The parent-reported PSS score at baseline was found to be correlated with the student-reported score, and this correlation persisted at the 3-month assessment (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0006, respectively). Conclusions: Preliminarily, youth using a school-based mental health clinic seem to have had significant improvement in their mental health symptoms. School-based mental health clinics provide a feasible means for accessing youth in need, providing effective care, tracking outcomes, and strengthening partnerships with communities while increasing access to care.