Date

Summer 8-6-2025

ESRP 9000 Professor

Daniel Turner, Ed.D.

ESRP 9001 Professor

Daniel Turner, Ed.D.

Executive Summary

Supplementing Mental Health Services in K-12 Schools: A Strategic Approach. Vanessa Rodriguez, 2025: Strategic Research Project, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. Keywords: at-risk pupils, emergent bilinguals, emotional-behavior disorders, low socioeconomically disadvantaged students, mental health, school mental health programs, social-emotional learning

This strategic research project was designed to help at-risk, socio-economically disadvantaged, marginalized adolescents with mental health and social-emotional learning in K-12 schools. Using the results of a strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats analysis, internal and external factors were analyzed to score each item to identify areas that could be addressed to improve mental health in K-12 schools for adolescents within the organization. Grounded in theory, the problem of lack of mental health support and social-emotional learning in K-12 schools in an at-risk and low-socioeconomically disadvantaged school district was identified and addressed.

Key factors impacting the mental health of adolescents are anxiety, stress, depression, suicidal ideation, bullying, trauma, at-risk behaviors: neglect, emotional, physical, or sexual assault, and family dysfunction such as divorce, incarceration, family members with mental health problems, marginalization, and health disparities for low socioeconomically disadvantaged youth. Further investigation into each of these factors was conducted to identify a solution that could support students and teachers with their mental health in K-12 schools. The solution identified was to implement social-emotional learning professional development in K-12 schools and open a free mental health clinic for students, staff, and teachers in the school district that would help students, teachers, and stakeholders to have avenues of hope, resiliency, and healthy outcomes within the K-12 school systems.

The recommendations include the use of social-emotional learning professional development to support professionals and social-emotional learning practices for students, such as a mental health program and a free mental health clinic. This information should be used to mitigate student and teacher mental health issues, which have resulted in negative effects that contribute to student achievement.

Document Type

Strategic Research Project-NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

College

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education

Concentration

Organizational Leadership

Language

English

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