Affordances and Constraints for Equity-Minded School Mental Health Policy Change: A District Case Study Centering the Perspectives of Community-Based Mental Health Service Providers

Vollständiger Abstract

Worum geht es in dieser Arbeit?

Schools are central settings for youth mental health support, yet less research has examined policy environments shaping what is possible in school-based mental health systems. This study examines the zone of mediation for equity-minded school mental health policy change in one urban district, centering perspectives of six community-based mental health providers occupying peripheral positions between school and community organizations. Findings reveal that intersecting technical, normative, and political factors—including workforce shortages, deficit-based beliefs among potential providers, and the overburdening of schools as the primary site for addressing community-level need—produce systemic conditions that constrain the potential for equity-minded change. These findings carry implications for principal preparation, intervention design, and health, education, and social policy.