Partnering With Colleges and Universities to Improve Your K–12 School Mental Health System

Oct 15, 2026

Partnering with colleges and universities is presented as a practical strategy to strengthen K–12 school mental health systems. The document argues that shared responsibility with community partners, including higher education, expands service continuity. It details how universities can build a stronger workforce through outreach, mentoring, shadowing, internships, and practicum pathways, while accredited graduate programs strengthen staffing by providing training opportunities, promotion and prevention activities, consultation, and supervision growth. Examples illustrate pipeline building to increase access and quality.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Workforce Development

Mental Health Services and Supports

Exemplars

Partnering With Colleges and Universities to Improve Your K–12 School Mental Health System Introduction Developing and sustaining comprehensive school mental health systems should be a shared endeavor between schools and community partners; the task should not rest solely on the shoulders of the K–12 education sector. Community partners, including health and behavioral health providers, can augment the continuum of services available to students and families by offering services directly in schools, and by facilitating referral pathways when students need support outside of the school building. 1 Colleges and universities are also critical community partners in building comprehensive school mental health systems. They can foster a robust workforce, offer professional development, provide mental health services, and engage in research and evaluation to study impact and inform quality improvement. This brief describes each of these opportunities for partnership with colleges and universities and highlights strategies and exemplars to help accelerate innovation and advancement in K–12 school mental health systems. Workforce Development The widening shortage of mental health professionals available to offer a continuum of supports to students is a growing concern among school leaders. School-and community-employed mental health professionals are in high demand. Many job postings are unfilled due to a limited workforce. A key long-term strategy for enhancing K–12 school mental health programming is to partner with colleges and universities to expand the workforce pipeline. Outreach to and engagement of students early in their career decision-making process is key to growing a robust workforce. Education and behavioral health leaders can reach out to high schools and institutions of higher education to share information about school mental health professions. Exposure to the day-to-day roles and critical functions of school mental health professionals can be an impactful experience for students who are still deciding majors or are taking introductory coursework. Shadowing and mentorship opportunities for new undergraduate and graduate students can spark interest and investment in school mental health professions. Furthermore, for those most interested, building inexternship and other practicum opportunities beyond initial engagement can lead to full-time positions and dedicated careers in school mental health. | Exemplars | | --- | | BHECN Ambassador Program
[https://www. unmc.edu/bhecn/programs/ambassador-program/index.html](https://www. unmc.edu/bhecn/programs/ambassador-program/index.html)
Starting as early as high school, the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN), supported by a Mental Health Services Professional (MHSP) Demonstration Grant (funded by the U.S. Department of Education), creates a pipeline of Nebraska students interested in behavioral health. It follows students from high schools through undergraduate, then graduate or professional schools, and ultimately on to careers in behavioral health professions, including school mental health. More than 2,000 students have participated in the BHECN Ambassador program since its inception in 2013. BHECN focuses especially on students in rural communities. The program recruits and mentors students from rural high schools and offers activities aligned with mental health careers, including an annual College Ambassador Conference to introduce students to career opportunities. High school and college students in the Ambassador Program lead mental health awareness and stigma reduction efforts in their local communities. | | Corbin Independent School District
The Corbin School of Innovation in Corbin County, Kentucky, a MHSP grantee, is a Montessori program that offers counseling and health sciences among its 12 career pathway programs ([https://www.corbininnovate.org/6-12](https://www.corbininnovate.org/6-12)). Corbin High School and Corbin Scho

FAQs

Why should K–12 school mental health system development involve colleges and universities?

Colleges and universities strengthen the system by building a robust workforce, offering professional development, providing mental health services, and conducting research and evaluation to guide quality improvement.

What workforce strategies does the document recommend for expanding school mental health talent?

It emphasizes early outreach to students, exposure to real day-to-day roles, shadowing and mentorship, and internship/practicum opportunities that can lead to full-time positions and dedicated careers.

How do accredited graduate mental health programs contribute to school and community staffing?

They create training placements that can support unfunded or underfunded services. Trainees can focus on treatment plus mental health promotion, prevention, and consultation, while clinical staff gain supervision and professional growth opportunities.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Alex Sinclair