MTSS for Addressing Mental Health Services in Schools: An Overview and Introduction

Supporting children’s mental health is critical to their success in school and life. Mental health services for children and youth are most effective when provided as a continuum of care that integrates schools, families, and communities. This continuum of care is most commonly known as a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS). The MTSS framework encompasses prevention and wellness promotion, universal screening for academic and behavioral barriers to learning, and implementing evidence-based interventions that increase in intensity based upon specific student needs.

This presentation will discuss the basic elements of a MTSS Framework, help distinguish between academic MTSS and mental/behavioral health MTSS, and the benefits of using a MTSS Framework to structure mental health supports in schools.

Dr. John Kelly is a retired school psychologist from the Commack School District, where he worked for 35 years. He is also an Adjunct Professor at St. John’s University in the School Psychology program. He earned his Ph.D. in Clinical and School Psychology from Hofstra University. Dr. Kelly has presented at numerous national and international conferences on topics that include mental and behavioral health services for children, advocacy training for school psychologists, legislative issues related to education and children, leadership development, violence and bullying prevention, and suicide awareness. Dr. Kelly is on the Executive Board of the New York Association of School Psychologists (NYASP) and is a Past-President of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). Dr. Kelly has received numerous state and national awards, including the NYS School Practitioner of the Year in 2001 and the NASP School Psychologist of the Year in 2003.