History
Since its inception, the Center for School Mental Health (CSMH) has been committed to promoting student education, health, and mental health through a shared family–school–community agenda. Back in 1995, the CSMH was very involved in helping to advance the school based health care movement both in Baltimore City and at the national level. We were fortunate to have a strong connection with the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care (NASBHC), with Dr. Mark Weist helping to plan the inaugural meeting in 1995 and serving on the first Executive Council of the organization, and with Dr. Steve Adelsheim, serving as the first co-chairs of its Mental Health (formerly Psychosocial Services) Section. The CSMH continues to work closely with the NASBHC on advancing high quality services, training, and infrastructure to support school mental health.
The above developments and the University of Maryland’s history with providing school-based services in Baltimore City provided the CSMH with the framework to compete for one of two national technical assistance centers for mental health in schools in Spring of 1995. With much support from the city of Baltimore and the State of Maryland, we submitted the grant and on September 19, 1995 we learned that we had obtained the grant, along with the UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools, which received the other one.
Originally named the Center for School Mental Health Assistance, the CSMH was funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resource and Services Administration (HRSA) as a technical assistance center to advance mental health in schools. From its inception, the Center’s leadership and staff has recognized the importance of providing services to children, adolescents, and families directly in their communities. The CSMH has always focused on reducing barriers to learning and promoting success for all students. Led by Dr. Mark Weist, the founder of the Center and a pioneer of expanded school mental health, Dr. Lois Flaherty, CSMH Advisory Board Chair and an early advocate of school mental health and advancing the role of psychiatry, and Marcia Glass-Siegel, the first CSMH Program Director and a clinical social worker with strong advocacy and skills related to children’s mental health, the CSMH established itself as a leading resource in advancing research, training, policy, and practice in school mental health at local, state, and national levels.
Much of the success of the CSMH relates to its efforts to bridge research and practice. The CSMH is affiliated with four University of Maryland school mental health programs and has strong connections with school mental health program leaders from across the country. The CSMH is committed to being informed by frontline practice and in turn to inform this practice to promote high quality evidence-based practices and programming across the three tiers (universal, selected, and indicated) of service delivery. Through a National Community of Practice on Collaborative School Behavioral Health and its affiliated 75 organizations, 17 states, and 12 practice groups, the CSMH has focused its efforts to reach a broad and diverse array of stakeholders with investment in school mental health and student success. The CSMH has convened thought leader meetings, developed resources, delivered presentations, written publications, and has participated in key meetings and committees at local, state, national, and international levels. The CSMH has focused on helping to advance understanding and skill related to providing mental health services and programming through strong family-school-community partnerships and has increasingly focused on how to implement and sustain effective policies, programs, and services.
Since its initial funding, the CSMH has been refunded in 2000 by HRSA with co-funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2005 by HRSA, and most recently in 2011when the CSMH was awarded three years of funding from HRSA to continue as the only federally funded school mental health program and policy analysis center. The CSMH is led by co-directors Drs. Sharon Stephan and Nancy Lever. Dr. Stephan joined the CSMH in 2000 as a psychology intern, continued as a postdoctoral fellow, and served for many years as the CSMH Director of Research. Dr. Lever has been with the CSMH since its inception serving as a psychology intern, postdoctoral fellow, and for many years as Director of Training and Outreach.
