Mental Health Services in Special Education: An Analysis of Quality of Care

This article presents a collaborative study conducted in a large urban school district, in which the authors surveyed 55 clinicians within the special education system, with a focus on the mental health services provided to students who were receiving related-services counseling as a mandated component of their individualized education plan. Participating clinicians reported on their own characteristics, the services they provided, and the work environment. Results suggest that the services provided varied substantially among clinicians in terms of the types of treatments provided, intervention format, and treatment duration. Indicators of high-quality services (manual use, parent involvement, care coordination, and standardized assessments) also varied. Clinicians with specialized training, younger and less experienced clinicians, and clinicians working in cooperative climates with less role overload, reported engaging in a higher quality of care of students within special education. These findings have implications for improving quality of care within special education.