Youth mental health concerns, both diagnosed and undiagnosed, are a global public health concern. These concerns inevitably manifest in school settings, where K-12 youth are spending significant portions of their time. While schools, districts, and state and federal policies are working to expand mental health support in school settings, school counselors are still the most consistently/universally present mental health professionals in school settings across the United States. The combination of school counselor placement in school settings and training to identify and support youth mental health make them incredible assets in this work. Despite this, school counselors have historically managed inconsistent expectations across schools and districts, decreasing their potential effectiveness in supporting youth mental health. This dissertation seeks to understand the current role of school counselors as mental health advocates and proposes student-centered solutions to increasing their effectiveness in this role. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]