Multidisciplinary teams of school- and community-employed mental health, health, and educational staff work together in schools to offer a full continuum of mental health promotion, prevention, early intervention, and treatment services and supports. Intentional teaming structures and practices are essential to ensure teams deliver effective,…

The purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public-school teachers' mental well-being. The present study surveyed a total of 4,926 public school teachers from across Illinois in the fall of 2019, 2020, and 2021. The survey measured teachers' mental well-being using the Warwick-Edinburg Mental…

Purpose: Caregiver-mediated communication intervention outcomes are inconsistently measured, varying by assessment settings, materials, and activities. Standardized materials are often used for measuring outcomes, yet it remains unknown whether such standardized contexts equitably capture caregiver and child intervention outcomes representative of…

Much attention has been focused on the importance of providing physical and mental health services to students in educational environments in recent years. Millions of students receive school-based health services, and for many students, schools are their first and only option to receive health care. State policymakers have a lot to consider in…

Background: Strategic implementation leadership is a critical determinant of successful implementation, hypothesized to create a more supportive implementation climate conducive to the adoption and use of evidence-based practices. Implementation leadership behaviors may vary significantly across contexts, necessitating studies that examine the…

Illinois has an important opportunity to dramatically expand comprehensive school-based health services for the state's most vulnerable children by making a simple change to its Medicaid policy. In 2014, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a letter to state Medicaid directors clarifying which health services could be…

The Whole-Child Task Force was created by Public Act 101-0654. The Whole Child Task Force Report provides recommendations in establishing an equitable, inclusive, safe, and supportive environment in all schools for every student in Illinois pursuant to PA 101-0654. This report includes: (1) Summary of task force; (2) Background information; (3)…

A retrospective data analysis using 2000-2008 three state Medicaid Analytic eXtract was conducted to examine the prevalence and association of comorbidities (psychiatric and non-psychiatric) with healthcare utilization and expenditures of fee-for-service enrolled adults (22-64 years) with and without autism spectrum disorders (International…

States have increasingly transitioned Medicaid enrollees with disabilities from fee-for-service (FFS) to Medicaid Managed Care (MMC), intending to reduce state Medicaid spending and to provide better access to health services. Yet, previous studies on the impact of MMC are limited and findings are inconsistent. We analyzed the impact of MMC on…

As the U.S. population ages, Extension's need for associated organizational readiness increases. We conducted a needs assessment with a sample of 1,028 Extension professionals in the Extension North Central Region (NCR) to identify the current scope of aging-related community needs. Health care, chronic disease prevention and management, housing,…

This article investigated the intrinsic, extrinsic, and integrative orientations shaping reading and speaking English skills among adult Mexican immigrants in two gateway communities in Illinois. Intrinsic orientations refer to reasons for second language (L2) learning derived from one's inherent pleasure and interest in the activity. Extrinsic…

During a time of historic COVID-related federal investment in child care and early education, states are working to leverage this opportunity to provide significant relief and recovery to providers and families. This fact sheet highlights the actions that select states have implemented to make the most of this critical time and opportunity. As…

We implemented a laboratory curriculum reform to teach foundational concepts in chemistry, particularly those concepts related to healthcare, in a chemistry course for prenursing students. Here, we discuss the reform, exploring how students built upon understandings gained in lab and correlating lab learning to course outcomes. We further discuss…

"Transition Planning for Youth with Special Health Care Needs (YSHCN)" chronicles the research and work completed by agencies in Illinois to provide examples of best practice in transition planning. Increasing numbers of YSHCN survive into adulthood creating a need for focus on the transition to adult life for these young people,…

This qualitative research study addressed the problem that the healthcare industry has no clear evidence of the academic competencies that influence the attainment of organizational success. The study was based on one case study at a Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) accredited Masters of Health Administration…