The article describes a prevention science approach to impacting population health. We use activities of the Missouri Prevention Science Institute that address youth mental health concerns with a public health approach to illustrate the approach. In particular, we focus on several lessons that may be relevant for advancing the success of…

Teachers are the most important school-based factor for student growth and achievement. Yet, for years, enrollment in the nation's schools of education has been in decline, and local education agencies (LEAs) have struggled to retain teachers. In many places, the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated these issues, requiring states to…

Since the pandemic began, parents have been less satisfied with existing school systems, and they want to see greater transparency and education customization that meets students where they are. Nearing the final deadline to obligate remaining Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding, state and local policymakers can take…

Empirically supported school-based programs have been shown to reduce the present and future risk for various emotional disturbances. Unfortunately, few of these programs have been successfully transported or maintained outside the context of controlled research studies. Central to attaining this goal is the pressing need to train the next…

Several membership companies of the International Playground Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) are helping differently-abled children to have access to play equipment and opportunities. These IPEMA membership companies, and others, are driven by the principles of Universal Design (UD), a new concept in playground design that helps ensure…

Research centers have become a key component of the research infrastructure in schools of social work, including the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University. In 1993, that school's Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR) received funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) as a Social Work…

Recognizes the need to address the inherent systemic problems in providing mental health services to students, and describes the efforts and problems faced by the Center for the Advancement of Mental Health Practices in the Schools. Asserts that a systemic change requires inclusion of mental health principles in teacher education programs and…

This is an early assessment of the Rural Community Service Coordinator Program (RCSCP), organized by the University of Missouri Extension Service using funds from the federal Food Security Act of 1985. Five full-time coordinators were named by area mental health officials to help rural people cope with despair and emotional disturbances caused by…

The Missouri Children's Services Commission was created in 1983 to address children's needs through coordinated efforts. The commission has published this document with three purposes: (1) to present an outcome-oriented vision for Missouri's young people; (2) to summarize the broad range of conditions that affect the passage from childhood to…

This KIDS COUNT report documents the status of children in all 115 Missouri counties. Following an executive summary that reports areas of improvement, stabilization, and deterioration, and profiles for the state as a whole and for Caucasians versus minorities, summary information is provided for the following indicators: (1) students enrolled in…