Presenter(s)

• Olivia England, Student, Ohio University
• Steven Evans, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Nationwide Children's Hospital

Abstract

The process of children returning to school after psychiatric hospitalization is a challenging transition that is marked by academic and social vulnerability and risk for rehospitalization. This process requires collaboration among school professionals, hospital staff, and families to formulate a reintegration plan and provide support. Tougas and colleagues (2023) created a nine-step best-practice framework for school reintegration, which includes assessing needs, active communication, and support during and after hospitalization. To evaluate this framework or enhance reintegration services, it is important to start by understanding what schools currently do for student reintegration. This study investigated reintegration practices among 131 educational professionals across the United States (82 school counselors, 37 school social workers, and 12 school psychologists). Participants responded to items about the presence, structure, perceived effectiveness, and best-practice adherence of reintegration procedures in their schools. Just over half (52%) of respondents indicated that their schools had a process or typical practice in place for students returning from psychiatric hospitals with 69% reporting written, more effective procedures and 31% reporting having an informal, less effective process. The presence of problem solving teams and collaboration between school mental health professionals and teachers was associated with a higher prevalence of a reintegration procedure. Some best-practice procedures have strong adherence like supporting students on the first day back to school and leadership, but key aspects like communication between schools and hospitals are not consistently adhered to. These results stress the need for standardized, evidence-based reintegration procedures to improve student outcomes and reduce rehospitalization.