mental health

In 2019, Youth Policy Lab partnered with TRAILS (Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students) and the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment.  This initiative was designed to guide future activities and establish a baseline for evaluation by gathering data from 3,500 DPSCD staff, 11,000 students in grades 8-12, 800 family members, as well as DPSCD Police and community mental health agencies.The Youth Policy Lab launched a three-year evaluation during the 2022-23 school year in 84 DPSCD schools, focusing on the...

As evaluation partners for Project AWARE—a Michigan Department of Education-Michigan Department of Health and Human Services initiative on youth mental health—the Lab is examining a variety of efforts by state and local agency partners to better support students’ healthy development. The Lab is currently working with the Project AWARE team to design and implement a multifaceted assessment of the five-year initiative’s success in increasing mental health awareness, strengthening interagency collaboration, and streamlining service coordination in three participating communities across the...

During the 2021-2022 academic year, YPL partnered with TRAILS (Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students) to examine their Tier 1 Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) program in three rural Colorado school districts. Staff provided overall positive survey feedback, reporting that preparation and delivery times were reasonable, students were engaged, and the materials were suitable for their age group. Students in grades 6-12 were also surveyed to assess various Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) coping skills....

During the 2022-23 school year,  Youth Policy Lab partnered with TRAILS (Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students) to evaluate the implementation and impact of its Tier 1 Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum as part of a statewide expansion in two intermediate school districts in Michigan. To assess the program's effects on student outcomes related to social-emotional well-being and mental health, a one-year, school-level randomized control trial was conducted. Students and staff from approximately 40 schools gave feedback through surveys at the beginning...