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school-based mental health referrals spanned 5 consecutive school years from
August 2015 through May 2020. Data included (a) the overall number of students
referred for school-based mental health, (b) gender, (c) grade band, (d) reason for
referral, and (e) disability status. The data indicated an overall rise in mental health
referrals, referrals for male students outnumbered those for females, and referrals for
elementary students were most prevalent. The most frequent reasons for referral were
“emotional” and “behavioral” issues. Finally, general education student referrals
were more numerous than those for students with identified disabilities.
Implications for practice include (a) increasing in-class mental health
programming, (b) improving educators’ understanding of mental health issues, (c)
obtaining targeted support from the administration, and (d) developing district-wide
support plans. Efforts to address the increases in mental health issues continue to be
on the minds and hearts of educators.

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30 The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin: International Journal for Professional Educators