The Georgia Apex Program, funded by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), has been effective in creating partnerships between community-based mental health providers and local schools to provide school-based mental health services. Over the program’s first three school years (August 2015 to June 2018), the program has been able to make progress towards its three goals of increasing access to mental health services for children and youth, providing early detection of child and adolescent mental health needs, and strengthening coordination between community-based mental health providers and local schools.
The program evaluation, conducted by the Center of Excellence for Children’s Behavioral Health at the Georgia Health Policy Center on behalf of DBHDD, recently released Year 3 findings (August 2017 to June 2018). Key findings include:
- Access to mental health services increased.
- As of June 2018, the Apex Program was in 55% of Georgia counties and 56% of Georgia school districts.
- Over the program’s first three years (August 2015 to June 2018), 8,705 students were served who had not previously received mental health services
- Progress is being made towards prevention and early detection of mental health needs in youth.
- Of schools participating in the Apex Program during Year 3, 88% of schools engaged in school-wide mental health prevention initiatives that promote student well-being, as well as parent and staff education.
- The Apex Program is providing sustained coordination between schools and community-based behavioral health providers.
- 85% of schools that engaged in providing school-based mental health services sustained community partnerships over the three years.
Click here to read the brief on the Apex Program’s Year 3 findings.