From Choose and Hope to Evidence and Impact: Rethinking School-Based Behavioral Health Decisions.

Joseph Latimer, Nathaniel von der Embse, Katlyn Reynolds, Hannah Brady, Melissa Brown, Krysta Salvato-Hayes, Jennifer Wolgemuth, Stephen Kilgus

Abstract read

PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher

In one paragraph

Article in Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

0citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Joseph LatimerSchool Mental Health Collaborative, College of Education, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-3492-7325

Nathaniel von der EmbseDepartment of Educational and Psychological Studies, College of Education, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2545-7691

Katlyn ReynoldsDepartment of Educational and Psychological Studies, College of Education, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.

Hannah BradyDepartment of Educational and Psychological Studies, College of Education, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.

Melissa BrownDepartment of Educational and Psychological Studies, College of Education, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.ORCID 0009-0007-0613-9301

Krysta Salvato-HayesDepartment of Educational and Psychological Studies, College of Education, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.ORCID 0009-0003-1300-6735

Jennifer WolgemuthDepartment of Educational and Psychological Studies, College of Education, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.

Stephen KilgusDepartment of Educational Psychology, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.

Funding

William T Grant Foundation MG-204476

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

A challenge in school-based behavioral health is how evidence-based practices are selected and implemented. Decision-making within schools often prioritizes feasibility instead of research evidence. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of school decision-makers in selecting and implementing evidence-based behavioral health programs. The study employed an interpretivist methodology, conducting interviews with 18 school decision-makers across K-12 school and district settings in Florida (n = 8), Kansas (n = 7), and Pennsylvania (n = 3). The study also included observations of 14 school meetings across Florida (n = 2), and Kansas (n = 12). The participants in Florida and Kansas were a part of the interviews and observations. The data collected were analyzed using an iterative diagrammatical analysis, which created the STAR (Select, Trial, Assess, Revise) Model of Behavioral Health Implementation in Schools. This model is a non-linear framework that captures the phases of behavioral health support implementation in schools. The model components are discussed, including examples from school decision-makers. The findings of this study have implications such as (a) a novel methodology for examining school-based decision-making, (b) a new model to conceptualize and enact evidence-based practices, and (c) future studies to amplify the study's findings.

Indexed as

decision-makingimplementationschool-based behavioral health

Identifiers

PMID42651496

DOI10.3390/bs16081319

PMCPMC13509306

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata

Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.