School Mental Health: Treating Students K-12

Mental health issues among school-aged children and adolescents have continued to overwhelm students, schools and communities. The impacts are far reaching—from academic performance and financial challenges to long-term public health outcomes and societal well-being. With schools being a primary access point for mental health screening and services for many children, the school setting can offer prime opportunities for early identification, treatment, and coordination of care.

Mental health professionals in and out of educational systems can play a key role in addressing the mental health crisis. Still, too many of us struggle to stay up to date on changing diagnosis, treatment, and best practice guidelines in school settings. To promote the best outcomes, providers need guidance on screening and treatment tools, care coordination, referral pathways, and larger systemic strategies.

Our popular course is designed to offer participants the latest clinical information and practical strategies that address current topics in school mental health through a mix of lectures, case studies, lived experience, interactive panels and Q&A. Faculty this year will discuss working with families, supporting high-achieving students, poverty's impact on developing brains, autism, play therapy, boys' crisis of connection, effective CBT techniques, the experience of being black in school, measurement-based care strategies, culturally responsive care for immigrant students, pornography, gaming, and more!

Each year we strive to create a warm, energizing and fun learning experience to enhance connection and networking among attendees. We welcome all mental health and health clinicians, educators, school administrators, researchers, and others interested in the development and treatment of school-aged children and adolescents to join us in 2026!

Who Should Attend

• Specialty Physicians
• Primary Care Physicians
• Social workers
• Counselors
• Family Therapists
• Psychologists
• Nurses
• Other

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Discuss how an environment of persistent poverty in childhood impedes developmental milestones, and which strategies may counteract the negative effects.
• List several common challenges of executive function that manifest in individuals with autism.
• Integrate effective techniques for promoting and preserving the mental health of high-achieving students.
• Describe elements of play therapy and how it can be introduced in the school setting for positive outcomes.
• Utilize data available to school-based clinicians to select and monitor specific measures of student mental health.
• Review examples of lived experience mental health issues from students in their own words.
• Articulate several reasons for the increasing rates of loneliness, depression, anxiety, suicide, hate crimes, and mass violence in boys.
• Explain how exposure to pornography and gaming fit into a wider pattern of problematic internet use in youth.
• Implement school-based practices that foster inclusion, safety, and belonging for immigrant students.
• Devise strategies to effectively communicate with families about the diagnosis and management of child mental health issues.
• Describe how a persistently biased environment in schools leads to the miseducation of students of color.
• Apply tailored activities of cognitive behavioral therapy in select school scenarios.

ABMS/ACGME Competencies

This course is designed to meet the following American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) / Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Educational (ACGME) competencies:

• Interpersonal and Communication Skills
• Patient Care and Procedural Skills
•  Medical Knowledge 

IOM Competencies

This course is designed to meet the following Institute of Medicine Core Competencies:

• Provide Patient-Centered Care
• Employ Evidence-Based Practice

Questions?

Please contact the Continuing Education Programs with any questions by email at learn@hms.harvard.edu.

Christine Crawford, MD, MPH

Associate Medical Director, Office of Programs and Services, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
Vice Chair of Education, Director of Medical Student Education, and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine.

John Crocker, MEd

Administrator, Methuen Public Schools Counseling Department
Founder, Massachusetts School Mental Health Consortium

Brian Rashad Fuller, MEd

Associate Provost for Strategy, Operations & Partnerships, The New School (NYC)

Alex Hirshberg, PsyD

Clinical Psychologist and Founder, Hirshberg Behavioral Health Services

Huan-Tang Lu, PhD

Lecturer in Human Development and Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Vanessa Prosper, PhD

Associate Professor of the Practice, Counseling Psychology Department, Boston College

Horacio Sanchez

President and CEO, Resiliency Inc.

Niobe Way, PhD

Professor of Developmental Psychology and Director, Science of Human Connection Lab, NYU.

Paul Weigle, MD

Associate Medical Director for Ambulatory Services, Natchaug Hospital, Hartford CT

Scott Yapo, MD

Associate Training Director, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship; Psychiatrist, Neurodevelopmental Clinic, Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance; Instructor, Harvard Medical School

Course Directors

Harvard Medical School Continuing Education attracts the best and brightest faculty from all around the world. As a student in this course, you’ll have access to outstanding course directors and faculty.

Nancy Rappaport, MD

Consultant, School-Based Programs, Cambridge Health Alliance
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Part-Time, Harvard Medical School

Christopher Willard, PsyD

Psychologist and Educational Consultant
Teaching Associate in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

Karen Kuc, MPH

Director, Continuing Education in Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance​​​
Associate in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

Accreditation

In support of improving patient care, Harvard Medical School is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physicians

The Harvard Medical School designates this live activity for a maximum of 14.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nurse Practitioners and Registered Nurses

For the purpose of recertification, the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board and American Nurses Credentialing Center accept AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ issued by organizations accredited by the ACCME (Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education). We would also suggest that learners check with their state licensing board to ensure they accept reciprocity with AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for re-licensure.

Physician Assistants

The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) states that AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ are acceptable for continuing medical education requirements for recertification. We would also suggest that learners check with their state licensing board to ensure they accept reciprocity with AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for re-licensure.

Psychologists

Cambridge Health Alliance, Division of Continuing Education in Psychiatry is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Cambridge Health Alliance, Division of Continuing Education in Psychiatry maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course offers 14.00 continuing education credits.

Social Workers

Application for social work continuing education credits has been submitted to NASW-MA. Please contact us at cme@challiance.org for the status of social work CE accreditation. NY Social Workers: Cambridge Health Alliance, Division of Continuing Education in Psychiatry is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an Approved Provider #0038 of continuing education for licensed social workers. This course offers 14.00 contact hours.

Counselors

Cambridge Health Alliance, Division of Continuing Education in Psychiatry has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5444.  Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Cambridge Health Alliance, Division of Continuing Education in Psychiatry is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. This course meets the requirements for 14.00 continuing education hours, and is also applicable for Commonwealth of Massachusetts Counseling/Allied Mental Health accreditation for 14.00 credits.

Family Therapists

This activity has been certified by NEAFAST on behalf of the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health & Human Services Professions for LMFT Professional Continuing Education. Certification #213102848, for 14.0 contact hours. The States of CT and RI accept NBCC and NASW approval for marriage and family therapy. 

Canadian Accreditation

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada recognizes conferences and workshops held outside of Canada that are developed by a university, academy, hospital, specialty society or college as accredited group learning activities. 

European Accreditation

The American Medical Association (AMA) has an agreement of mutual recognition of continuing medical education (CME) credit with the European Union of Medical Specialties (UEMS). Additional information regarding this agreement may be found here.

Please note: For psychologists, social workers, marriage/family therapists and counselors, this course has been approved for a set amount of credits and CHA is not able to issue CE certificates for partial credit. Participants must be present and sign in on both days to claim a certificate. For any questions regarding CE credit, please email cme@challiance.org.

Disclosure Policy

In accord with the disclosure policy of the Medical School as well as standards set forth by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), course planners, speakers, and content reviewers have been asked to disclose any relationships they have to companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. In addition, faculty have been asked to list any off-label uses of pharmaceuticals and/or devices for investigational or non-FDA approved purposes that they plan to discuss.

Disclaimer

CME activities accredited by Harvard Medical School are offered solely for educational purposes and do not constitute any form of certification of competency. Practitioners should always consult additional sources of information and exercise their best professional judgement before making clinical decisions of any kind. 

Note: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ is calculated based on submission of a preliminary agenda and may be subject to change. 

Hotel Reservations

Fairmont Copley Plaza
138 St. James Avenue
Boston, MA 02116

A block of rooms for the nights of February 5th, 6th, and 7th 2026 has been reserved at the hotel for this event, under the group name Cambridge Health Alliance.

All reservations must be made, modified, or canceled individually through the hotel’s Reservation Department via this link (https://book.passkey.com/go/SchoolMentalHealth2026) or by calling 1-800-441-1414 and referring to Group Name. Reservations for rooms accessible to guests with disabilities may be made in the same manner. Reservations must be made on or before January 12, 2026 to guarantee the CHA group rate.

Hotel confirms the following guest room rates per night:

• $199 Moderate Room
• $210 Fairmont Room (Single or double-bedded)
• $250 Deluxe Room

Guest room rates are exclusive of applicable taxes and service fees.