The purpose of this project is to examine the efficacy of the TRAILS Early Intervention program (TRAILS-EI), by evaluating its impact on the mental health and academic performance of students in the Detroit Public Schools. TRAILS (Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students), is a University of Michigan program that promotes utilization of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) by providing school mental health professionals (SMHPs) curriculum resources, training, and post-training implementation support to sustain uptake and use of best practices. As in many high-poverty, high-density settings throughout the United States, students in Detroit experience high rates of environmental stress and untreated mental illness and consequently, poor school engagement. Rigorous evaluation of TRAILS-EI will provide critical direction for TRAILS as it begins a rapid expansion and for school systems and other stakeholders about ways to improve both educational and behavioral outcomes among students, particularly in urban, majority-minority communities with limited resources.
Funding:
Education, Department of
Funding Period:
07/01/2022 to 06/30/2026