Meeting Student Mental Health Needs in Survival Mode: A Qualitative Analysis of School Professional Mental Health Delivery at Michigan High Schools in Response to COVID-19

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The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted many school-based services, including mental health support. This qualitative study examines the efforts of school professionals from sixteen Michigan high schools participating in a larger trial implementing a mental health evidence-based practice program to continue delivery in response to COVID-19 related school building closures. Nineteen in-depth interviews were carried out between June and October 2021 to understand to what extent and through what mechanisms school professionals modified and continued their mental health service delivery. Findings from thematic analysis reveal heightened responses to changes in student mental health needs through multiple modalities, modification of previous mental health service delivery methods to fit virtual and hybrid context, and shifts in school professional roles while simultaneously managing providers' personal responses to COVID-19. Themes identified underscore the complexity of sustaining mental health service provision amid school building closures and virtual or hybrid learning environments. While findings highlight challenges related to student accessibility, engagement, and communication, the study also identified unanticipated positive shifts in delivery, including increased service utilization by students who previously did not access school-provided mental health services and, in some schools, increased collaboration with teachers and administrators. Findings illuminate how schools and individuals delivering mental health services respond to crises and can inform the development of strategies to improve the resilience and adaptability of school-based mental health services. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12310-025-09838-y.

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