RECRUITMENT FOR OUR DBT PROGRAM HAS NOW CONCLUDED

We are grateful for the support of the Affinity Legacy fund and this opportunity to improve the effectiveness of SBHCs in addressing the behaviorla health needs of children. If you have any questions, email nysbhfoundation@gmail.com with "DBT Program" in the subject line.

About the Foundation's DBT Program

The COVID pandemic has caused an explosion of behavioral health needs among New York’s underserved school children. In its mission to strengthen NY’s school-based health centers, the NY School-Based Health Foundation has just received a large grant from the Affinity Legacy grant program to assist three SBHC sponsoring organizations in implementing a model known as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). 

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This one-year program will be intensive and will provide resources for three School-Based Health Center (SBHC) sponsoring organizations operating SBHCs in the Affinity service area (NYC and Nassau, Suffolk, Orange, Rockland, and Westchester Counties) including training and coaching support by DBT experts as well as funding to hire or contract for a DBT Program Manager (who may also carry a caseload) or an FTE clinician. Two DBT models are available: clinicians only, and clinicians teaching and supporting teachers to deliver DBT in the classroom. Further description of these two models is below. Participants will be chosen based on their capacity to implement the program, the reach of their proposed program, and the prospects for the program’s sustainability. 

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We are grateful for the support of the Affinity Legacy grant program and this opportunity to improve the effectiveness of SBHCs in addressing the behavioral health needs of their children. Based on our initial experience, we hope to be able to spread the program more widely among SBHCs in the future.

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DBT Benefits & Background

DBT has been developed, widely-tested, and is poised to be the strategy of choice in addressing this rising tide of behavioral health demand due to its flexibility, ease of implementation, and evidence-based effectiveness. DBT has the potential to achieve scale by its train- the-trainer approach and applicability at the group, individual, or classroom levels. Key to the program is training and support of teachers and behavioral health specialists in giving children tools to:

Regulate their emotions

• Cope with stress

• Increase awareness of the impact of actions on themselves and others.

• Make decisions

• Communicate effectively

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The two models under consideration:

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1. DBT FOR CLASSROOM IMPLEMENTATION

Provides a broad approach to building resilience and mental wellness skills in children and adolescents. SBHC clinicians will be trained to equip and support teachers in providing the DBT curriculum. Training for teachers is also an option. Throughout the training year, the program will enable SBHC clinicians and teachers to offer DBT training to as many classes and grades as the school and School Mental Health Teams jointly determine. The Affinity grant will provide support for school initiation meetings, training in the model, and ongoing support and consultation to ensure fidelity and successful implementation.

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Funding: Grant funding will cover all trainings, supervision, materials, and meetings with teachers and SBHC clinical staff, and administration costs. The grant will provide funding to help cover one FTE DBT Manager who will organize and manage the project for your organization. This person may also carry a caseload.

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2. DBT CLINICAL SKILLS TRAINING (FOR CLINICIALS ONLY)

SBHC clinicians will be trained to conduct individual and group DBT sessions for students with emotional difficulties. The focus will be on commitment strategies, the application of DBT principles in individual counseling sessions, the use of behavioral chain analysis, and the reinforcement of DBT skills use via time-limited coaching. The goals of this model are to minimize student’s time out of class, apply skills, and limit crisis focused responding from staff. The Affinity grant will provide virtual support for school initiation meetings, training in the model, and ongoing support and consultation to ensure fidelity and successful implementation.

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Funding: Grant funding will cover all trainings, supervision, materials, and administration costs. The grant will provide funding to help cover either one FTE Clinician for your organization, unbillable services such as co-facilitating a class/group, or a combination of the two.