The Commission is conducting an evaluation of the Mental Health Student Services Act (MHSSA) that supports transformational change in school mental health. In June 2023, the Commission partnered with an external evaluator to develop a framework and plan for evaluating the MHSSA using a participatory approach.
The Commission’s primary goals for the evaluation are to:
- Understand MHSSA implementation and successes, challenges and lessons learned.
- Understand the impact of MHSSA on different levels: (a) cross-system partnerships; (b) services in schools and communities; and (c) student and family outcomes.
- Understand the experiences of student subgroups and the provision of mental health services to close the equity gap.
- Develop performance metrics that cut across systems to create a shared understanding of student success and wellbeing, and that are designed to close equity gaps.
- Build capacity of school-county partnerships for data-driven approaches that inform continuous improvement toward effective and sustainable school mental health systems.
The MHSSA evaluation takes place in three phases:
Phase |
Description |
Timeframe |
1: Planning
|
– Community engagement – Co-develop evaluation framework, key questions, and school mental metrics with youth and community partners |
2023-24 |
2: Implementation |
– Community engagement – Collect and analyze data |
2024-25 |
3: Dissemination |
– Community engagement – Dissemination of findings through briefs, reports, dashboards, public presentations, etc. |
2026-27 |
For more information, please contact Kai LeMasson, Research Supervisor, at kai.lemasson@mhsoac.ca.gov.
MHSSA Evaluation Workgroup
The MHSSA Evaluation Workgroup provides expert guidance to Commission staff regarding the evaluation of the MHSSA. The Workgroup was formed in December 2022 and provides a public forum for community partners to share their feedback on MHSSA evaluation planning and implementation.
Key activities of the MHSSA workgroup include:
- Support the development of evaluation components, such as a theory of change model and evaluation questions.
- Provide guidance on implementation of the community engagement plan including the methods and processes for engagement.
- Review and provide feedback on deliverables provided by Commission staff and evaluation partners (e.g., evaluation plans and methodology, etc.).
Visit this webpage for a list of resources associated with the MHSSA Evaluation Workgroup Meetings.
The workgroup meets on a quarterly basis. For more information, please contact Kai LeMasson, Research Supervisor at kai.lemasson@mhsoac.ca.gov.
School Mental Health
Resources