{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T00:17:31Z","timestamp":1791332251269,"version":"4.3.1"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,17]],"date-time":"2025-11-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1763337600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"CDC\u2019s National Initiative to Advance Emotional Well-Being in K-12 Schools","award":["5NU58DP007088-03-00"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["5NU58DP007088-03-00"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Behavioral Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: It is essential that leaders in education and behavioral health partner with youth to build Comprehensive School Mental Health (CSMH) systems. One mechanism to elevate youth perspectives in CSMH system building is by engaging youth as members of CSMH teams. Method: The current study describes the structure, process and impact of a school-based Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) that integrated youth leaders into CSMH teams with state, district, and school leaders. The YLA offered student leaders opportunities to (1) receive training and mentorship to enhance their capacities to serve as leaders on CSMH teams, (2) provide input on CSMH priorities and (3) set MTSS goals to advance emotional well-being in schools. This study summarizes youth-driven multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) goals and action plans by youth participants and the impact of youth participation in the YLA on indicators of positive youth development. Results: Youth most often contributed to planning and\/or implementation of Tier 1-Universal Mental Health supports related to mental health literacy and school climate. Pre-post surveys revealed YLA participation was associated with statistically significant increases in youth reports of core social and emotional learning skills, positive identity, and contribution. Conclusions: Schools can replicate the YLA structure to enhance MTSS and foster youth leader skill development.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bs15111563","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,17]],"date-time":"2025-11-17T14:04:07Z","timestamp":1763388247000},"page":"1563","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Youth Engagement in School Mental Health Teaming: Structure, Processes, and Outcomes of a Youth Leadership Academy to Promote Emotional Well-Being in Schools"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6751-5071","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tiffany S.","family":"Beason","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 620 W Lexington St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-8207-2260","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zahra","family":"Ladhani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 620 W Lexington St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Perrin","family":"Robinson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 620 W Lexington St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kathryn M.","family":"Trainor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1200-2017","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jenna E.","family":"Russo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 620 W Lexington St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA"},{"name":"Department of Psychology, Mississippi State University, 75 B.S. Hood Drive, Starkville, MS 39762, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jessica","family":"Bernstein","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, 815 W. Van Buren St., Suite 210, Chicago, IL 60607, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jill H.","family":"Bohnenkamp","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, 620 W Lexington St., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"402","DOI":"10.1177\/01632787241288850","article-title":"Improving school mental health via national learning collaboratives with state and local teams: Components, feasibility, and initial impacts","volume":"47","author":"Bohnenkamp","year":"2024","journal-title":"Evaluation & the Health Professions"},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2025, August 15). 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