Treating children with severe, early onset emotional and behavioral disturbances
remains a daunting task for mental health and education systems. This article
describes key principles, features, and outcomes for the school-based Intensive
Mental Health Program (IMHP), a program designed specifically to provide
comprehensive evidence-based, ecologically sensitive, and individualized services
for this difficult-to-treat population. Although the IMHP is a relatively new model,
preliminary studies of outcomes and treatment processes give initial evidence that
most children improve notably in their role performance, behavior, and emotional
adjustment over the course of treatment. With increasing demands for effective,
affordable school-based mental health services, the IMHP offers a developing but
promising prototype for services geared to meet the unique needs of children with
complex disturbances of emotions and behavior.
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