The uneasy alliance of mental health services and the schools: An historical perspective.

Abstract

School-based mental health and social welfare services have evolved over the past century to play important roles in the education of children and youth. Relations between schools (administrators, boards of education, teachers) and services (social workers, therapists, counselors) have generally been awkward-occasionally embracing and nurturing, at times competitive and distant. This article reviews the history of school mental health services, focusing on service goals, the nature of professional practice, and the forces that have prevented harmony.