Mental health practitioners in secondary and specialist schools evaluation

A state education department, as part of an election promise, committed to rolling out mental health practitioners (MHPs) in all government secondary schools. This department commissioned dandolo to undertake a multi-year evaluation of the initiative to assess its design, implementation and impact on student outcomes. To achieve this, dandolo conducted extensive fieldwork in four cycles across two years, which included:

1) Quantitative data analysis on MHP activities, school engagement with the initiative, and broader school and mental health data;

2) Over 100 interviews with school staff and leadership, students, MHPs, MHP line managers, and Government representatives;

3) Designing and distributing surveys in each cycle across multiple stakeholder groups, and analysing results across time; and

4) Frequently sharing insights, consulting, and taking advice from expert advisors to inform the evaluation.

The evaluation culminated in a final report and other supporting documentation. As a direct result of this work: the management team overseeing the program implemented many iterations, additions, and other program improvements. The department and other initiative stakeholders have since reflected positively on the impact of these for MHPs to effectively deliver support, and improved likelihood of positive student mental health outcomes. We were also invited to facilitate a discussion with department leadership on evaluation findings and implications for broader areas of education and mental health.