Innovative treatment for children with serious emotional disturbance: preliminary outcomes for a school-based intensive mental health program.

This article describes the development, implementation, and preliminary evaluation of a school-based Intensive Mental Health Program (IMHP) for 50 children (42 boys, 8 girls) with severe, early-onset, serious emotional disturbances (SED). Eighty-four percent of the children showed clinically significant improvement in overall functioning as measured by the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS). Child functioning at home and school, behavior toward others, regulation of moods and emotions, self-harm, and problems in thinking improved significantly. Results provide initial support for the IMHP as a promising approach to serving the needs of children with SED.