24 September 2019
In December 2017, the government introduced a new policy to create Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) to work with children and staff in education settings. The aim of these teams is to provide extra capacity to deliver evidence-based psychological interventions in schools and create better links with wider services.
This briefing draws on the expertise of the BPS Expert Reference Group on Children and Young People’s Mental Health, which is made up of psychologists who work with children, parents, teachers and their local communities and services.
It sets out the BPS’ assessment of progress to date on the MHSTs, identifies gaps and potential unintended consequences, and makes recommendations for how these issues can be addressed to maximise the positive impact of the MHSTs.