Rethinking Screening: Aligning Mental Health Supports with Capacity, Sonya Kuznetsov Duffy and Cara McGlynn

Have you hesitated to implement universal behavioral/emotional screening due to concerns about limited staff capacity for Tier 2 and 3 interventions? This session introduces a practical, equity-centered framework that rethinks screening by aligning it with staff capacity using serviceable base rates. Participants will learn how to assess readiness, strengthen Tier 1 supports, prioritize Tier 2 services, and use screening data at the school-wide, class-wide, and individual levels. Drawing on real-world insights from Northeast Metro 916’s screening journey, this session provides concrete implementation steps, lessons learned, and practical tools to build sustainable, responsive, and effective school mental health systems.