ENHANCING COLLABORATION BETWEEN SCHOOL NURSES AND SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS WHEN PROVIDING A CONTINUUM OF CARE FOR CHILDREN WITH MEDICAL NEEDS

摘要

Students who are medically involved often require sustained related services, regular care coordination, and case management to ensure that they are receiving a free and appropriate public education. Exploring the collaboration efforts of school psychologists and school nurses for meeting the educational and related services needs of these students who require hospital transitions was the focus of a nationwide survey with these professionals. We also explored whether the needs of these students were being included in schools' multi-tiered frameworks, such as Response to Intervention, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, and/or Multi-Tiered System of Support, and whether inclusion impacts the professionals' perceptions of the care coordination process and its effectiveness. School psychologists and school nurses generally reported working together and feeling sufficiently trained to help these students, although school nurses reported less collaboration. School professionals conveyed not having sufficient notice when children return from hospital stays, nor being provided sufficient discharge information, although they agreed that the children are not returning to school too soon. Involvement with a school's multi-tiered framework and other case management systems was associated with comfort with the transition process, whereas level of experience, caseload, type of school, and number of schools served were not. Policy recommendations and practical strategies based on the findings are provided.