ORCID
Savannah Hobbs: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0338-5415
Elaine Belansky: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9083-0969
Abstract
Amid growing student mental health concerns, numerous evidence-based practices (EBPs) exist to promote student mental health, but most rural schools do not have these practices in place. Little is known about the organizational capacity of rural schools to learn about and select youth mental health EBPs, or the role research intermediaries can play to support these processes. In this study, 11 middle school staff from three rural school districts participated in surveys and semi-structured interviews to provide information on how schools learn about and select mental health EBPs, related barriers and facilitators, and the role of intermediary support. A semi-structured interview guide was developed, with 16 questions and multiple probes. Interviews were conducted in-person (one via Zoom), recorded, transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed. Cross-case data analysis revealed that schools rely upon individuals or “champions” to bring EBPs to a school and district-level teams to select EBPs. Barriers to EBP selection included limited staff capacity due to burnout and scarce resources. Facilitators included funding, strong internal communication channels, and flexibility in staffing structures and roles. Suggestions for intermediary support included the need for in-person visits and understanding rural school contexts. This exploratory study is a first step in understanding the barriers and facilitators to how rural schools learn about and select EBPs. While schools have dedicated staff and teams around EBPs, limited staff capacity due to turnover and scarce resources are concerns. More research is needed to deepen our understanding of strategies to strengthen rural schools’ organizational capacity to promote youth mental health.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Hobbs, S.,
Belansky, E. S.,
Cutforth, N.,
&
Hazel, C.
(2025).
Understanding Rural Schools’ Capacity to Learn About Evidence-Based Practices That Promote Youth Mental Health: A Comparative Case Study.
The Rural Educator, 46(3), 6-23.
https://doi.org/10.55533/2643-9662.1516
