5 - Care Coordination and Communication Between K-12 Schools and Health Systems: A Scoping Review of Barriers and Successful Strategies

Publication Number: 3004.5

Summer M. Reyes, University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences The Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States; Michael Harries, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States; Amber M. Hawkins, University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences The Pritzker School of Medicine, Cortland, IL, United States; Anna Volerman, University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences The Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States

Background: Mental illness is a substantial cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. About one in five US students accesses mental health services in schools; however, only about half of the schools indicate they can effectively provide mental health care to all students in need. One promising approach to meet this need is to enhance care coordination and communication between kindergarten to 12th-grade schools and health systems.

Objective: The purpose was to develop a detailed understanding of barriers to successful care coordination and communication regarding mental health between K-12 school systems and healthcare systems.

Design/Methods: Data was gathered through literature review and semi-structured interviews to understand current care coordination practices for children's mental health across the US. Data collection was conducted between June and September 2025. The literature review included studies and reports published between 2000-2025 on care coordination and communication among schools, parents, and healthcare professionals. Interviews were conducted via virtual video platforms and lasted 30-60 minutes. The question guide focused on program specifics, successes, and barriers to mental health care coordination between K-12 school staff and healthcare professionals. Data from literature review and interviews were analyzed to identify common barriers to care coordination and communication between K-12 schools and healthcare.

Results: Based on a literature review and 13 interviews with experts, care coordination between schools and healthcare systems shows promise as a method to improve care for children with mental illness. However, best practices are limited. Barriers to successful mental health care coordination include fragmented systems of care, unclear and inaccessible communication partners, restricted privacy laws, and inadequate capacity and funding (Table 1). Effective strategies to address barriers include establishing leadership buy-in within school and healthcare settings, implementing clear communication protocols among parents, schools, and healthcare professionals, and integrating shared technology across school and healthcare systems (Table 2).

Conclusion(s): Barriers to successful mental health care coordination practices exist; however, there are effective strategies to overcome them, including clear protocols for communication and shared application of technology. There is an opportunity to further leverage the knowledge and expertise of these successful efforts nationwide to strengthen care coordination interventions to improve educational and mental health outcomes for children.

Table 1: Barriers to successful care coordination identified through literature review and expert interviews


Table 2: Effective strategies used to address barriers to care coordination, as identified through literature review and expert interviews