School psychologists’ current practice, training, and interest in the integration of substance abuse training as part of the mental health profession

Adolescents’ suffering from substance abuse may also be experiencing academic, social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties. Substance abuse problems are difficult to address in schools due to barriers related to confidentiality, implementation, and resources. School personnel may also lack necessary experience or training to adequately provide these services to students’ suffering from substance abuse. School-based intervention programs have shown to be effective in helping to identify and support students with substance abuse issues (Mitchell et al., 2012; Winters et al., 2012). With both evidence-based intervention practices and competent mental health professionals, students experiencing substance abuse problems may receive needed services and support in schools. More research is necessary to highlight the importance of school psychologists’ training and collaboration related to student substance abuse intervention programs. A survey was emailed to a random sample of school psychologists in Virginia who have licensure with the Virginia Department of Education to gain more information on their training and knowledge of working with students with substance abuse problems. Data from the survey suggests that limited training and time is spent on providing direct services for student substance abuse. School psychologists expressed an interest in receiving additional training to administer screenings and intervention services in schools. The results support providing school psychologists information and training in addition to developing collaborations with school professionals to best serve the needs of their students.