Consortium for Mental Health & Optimal Development

The mission of the Consortium for Mental Health and Optimal Development at Penn Graduate School of Education is to work in partnership with school leaders to support the mental health and development of all stakeholders at all levels of school communities. Founded in 2018, the consortium explores the relationship between mental health and optimal development among children, youth, and the adults who support them. The Consortium specifically helps organization teams build mental health capacity and implement evidence-based interventions. The consortium, in its unique environment, utilizes resources to bridge research and practice, supporting school leaders to be better prepared, informed, and equipped to make strategic decisions around supporting their schools. This is achieved by providing access to experts in the field, structured time to design in-depth and contextualized strategic plans informed by cutting-edge research, alongside mental health experts and other educational leaders, and ongoing support throughout the academic year to ensure successful implementation. Our consortium values the expertise of its members, and our unique model utilizes their knowledge and contextual experiences to develop programming to meet their needs as part of our partnership.