Both mental health and substance use disorders are diseases that have biological, psychological, social, and spiritual components (Peters, Taylor, Lyketsos, & Chisolm, 2012). Treatments for mental health and substance use disorders encompass a spectrum of programs, therapies, and other strategies, each at varying intensities. A common theme of treatment for these disorders is that they should be delivered with empathy, without confrontation (MHA, 2017), and individuals should be treated with dignity and respect for their personhood (Marcovitz, 2019).

For most young people who enroll in college, it is their first time away from home and away from the support of their established peer groups and family members (Fromme, Corbin, & Kruse, 2008). This adjustment can be overwhelming, as is the added full college course schedule and expectations to perform (Macan, Shahani, Dipboye, & Phillips, 1990). On top of that, individuals at this age are in a stage of development when they are introduced to often difficult realities of adult responsibilities (Arnett, 2000).

Although schools’ primary function is to provide education, they serve as a natural access point for children across diverse subpopulations to receive health services (Richardson & Juszczak, 2008: O’Connell, Boat, & Warner, 2009). School-based interventions have the potential to educate youth about mental health issues and decrease stigma (Essler, Arthur, & Stickley, 2006). This section of the review focuses on guiding best practices for treatment of behavioral health in school-based settings organized across four domains: comprehensive behavioral health systems within schools; prevention; school policies; and personnel.