Provider Perspectives on Using School‐Based Mental Health/Speech Co‐Therapy to Meet the Mental Health Needs of Students With Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities

Introduction Many students with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) and co‐occurring communication challenges have trouble accessing mental health services, especially traditional talk therapies. Methods This study is based on interviews with 19 school mental health providers (MHPs), speech‐language therapists (SLPs), and administrators working in a school that recently added MHP/SLP co‐therapy as a service delivery option. Results Following COVID, MHPs reported an increased need for mental health support, specifically language support to help students access mental health concepts. Interviewees found MHP/SLP co‐therapy to be a highly beneficial model resulting in both direct benefits (i.e., student progress, generalisation of skills, and access to the expertise of two disciplines at once) and indirect benefits (i.e., greater confidence and competence of MHPs providing mental health supports to their I/DD students). Conclusion MHP/SLP co‐therapy may offer a promising means of helping individuals with I/DD and co‐occurring communication challenges access appropriate mental health therapies in schools.