Integrating School-based and Out-of-School Supports for Youth Mental Health: A Liberatory Design Thinking Approach

Rising mental health concerns among youth are widely reported with growing disparities in outcomes and access among racially and ethnically minoritized youth (Hoffman et al., 2022). Although evidence-based school- and community-based interventions show promise for reducing mental health concerns, implementing these approaches with fidelity remains difficult. Barriers to implementing school- and community-based mental health services include 1) limited acceptability to the youth and families served, 2) challenges accessing necessary training and materials for mental health professionals to implement services, and 3) regulatory and statutory barriers involved in providing mental health services (Damschroder et al., 2022). One solution, which is the focus of this manuscript, is to engage diverse community stakeholders (youth, families, mental health professionals, policymakers) in the co-design and co-implementation of a research agenda intended to redress mental health disparities through improved service delivery and coordination. The current paper describes an application of Liberatory Design to plan a research project focused on integrating school-based and after-school services intended to promote student mental health outcomes. Liberatory Design is an approach intended to engage diverse stakeholders, and address equity challenges through a flexible and iterative design process that centers human relationships and equity concerns. The current study presents stakeholder perspectives on the challenges and opportunities that surfaced through the design process. Implications for researchers considering Liberatory Design are discussed.