Modular Psychotherapy for Youth With Internalizing Problems: Implementation With Therapists in School-Based Health Centers

Abstract. This article describes the training and consultation procedures implemented to adapt and pilot modular psychotherapy for use by therapists treating youth with depression and anxiety in school-based health centers (SBHCs). Module selection and adaptation decisions were data driven and intended to increase compatibility with the school context. Seven SBHC therapists in the district participated in the yearlong training and consultation program. Findings indicated that participating therapists were able to successfully select appropriate students for treatment, systematically track their use of treatment modules, and administer standardized measures to monitor symptom change in 94% of their sessions. In the context of these findings, we discuss practitioner engagement barriers and solutions, school-based therapist use of standardized assessment tools, and the utility of a brief SBHC intervention model.