Ready, Set, Go, Review: A Toolkit for School-Based Mental Health Screening
Guiding schools through the process of planning, implementing, and evaluating effective behavioral health screening systems.
The document “Ready, Set, Go, Review: Screening for Behavioral Health Risk in Schools” (SAMHSA, 2019) is a comprehensive toolkit designed to help schools develop and implement effective behavioral and mental health screening programs. The purpose of this toolkit is to guide school administrators, educators, and community partners through planning, implementing, and reviewing behavioral health screening processes as part of a broader multi-tiered system of support (MTSS).
The toolkit is organized into four phases:
- Ready: Establishes the foundation — stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, legal/ethical considerations (FERPA, HIPAA, PPRA), and selecting evidence-based screening tools.
- Set: Focuses on implementation planning — training staff, piloting small-scale screenings, mapping community resources, and setting up referral pathways.
- Go: Guides actual implementation — conducting screenings, managing data, and connecting students to services.
- Review: Addresses evaluating the process, monitoring outcomes, and improving future screening efforts.
Resource Type: PDF
Developers
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)