Reimagining Professional Development for Mental Health Professionals: A Collaborative Approach to Achieve Mental Health Equity

In this article the authors explore a reimagined professional development model for mental health professionals who engage in trauma-informed practice to advance mental health literacy and equity. The model uses a multitiered support system to build community resilience and apply trauma-informed care when school counselors and social workers collaborate. It highlights that professional development opportunities beyond isolated training sessions are needed, and such professional development must include mentorship through continuous process support from peers, skill integration, and utilization in community-based settings. Learning from a circular, cohort-based model as exemplified by the Trinity Washington University and Kaiser Permanente practitioner scholars program, this program offers a model for sustained support of mental health practitioners working in diverse communities. Furthermore, the article highlights the importance of school-based mental health services, in which interventions can occur directly in a school environment, building on the point of resilience and eliminating access barriers that impede a student in need. Partnerships that work across disciplines can "put the pieces together" so that we deliver mental healthcare in an equitable and effective manner.