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Author ORCID Identifier
0009-0004-7273-8669
Date Available
5-19-2026
Year of Publication
2026
Document Type
Capstone
Degree Name
Doctor of Social Work (DSW)
College
Social Work
Department/School/Program
Social Work
Faculty
Dr. Victoria DeVeau
Faculty
The Rev. Dr. Jonathon Vanderbeck
Abstract
Students with severe emotional disturbances (SED) occupy one of the most underserved intersections in American education and mental health care. As they age out of children’s services, they face abrupt service discontinuation, disrupted therapeutic relationships, and adult systems ill-equipped to meet their needs. These vulnerabilities, including heightened risks of crisis, hospitalization, homelessness, and justice involvement, constitute a central practice problem. This capstone addresses these transitions across three scholarly products: a systematic literature review, a theoretical concept paper, and a practical application paper, tracing a unified arc from diagnosing structural failures to proposing an evidence-informed, equity-oriented clinical response. Synthesizing key findings across all three papers reveals that effective support for SED youth requires integrated, culturally responsive, and student-centered approaches that bridge structural gaps between mental health and education systems. The systematic literature review identified a persistent structural limitation: most existing interventions address education or mental health in isolation rather than as integrated domains. Multisystemic Therapy (MST) emerged as the most ecologically comprehensive model, given its individualized, multi-domain approach to addressing the needs of youth with complex needs. However, MST’s standard delivery presupposes staffing levels and institutional resources that most school-based settings cannot provide. A further gap concerns engagement: MST’s effectiveness is heavily contingent on client and caregiver motivation, which can be a significant barrier with ambivalent or resistant youth. The theoretical concept paper examined the ecological and structural forces shaping the trajectories of SED students. Situating the problem within frameworks of systemic racism, generational trauma, and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), it argued that SED cannot be treated as an individual-level phenomenon.
Motivational Interviewing (MI) was evaluated as a response to the engagement gap. At the same time, Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and health equity theory were introduced to center student voice and address structural inequities. Together, MST, MI, SDT, and health equity theory form an integrated foundation for culturally responsive, student-led intervention. The practical application paper synthesized these insights into the collaborative empowerment model, a framework positioning MST’s ecological scaffolding, MI’s motivational tools, and student-led psychoeducational groups as mutually reinforcing components. Central to the model is repositioning students from passive recipients to active agents in their own mental health journeys. Student-led groups that utilize fit circles counter institutional silencing, amplify student voice, and sustain fidelity to student-centered principles during the transition to adult services. The implications span practice, policy, and ethics. Clinicians must be trained as intervention adapters, capable of responsibly modifying evidence-based frameworks within under-resourced settings. Policymakers must address chronic underfunding and embed transition planning in mandates rather than leave it to institutional discretion. Ethically, equity is not aspirational language but an operational standard, one demanding accountability to the students most harmed by systemic neglect. SED youth do not fail transitions; systems fail them.
Recommended Citation
Haberek, Kristin G., "Navigating Mental Wellness: A peer-led journey into adult services" (2026). DSW Capstone Projects. 89.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/csw_grad_reports/89
Included in
Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms Commons, Counseling Commons, Disability and Equity in Education Commons, Disability Studies Commons, Education Policy Commons, Humane Education Commons, Other Education Commons, Other Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons, Social Justice Commons, Social Policy Commons, Social Welfare Commons, Social Work Commons, Student Counseling and Personnel Services Commons, Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons
