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Schools and Communities Program Overview PDF Print E-mail

TeenScreen Schools and Communities is a voluntary screening program that requires both parent consent and youth assent for participation. The program uses a questionnaire and interview process to determine if a teenager may be at risk for depression, suicide or other mental health problems. TeenScreen does not involve diagnosis or treatment. Parents of youth found to be at possible risk are notified and helped with identifying and connecting to local services where they can obtain a complete evaluation by a qualified professional. Treatment decisions, if any, are always left to parents and guardians.

TeenScreen Schools and Communities, formerly known as the Columbia University TeenScreen Program, is the National Center for Mental Health Checkups’ flagship program, offering voluntary screening to teens and their families through more than 500 local TeenScreen sites in 43 U.S. states. TeenScreen Schools and Communities was developed by Columbia University’s Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

TeenScreen is included in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices as a scientifically verified intervention in the areas of suicide prevention and early identification of mental illness. It has been researched and evaluated in a variety of settings with diverse youth populations. Research conducted on TeenScreen reveals it is effective in identifying young people who are at risk for suicide, depression and other mental disorders. In addition, research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that screening is safe and does not cause teens to become depressed, suicidal or distressed.

The TeenScreen National Center for Mental Health Checkups and its programs and initiatives is supported by private foundations, individuals, and organizations committed to the early identification of mental illness in youth and the prevention of teen suicide. The National Center and its programs and initiatives are not affiliated with or funded by any pharmaceutical companies.