Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Cognitive Behavioral Interventions in Special Education and School Psychology

Cognitive behavioral interventions (CBIs) attempt to affect behavior change by teaching relevant tasks that are based around strategies to correct cognitive distortions through the application of logic and the search for evidence. Goals are clearly specified; decisions are made on how to best meet specified goals and how to measure progress toward goals to provide feedback. The intervention is task-oriented and focused on problem-solving. This article provides a brief review of the theoretical tenets of CBIs and use with children and adolescents. A review of the literature describes the efficacy and practical implementation of CBIs in school settings. An interdisciplinary collaborative framework is discussed to better support the implementation of school-based mental health programming in schools.