When students face mental health challenges at school, it takes more than just teachers to help them through. Social workers and psychologists play crucial roles in supporting young people, but how well do these different professionals actually work together? A recent study from Melbourne schools provides fresh insights into this important question.
Researchers spoke with 42 staff members across four Catholic secondary schools to understand how teachers, social workers, and psychologists collaborate when supporting student wellbeing. What they discovered sheds light on both the successes and struggles of these partnerships.
The Numbers Don't Add Up
One major finding was that schools simply don't have enough mental health professionals. While professional associations recommend specific ratios of staff to students, most schools fall short. Social workers should ideally support no more than 500 students each, while psychologists work best with similar caseloads. The reality is quite different, with mental health staff managing 15 to 18 active cases per month while juggling hundreds more students who might need support.
This staffing shortage means social workers and psychologists spend most of their time on crisis intervention rather than prevention programs. They're putting out fires instead of teaching fire safety, so to speak. This leaves little time for the broader mental health education that could prevent problems before they escalate.
When Collaboration Works Well
Despite these challenges, the research revealed what makes interprofessional teamwork successful. Three key elements emerged: clarity about student needs, familiarity with both internal and external mental health services, and understanding which professional is best suited for each situation.
When these elements align, collaboration becomes more natural. Teachers feel comfortable seeking advice from mental health professionals, and social workers or psychologists can guide decisions about everything from schedule adjustments to family support services. The mental health professionals typically take on case management roles, coordinating care plans and serving as the primary point of contact for complex situations.
Professional development also plays a vital role. When social workers and psychologists provide training to teachers, it builds confidence and skills across the entire staff. Teachers who receive mental health first aid training, for instance, become more willing to engage with students in crisis rather than immediately referring them elsewhere.
The Resistance Factor
Not everyone embraces this collaborative approach. Some teachers prefer to maintain strict boundaries around their roles, viewing student mental health as outside their responsibilities. Others express feelings of inadequacy, saying they don't understand or can't cope with psychological issues.
Interestingly, the researchers found that even this resistance can serve students well. When teachers recognize their limitations and refer students to mental health professionals, they're still contributing to student support, just in a different way.
A bigger challenge emerges from unclear expectations about collaboration itself. Staff members often lack shared understanding of what interprofessional teamwork should look like in practice. While organizational charts might show impressive support structures, daily collaboration remains difficult to achieve effectively.
This research highlights a tension in school mental health support. When collaboration works smoothly, it creates comprehensive care that addresses both immediate crises and long term wellbeing. Students benefit from coordinated support that draws on different professional expertise.
However, when collaboration breaks down or when mental health staff become overwhelmed with crisis cases, the focus shifts away from prevention and community health approaches. Social workers, in particular, may find themselves unable to engage in the broader advocacy and systemic change work that their profession emphasizes.
Moving Forward
The findings suggest that successful school mental health support requires more than just hiring social workers and psychologists. Schools need to create cultures that value interprofessional collaboration, provide clear role definitions, and ensure adequate staffing levels.
Most importantly, all staff need opportunities to understand what different professionals bring to student support. When teachers, social workers, and psychologists appreciate each other's expertise and work together effectively, schools can move beyond crisis response toward comprehensive wellbeing approaches that benefit entire school communities.
This research provides valuable insight into how schools can better support both their staff and students by fostering more effective collaboration between different professional disciplines working toward the same goal: student success and wellbeing.
Testa, D. (2025). Interprofessional collaboration: How social workers, psychologists, and teachers collaborate to address student wellbeing. Australian Social Work, 78(3), 341-354.
