School mental health content in state in-service K-12 teaching standards in the United States

Teachers are integral to addressing children's mental health needs in schools, and they are often members of child-serving teams focused on school mental health. Still, teachers report limited training in mental health and behavior management in the classroom. This study used content analysis procedures to examine state K-12 teaching standards in the United States to understand the extent to which standards reflected teacher competencies for school mental health. Results revealed that all states included content on school mental health, yet the content and extent of the content varied considerably across the country. Implications are suggested for teaching policy, practice, and training.