To address the concern of school violence and mental health, the state of Florida implemented a statewide mandate requiring school personnel to be trained in strategies to identify and respond to the mental health needs of students. Existing research supports the effectiveness of Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA), the training program selected by the Florida Department of Education to implement in public schools. To date, limited research has explored the implementation experiences of YMHFA trainers. This qualitative descriptive study explored trainers’ experiences implementing YMHFA within school settings. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 YMHFA trainers employed in Florida public schools to explore how individual characteristics and system and organizational level supports and resources influenced the implementation of YMHFA training. Member checking was conducted with 22% (or n =4) of participants to verify shared experiences and perspectives. Two overarching themes were identified using a deductive thematic analysis approach guided by the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment (EPIS) conceptual framework. In general, changes in the training certification process, lack of fidelity monitoring protocols, abrupt changes to training curriculum, limited guidelines on state mandate requirements, and the lack of communication, resources, and supports were perceived as barriers to implementation (Theme 1). Conversely, positive trainer attitudes, opportunities to practice skills learned, adequate resources, pro-mental health perceptions, and supportive working environments served as facilitators to YMHFA implementation (Theme 2). Study implications and future directions for research are discussed.

At ABCD High School, students with disabilities (SWDs) pass state-mandated English High School Assessments (HSA) at a lower rate than do their nondisabled peers, even with remediation. The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' perceptions of appropriate remediation for preparing SWDs for the English HSA. The theoretical foundation for the study was based on social constructivism with an emphasis on individual experiences. The 3 key research questions investigated how teachers perceive their role in the delivery of remediation, how they describe the remediation program, and what factors they say influence their ability to remediate SWDs effectively. Data were collected from observations of remediation instruction (n = 12), individual interviews of English teachers (n = 6), and school documents pertaining to remediation. A qualitative data analysis was conducted with constant comparison and open, axial, and selective coding in order to identify emergent themes and sub-themes. Findings indicated inadequacies in instructional materials, teachers' poor understanding of student disabilities, a lack of formal teacher training, scheduling problems, difficulty motivating students, and a lack of collaboration among colleagues. The creation of teacher professional development workshops was recommended to study various disabilities and to share strategies for improving remediation of SWDs. Implications of positive social change include improved teacher buy-in regarding SWDs, a more cohesive learning community, and an openness to innovative strategies of remediation, leading to greater instructional effectiveness.