A school responder model (SRM) is a framework that serves to establish new pathways to behavioral health supports for students who are struggling with problematic behavior in school due to mental health conditions, substance abuse, or trauma. There are many challenges that can complicate the successful development and implementation of the SRM. This brief focuses on the problem of “initiative fatigue” or instances where organizations take on too many change efforts or engage in persistent change efforts over a sustained period. Consequences of initiative fatigue are profound—precipitating turnover and undermining organizational change.

Avoiding Initiative Fatigue in School Responder Model Implementation explores initiative fatigue and provides the following:

  • An overview of initiative fatigue and its resulting consequences as discussed in the broader organizational change literature.
  • The unique features of initiative fatigue in school settings and its implications.
  • Strategies to overcome these challenges when developing and implementing the SRM.

The National Center for Youth Opportunity and Justice (NCYOJ) originally developed and maintained this resource. The NCYOJ was operated by Policy Research, Inc. and operated from 2001 to 2022 and was formerly known as the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice. The NCYOJ improved life opportunities for youth through systems and practice improvement initiatives.

This resource should be viewed as a reference document. It has not been updated since its publication. In addition, this document has not been made 508 compliant. If you would like a 508 compliant version of this document, please email communications@prainc.com.

This resource was first shared in 2020.

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