Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based, tiered framework for supporting students’ social, academic, behavioral, and emotional competencies. Schools that use PBIS build the systems and practices that create positive, safe, and predictable school environments. We are examining how the PBIS framework is implemented, and how school mental health services and family-school collaboration can be aligned and integrated within PBIS.
Project EPIC
Enhancing Family-School Partnerships through an Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF) Collaboration (EPIC) is a model demonstration project examining implementation of the EPIC approach for installing the Interconnected Systems Framework and integrated family-school collaboration. In schools implementing EPIC, school teams collaborate with families and community mental health professionals to strengthen data and teaming systems and implement practices to support student mental and behavioral health across a continuum of services.
We are evaluating implementation of EPIC components: PBIS, ISF, and family-school collaboration and the influence of EPIC on student outcomes.
Partners: Midwest PBIS and the Lake County (IL) Regional Office of Education, with participating school districts.
Related Pages
Resources for Schools
EPIC Family Facilitator Guide
A guide for school teams to integrate family-school collaboration within PBIS and ISF systems.
Research Projects
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Project EPIC
Enhancing Family-School Partnerships through an Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF) Collaboration. A model demonstration project examining how schools implement the ISF and integrate family-school collaboration. We are partnering with the Midwest PBIS Network and the Lake County (IL) Regional Office of Education.
Publications
- Garbacz, S. A., Eklund, K., Kilgus, S. P., Xue, T., Lira, J., Meyer, B., Norton, J., Perales, K., & Pohlman, K. (2025). Examining implementation of an integrated framework to promote positive behavioral interventions and supports, school mental health, and family-school collaboration. School Mental Health, 17, 1177–1191.
