UAMS and Arkansas Children’s present school-based mental health symposium
UAMS and Arkansas Children’s Hospital presented the 2026 School-Based Mental Health Symposium on July 29 and 30, bringing school personnel together around approaches intended to improve mental-health access for children in Arkansas.
The free, two-day program was developed by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children’s Hospital. It was aimed at people who work in school settings, including administrators, teachers, counselors, principals, school nurses and other support staff.
Focus on neurodivergence and school supports
The symposium’s 2026 theme was neurodivergence. Its sessions addressed autism and developmental differences, along with behavior support, de-escalation, inclusive instruction and accommodations.
Those subjects place the event at the intersection of pediatric behavioral health, developmental needs and day-to-day school practice. The program described its purpose as improving mental-health access for children in Arkansas, while focusing on ways school personnel can support students in their educational environments.
The announcement characterized the symposium as a program for school personnel rather than a clinical service or a mandate for schools. It did not say that attendance was required, and it did not identify a particular intervention that participants were required to adopt.
Who the program was for
The intended audience extended beyond classroom teachers to staff who may help shape a student’s support plan or response to behavior, including school leaders, counselors, nurses and other support personnel. The program’s subject matter included both instructional approaches and responses to behavioral situations, such as de-escalation.
UAMS and Arkansas Children’s Hospital developed and presented the program. Arkansas Children’s Hospital is located at 1 Children’s Way in Little Rock and works with UAMS faculty, according to UAMS Health.
The available announcement does not provide an attendance total, a complete speaker list or post-event results. It also does not establish that every symposium session occurred in Little Rock, although the sponsoring institutions are based there.
What the event does — and does not — show
The symposium documents a health-system and school-focused effort to share information about pediatric mental health and developmental supports. Its stated aim was to improve access for children in Arkansas, but the available information does not show whether the event expanded clinical capacity, changed school practices or reduced wait times for care.
Likewise, the session topics do not by themselves establish outcomes for students. The source describes the program’s focus and intended audience, not evidence that a specific school-based approach was implemented or produced a measured result.
Information about the symposium came from a July 8 UAMS announcement. The event’s dates were July 29-30, 2026, and the announcement said the program was free for school personnel.
Sources
- UAMS, ACH Present School-Based Mental Health Symposium on July 29-30, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
- Arkansas Children’s Hospital, UAMS Health