This dissertation examines the relationship between strengths and mental health outcomes among Vermont K-12 students receiving school-based mental health services between 2019 and 2021. Using secondary Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) data, a series of stepwise multiple linear regression models assessed associations between individual (resiliency, optimism), relational (family, interpersonal), and community-level (community connection, educational system) strengths and three outcomes: overall mental health needs, emotional/behavioral needs meeting diagnostic criteria, and self-injury/suicidality. Models controlled for demographics, caregiver and program type, and financial and cultural stressors. Results consistently supported a socioecological framework, demonstrating that strengths across multiple contexts independently and jointly mitigated mental health needs, even in the presence of significant external stressors. Family strengths and optimism emerged as particularly robust protective factors across outcomes. Findings challenge individual-pathology-focused approaches to youth mental health and underscore the importance of relational, educational, and community-based strength-building strategies within school mental health systems.