Young people experiencing mental health challenges are increasingly at risk of school disengagement, particularly during the critical transition from primary to secondary education. While schools and health services often provide valuable support independently, families can struggle to navigate fragmented systems and access coordinated intervention before difficulties become entrenched. STEP (School Transition and Engagement Program) emerged from a long-standing partnership between education and mental health professionals on the Sunshine Coast. Drawing on years of collaboration within acute and community mental health settings, staff from Sunshine Coast Mental Health and the Queensland Children's Hospital School (QCHS/HSQ) recognised a growing need for earlier intervention for students experiencing mental health challenges and disengagement from learning. Together, they sought to answer a simple question: How can we better support young people and families before they require intensive mental health intervention? The resulting model integrates specialist mental health care, educational expertise, family engagement, and school-based intervention across twelve months spanning the transition from Year 6 to Year 7. Through multidisciplinary collaboration, STEP provides targeted support to students identified by schools as being at risk of educational disengagement due to mental health concerns. The program combines school-based support, home outreach, coordinated care planning, family engagement, and facilitated access to health services, with a dedicated Queensland Children's Hospital School teacher embedded within the multidisciplinary team. This session will share the story behind the development of STEP, the partnerships that made implementation possible, and lessons learned during the program's first year of operation. Early outcomes indicate improvements in school attendance, successful transition to secondary education, student wellbeing, parent confidence, and school capacity to support young people experiencing mental health challenges. Family feedback has highlighted the value of relationship-based practice, home outreach, and integrated support in helping young people remain connected to learning while strengthening family resilience and engagement. Participants will then engage in a collaborative workshop to explore how similar approaches could be adapted within their own contexts and contribute ideas for the future evolution of the model. At its core, STEP is built on a shared belief that students should remain at the centre of every decision and that meaningful collaboration between health, education, families, and communities creates the strongest foundation for positive educational and well-being outcomes.