The challenges of providing mental health services to school children are numerous and diverse, ranging from staffing shortages to insufficient funding to family resistance to administrative indifference. Yet with the U.S. Surgeon General estimating that approximately 20% of young people display signs of psychological problems, the need for such services – particularly for interventions that not only address mental health issues but also reinforce protective factors – is considerable. Evidence-Based School Mental Health Services offers readers an innovative, best-practices approach to providing effective mental health services at school. The author draws on the widely used and effective three-tiered public health model to create a school-based system that addresses the emotional and behavioral needs of students most at risk for experiencing, or showing strong signs and symptoms of, emotional problems or disabilities. This prevention-oriented program adapts cognitive behavioral and other clinical therapies for use in primary through high school settings. In several concise, easy-to-read chapters, the author addresses such important topics as: The rationale for building a three-tier mental health system in schools. The importance of making emotion regulation training available to all students. Designing strategies for adding affect education and emotion regulation training at each tier. Providing empirical support for implementing CBT in school settings. Preparing young children to benefit from school-based CBT. Also included is an Appendix of specific group activities and exercises that can be put to use in the school setting. Evidence-Based School Mental Health Services is a must-have resource for researchers, scientist-practitioners, and graduate students in school psychology, clinical child psychology, pediatrics, psychiatry, social work, school counseling, education as well as for those who develop or influence public policy. And it is essential reading for any professional who is responsible for and interested in children’s well-being and development.

Though recent legislation embedded with the No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act mandates the use of evidence in school-based practice to demonstrate positive outcomes for all students, school social workers - especially those long out of school - often lack the conceptual tools to locate, evaluate, and apply evidence in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of their work. The first of its kind tailored specifically to this audience, this SSAAA Workshop title guides school professionals in infusing research throughout their daily practice. It shows school service providers a pragmatic approach to informing every major practice decision with the appropriate research so that students receive the best possible services. This includes how to use research to make reliable and valid assessments, how to use research to choose the best intervention, and how to do research to evaluate progress. Raines goes beyond creating a catalog of interventions that will soon be outdated and provides school social workers with a detailed road map of the EBP process. Chapters detail the nuts and bolts of EBP, explaining how to ask a relevant, answerable question; where to search for evidence; how to appraise the literature and avoid the pitfalls of web based information; how to adapt and apply the evidence in a developmentally and culturally sensitive way; and how to evaluate the results. Detailed examples along the way, including sample spreadsheets practitioners can easily adapt to evaluate their students' progress, bring accountability within reach for school professionals who struggle to find the time, resources, and support sufficient to apply the best evidence to their schools.

Though schools have become the default mental health providers for children and adolescents, they are poorly equipped to meet the mental health needs of their students. Evidence-Based Practice in School Mental Health differs from other books that address child and adolescent psychopathology by focusing on how to help students with mental disorders in pre-K-12th-grade schools. Chapters address the prevalence of a disorder in school-age populations, appropriate diagnostic criteria, differential diagnosis, comorbid disorders, available rapid assessment instruments, school-based interventions using multi-tiered systems of support, and easy-to-follow suggestions for progress monitoring. Additionally, the text shares detailed suggestions for how school-based clinicians can collaborate with teachers, parents, and community providers to address the needs of youth with mental health problems. Each chapter finishes with extensive web resources and real-life case examples drawn from the author's clinical practice. This book serves as a helpful resource for school-based mental health providers (e.g., school social workers, school psychologists, and school counselors), communities-in-schools coordinators, and MSW students focusing on child and adolescent mental health.

For many children, schools are the main or only providers of mental health services. In this visionary and comprehensive book, two nationally known experts describe a new approach to school-based mental health—one that better serves students, maximizes resources, and promotes academic performance. The authors describe how educators can effectively coordinate internal and external resources to support a healthy school environment and help at-risk students overcome barriers to learning. School leaders, psychologists, counselors, and policy makers will find essential guidance, including: • An overview of the history and current state of school mental health programs, discussing major issues confronting the field • Strategies for effective school-based initiatives, including addressing behavior issues, introducing classroom-based activities, and coordinating with community resources • A call to action for higher-quality mental health programming across public schools—including how collaboration, research, and advocacy can make a difference Gain the knowledge you need to develop or improve your school's mental health program to better serve both the academic and mental health needs of your students!

This authoritative guidebook gives school counselors the tools to identify evidence-based practices and to use data in designing, implementing, and evaluating programs and interventions.

The Springer Series on Human Exceptionality Series Editors: Donald H. Saklofske and Moshe Zeidner Handbook for School-Based Mental Health Promotion An Evidence-Informed Framework for Implementation Alan W. Leschied, Donald H. Saklofske, and Gordon L. Flett, Editors This handbook provides a comprehensive overview to implementing effective evidence-based mental health promotion in schools. It addresses issues surrounding the increasing demands on school psychologists and educational and mental health professionals to support and provide improved student well-being, learning, and academic outcomes. The volume explores factors outside the traditional framework of learning that are important in maximizing educational outcomes as well as how students learn to cope with emotional challenges that confront them both during their school years and across the lifespan. Chapters offer robust examples of successful programs and interventions, addressing a range of student issues, including depression, self-harm, social anxiety, high-achiever anxiety, and hidden distress. In addition, chapters explore ways in which mental health and education professionals can implement evidence-informed programs, from the testing and experimental stages to actual use within schools and classrooms. Topics featured in this handbook include: · A Canadian perspective to mental health literacy and teacher preparation. · The relevance of emotional intelligence in the effectiveness of delivering school-based mental health programs. · Intervention programs for reducing self-stigma in children and adolescents. · School-based suicide prevention and intervention. · Mindfulness-based programs in school settings. · Implementing emotional intelligence programs in Australian schools. The Handbook for School-Based Mental Health Promotion is a must-have resource for researchers, clinicians and related professionals, and policymakers as well as graduate students across such interrelated disciplines as child and school psychology, social work, education policy and politics, special and general education, public health, school nursing, occupational therapy, psychiatry, school counseling, and family studies.