This handbook offers a comprehensive overview of school mental health (SMH) initiatives in rural areas in the United States. It offers clinical and administrative guidelines for innovative and effective programs addressing critical problems among rural youth and in areas where funding and resources are scarce. Chapters cover program development, implementation, sustainability, and evaluation; consider issues of community and policy support; address barriers to access and delivery; and debunk misconceptions about the region and its cultures. Chapters also discuss rural SMH applications relating to special populations, including students with autism, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, conduct disorders, and ADHD. In addition, the book examines the potential of school-based programs as a counter to the stigma and distrust of mental health services common to the region. “/div>Topics featured in the Handbook include: The value of rural SMH from an educator’s standpoint. Preventing suicide among students in rural schools. Substance abuse in rural school settings. Bullying and cyberbully among rural youth. Intergenerational patterns of mental illness in rural settings and their relevance for SMH. The importance of involving communities in culturally competent rural interventions. The Handbook of Rural School Mental Health is a must-have resource for researchers, scientist-practitioners, and graduate students in child and school psychology, educational psychology, social work/counseling, educational policymakers, pediatrics/school nursing, teaching, and teacher education.div

Turn to this book for practical guidance in attending not only to routine mental health needs of students, but also in responding quickly and effectively to traumatic events. The authors discuss how to build and enhance collaborative approaches among the many stakeholders. You’ll learn how to ensure that best evidence-based practices are used in all systems of care. Next, the handbook introduces strength-based approaches to assessment in schools. Finally, the authors discuss the latest strategies to help you prevent and manage crises while addressing the unique ethical, cultural, and legal challenges of school mental health.

With so few therapeutic outlets readily available to young people, schools have evolved into mental health centers for many students. Yet schools are hampered by limited access to resources needed to provide mental health promotion, prevention, and intervention services. Like its acclaimed predecessor, the Second Edition of the Handbook of School Mental Health offers ways for professionals to maximize resources, make and strengthen valuable connections, and attain more effective school-based services and programming. At the same time, the Handbook provides strategies and recommendations in critical areas, such as workforce development, interdisciplinary collaborations, youth/family engagement, consultation, funding, and policy concerns, summarizes the state of current research, and offers directions for further study. Chapters model best practices for promoting wellness and safety, early detection of emotional and behavioral problems, and school-based interventions for students with anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other common challenges. In spotlighting this range of issues, the contributors have created a comprehensive game plan for advancing the field. Among the Handbook's topics: Pre-service training for school mental health clinicians. Cognitive-behavioral interventions for trauma in schools. Increasing parental engagement in school-based interventions. Models of psychiatric consultation to schools. Culturally competent behavioral and emotional screening. Bullying from a school mental health perspective. Prevention and intervention strategies related to a variety of mental health problems in schools. The Second Edition of the Handbook of School Mental Health is an essential reference for researchers, graduate students, and other professionals in child and school psychology, special and general education, public health, school nursing, occupational therapy, psychiatry, social work and counseling, educational policy, and family advocacy.

This Handbook outlines in detail the features and challenges of rural and remote mental health service delivery and pragmatic considerations to address these, to ensure people in less populated areas receive an equivalent quality of service to their city-dwelling counterparts. The scope of the book includes general descriptions of the rural and remote context as well as the professional and ethical considerations involved in working in these areas. The book includes information specific to the professions that contribute to effective and efficient mental health services, as well as addressing specific areas of practice that warrant focused attention because of their importance. In order to cover the field comprehensively, the Handbook has four sections. The first section deals with the general context of rural and remote practice including a description of the general features of the setting and the importance of attention to ethical and professional standards. The second section of the Handbook describes different ways of working in rural and remote contexts. Rural and remote contexts provide many opportunities for innovation and creativity but it is imperative that novel approaches do not compromise the quality and integrity of the service. The third section covers individual professions in detail and the fourth section focuses specifically on particular areas of practice that present challenges for rural and remote areas. Academics will find this Handbook a valuable evidence-based resource to enhance their teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate mental health students. Practitioners will find this book an important reference guide to enrich and broaden their rural and remote experiences. They will be informed of the latest research evidence and will be provided with practical advice and strategies to promote advanced clinical practice in this challenging context.

"This book related to fundamental recognitions that 1) children, adolescents, and families usually make no or very poor connections to specialty mental health (see Atkins et al. 1998; Catron, Harris, & Weiss, 1999), 2) schools are where children and youth are, and 3) many advantages accrue when education, mental health, and other youth-serving systems join together to better meet the mental health needs of students, in ways that reflect reducing and removing barriers to learning (Andis et al., 2002; Weist, 1997). National and global networks are increasingly recognizing the centrality of the SMH agenda as reflected in increasing funding, growing training opportunities, key policy initiatives, and an advancing research base that involves localities, states, regions and countries pursuing common themes"--

Social, economic, and theoretical changes in the current clinical landscape are adding up to profound changes in children’s services--not the least of which is an expanded need for mental health services. Professionals--novices and veteran clinicians alike--wonder how to fill this demand in the present climate of turf wars, reorganizations, and budget cuts. The Handbook of Mental Health Services for Children, Adolescents, and Families cogently analyzes the issues and provides the answers, from current issues and emerging therapeutic trends to new avenues of treatment. Thoroughly researches and documented buy industry experts, it presents the widest range of mental health services available to youth and their families. Areas of coverage include: Specific modalities in service delivery, including in-patient and day treatment facilities, pediatric hospitals, and community mental health centers as well as rural, school, and primary care settings. Services tailored to special populations, such as adolescent sex offenders, homeless children and their families, children with chronic illness, oppositional teens, abuse situations, and children exposed to traumatic events. Details on preventative programs for child abuse, substance abuse, STD’s, and gang violence. An in-depth examination of the latest developments in children’s services, including therapeutic camping and Internet-based treatment. Approaches and methods for evaluating service organization, delivery, and efficacy. Few areas of mental health care demonstrate the need for complementary services as much as child and family practice does. With this need firmly in mind, the Handbook encourages creativity and collaboration within practice settings and across agencies. For clinicians, administrators, school practitioners, and advanced-level students, this is a reference certain to have lasting impact on the field.

Rural poverty encompasses a distinctive deprivation in quality of life related to a lack of educational support and resources as well as unique issues related to geographical, cultural, community, and social isolation. While there have been many studies and accommodations made for the impoverished in urban environments, those impoverished in rural settings have been largely overlooked and passed over by current policy. The Handbook of Research on Leadership and Advocacy for Children and Families in Rural Poverty is an essential scholarly publication that creates awareness and promotes action for the advocacy of children and families in rural poverty and recommends interdisciplinary approaches to support the cognitive, social, and emotional needs of children and families in poverty. Featuring a wide range of topics such as mental health, foster care, and public policy, this book is ideal for academicians, counselors, social workers, mental health professionals, early childhood specialists, school psychologists, administrators, policymakers, researchers, and students.