Showing papers in "Advances in school mental health promotion in 2011"
TL;DR: Findings support the effectiveness of the intervention in changing attitudes favourably and improving knowledge about mental illness in senior primary school children.
Abstract: Educational interventions for school-aged children to reduce the stigma of mental illness have mainly targeted high school students, and the long-term effects have rarely been considered. This article presents an evaluation of a school-based educational intervention on promoting positive attitudes and increased knowledge about mental illness in a sample of Victorian pre-adolescents. Sixty-nine grade 5 and 6 children received a 165-minute educational intervention about mental illness over two sessions. A group of 126 grade 5 and 6 children made up a control group. Knowledge, social distance and attitudes towards mental illness were assessed for both groups before and after the intervention. There was significant improvement in the intervention group on all measures compared with controls one week following the intervention, and a significant change remained four months after the intervention. These findings support the effectiveness of the intervention in changing attitudes favourably and improving knowled...
44 citations
TL;DR: Approaches, conclusions and recommendations, goals and directions for the partnership, and primary accomplishments thus far are presented.
Abstract: School Mental Health (SMH) and education leaders from Canada and the United States (U.S.) have been meeting to explore collaboration across borders to enhance school success by supporting the social, emotional and mental well-being of students. Meetings in Minneapolis in 2009, under the auspice of the International Alliance for Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Schools (www.intercamhs.org), and in Washington, D.C. in 2010, resulted in a new CanadaU.S. Alliance for SMH. The Alliance focuses on four objectives: expand and integrate SMH research to build a cross-border, unified evidence base to be translated meaningfully into practice, build knowledge and connections incrementally amongst practitioners in an increasingly formalized way, seek funding to support communication and collaboration across disciplines, borders and organizations, and advocate for and support standardized training in professions working to implement SMH programs. Presented are conclusions and recommendations, goals and directions...
37 citations
TL;DR: It is found that teams may not prioritize the nurturing of team processes by reflecting on what is (and what is not) working, and that physical space, time to collaborate, positive relationships between collaborators, and previous affirming experiences of collaboration influence the functioning of interprofessional teams in schools.
Abstract: Interprofessional team collaboration is an important component of school mental health, but authentic collaboration is often difficult to achieve in practice and there is little research available to inform strategies for strengthening collaboration. Using a sample of 428 members of interprofessional teams in school mental health, this study found that teams may not prioritize the nurturing of team processes by reflecting on what is (and what is not) working. The findings suggest that physical space, time to collaborate, positive relationships between collaborators, and previous affirming experiences of collaboration influence the functioning of interprofessional teams in schools.
37 citations
TL;DR: Analysis of data from a national, longitudinal study of families involved with the U.S. child welfare system suggests that child welfare agency collaboration with schools has a significant effect on children's use of both school-based and outpatient mental health services.
Abstract: This article uses data from a national, longitudinal study of families involved with the U.S. child welfare system to examine how collaboration between local child welfare agencies, schools, and co...
31 citations
TL;DR: In this article, an exploratory photovoice project was undertaken in a rural high school, where students took photos and spoke to what they felt the photos showed about the school's social environment.
Abstract: The dynamics of how social connection is created or maintained through the physical structures of a school are not fully understood. An exploratory photovoice project was undertaken in a rural high school. Students took photos and spoke to what they felt the photos showed about the school's social environment. The findings showed that the school was segmented into clear territories, enshrining particular types of power, welcoming some students and alienating others. Being ‘in’ or ‘out’ was associated with cliques known to gather in particular places. Having a car maintained what the students called ‘a divide’. A confronting reality about school life was surfaced that standard school connection and social network questionnaires miss. A display of the photos at the school confirmed the findings and led to actions to address the issues raised. Thus the strategy offers unique insights and an opportunity to create tailored, place-focused ways to make the schools more welcoming.
28 citations
TL;DR: Findings from the survey data indicate that SBMH in Illinois is located largely in tertiary activities involving individual and small-group counseling, and few school-based mental health professionals (SBMHP) show a consistent pattern of practice within the current PBS/RTI framework or use more than limited data to inform practice choices.
Abstract: School-based mental health (SBMH) is a growing and important subspecialty within the variety of mental health professions. In Illinois, the state has its own state-driven certification process for four major school-based mental health professions: school counselors, school nurses, school psychologists, and school social workers. To continue building the infrastructure of SBMH and inform practice in this field requires a commitment to understanding the current work and context of these practitioners. The past decade has seen significant changes in education policy and thinking about service provision, as highlighted by Response to Intervention (RTI) and Positive Behavior Supports (PBS), both of which emphasize systematic collection of data on students and interventions designed to improve student outcomes by embedding this work in a three-tier prevention framework drawn from public health approaches. To date, no data about the field has been collected on all of these professions at one time in Illinois. Fi...
22 citations
TL;DR: This article presents the results of the first North American evaluation study of the short-term effects of the French version of Zippy's Friends, a worldwide universal school-based program that promotes mental health in young children.
Abstract: This article presents the results of the first North American evaluation study of the short-term effects of the French version of Zippy's Friends, a worldwide universal school-based program that promotes mental health in young children. The intervention group consisted of 310 children from 16 first and second grade primary school classes. Prepost changes were compared with a control group of 303 children in 19 comparable classes who had not participated in Zippy's Friends. The program was successfully implemented as planned. Results showed promising findings in terms of decreased internalisation and improved cooperation, autonomy and perceived social support. Building on previous evidence, this new study confirms that Zippy's Friends is a commendable program.
19 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe an evaluation and research system developed over many years by the Minneapolis Public Schools Expanded School Mental Health Program (ESMP), and the rationale underlying the systems development, the challenges encountered and solutions developed throughout building the system, and future directions for research and evaluation.
Abstract: This article describes an evaluation and research system developed over many years by the Minneapolis Public Schools Expanded School Mental Health Program. The authors describe the rationale underlying the systems development, the challenges encountered and solutions developed throughout building the system, and the future directions for research and evaluation. Use of data to continuously inform program design and implementation will be discussed. Examples of preliminary program evaluation outcomes and results from two quasi-experimental studies will be presented. Recommendations for future research are discussed, and the need for more longitudinal studies investigating the impact of expanded school health on educational behaviors and academic achievement is emphasized.
17 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide an example showing varying levels of integration of schoolwide models in one state, including positive behavior interventions and supports, response to intervention (RTI), and social and emotional learning (SEL).
Abstract: Personnel addressing mental health in schools are required to provide supports in settings that have decreasing resources and multiple initiatives. While competing initiatives in schools can pose problems, integration of prevention systems and data may lead to more efficient supports and effective outcomes. Mental health service providers must consider how integration of schoolwide initiatives such as positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS), response to intervention (RTI), and social and emotional learning (SEL) can improve their work. This article provides an example showing varying levels of integration of schoolwide models in one state. It will include the level of integration of schoolwide supports with school-based mental health (SBMH), the relationship between integration of schoolwide practices and reported implementation, and the relationship between schoolwide practices and outcome data related to SBMH. Suggestions for integrating models effectively and using data to improve collabora...
17 citations
TL;DR: Training teachers in CAMH issues can help improve early identification and appropriate referrals of children with mental health problems and incorporation of CAMH care into teacher education curricula is a critical next step towards integrating school teachers as mental health collaborators in school mental health programmes in Nigeria.
Abstract: There is a shortage of child and adolescent mental health (CAMH) professionals all over the world, and this shortage is especially critical in most parts of the developing world. Schools have been identified as ideal settings to reach needy children in the community, and training teachers in CAMH issues can help improve early identification and appropriate referrals of children with mental health problems. As part of a needs assessment for developing a training programme, selected Nigerian elementary school teachers were asked to complete confidential questionnaires to determine their perceptions of mental health problems in school children. Teachers indicated that they had no previous CAMH training. Baseline assessments revealed that teachers' knowledge of CAMH was deficient, and attitudes to children with mental health problems revealed intolerance. Incorporation of CAMH care into teacher education curricula is a critical next step towards integrating school teachers as mental health collaborators in sc...
16 citations
TL;DR: Based on the Multicultural Counseling Competencies framework, an approach for working with African American families is described and specific implications for practitioners working in expanded school mental health are provided.
Abstract: The positive impact of parental involvement on academic success has been well documented, but less is known about parental involvement with African American families. The studies that do exist often label African American families as uninvolved in their children's education. They often overlook the different aspects of participation that are critical to understanding the involvement of African American families. This article discusses the literature on African American parental involvement. Based on the Multicultural Counseling Competencies framework, an approach for working with African American families is described. Specific implications for practitioners working in expanded school mental health are provided.
TL;DR: Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that educator stress, perceptions of students' mental health needs, and teaching self-efficacy were all predictors of educators' readiness to adopt ESMH approaches.
Abstract: Expanded school mental health (ESMH) professionals routinely partner with schools to provide ESMH services. An improved understanding of educators' perspectives in these partnerships is essential. In fact, these approaches often rely on educators as critical change agents. However, educators have traditionally received little training or preparation in children's mental health (Koller & Bertel, 2006). Existing research identifies the importance of readiness as a key construct for individuals' willingness to adopt innovations. Educators in Missouri (N = 89), Ohio (N = 32), and Kansas (N = 1) completed a 66-item online survey assessing readiness to adopt ESMH approaches, perceptions of stress, teaching self-efficacy, professional support, and students' mental health needs. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that educator stress, perceptions of students' mental health needs, and teaching self-efficacy were all predictors of educators' readiness to adopt ESMH approaches. These findings could prove rele...
TL;DR: It is suggested that a collaborative curriculum development process in and of itself may be an effective model for improving interdisciplinary collaboration between school mental health practitioners.
Abstract: Interdisciplinary collaboration is identified as best practice in delivering effective school mental health services. Pre-service training, however, often uses discipline-specific curriculum, limiting students' access to other disciplines and development of competency in interdisciplinary collaboration. Graduate students and faculty in this study worked collaboratively to develop a problem-based learning curriculum for promoting interdisciplinary collaboration in school mental health. Qualitative methods were used to evaluate the curriculum development process and its impact on the developers' own competency in interdisciplinary collaboration. Five curriculum developers provided narrative responses to questions developed by the authors. Using content analysis coding, several categories emerged from the data. Key categories include participants learning more about their own and others' disciplinary perspectives, training methods for interdisciplinary collaboration, and challenges and positive outcomes asso...
TL;DR: In this article, the need for transformation of access to mainstream and early childhood development experiences for disabled children in Iraq is highlighted to inform and encourage policy makers to take action to ameliorate conditions experienced by disabled children.
Abstract: In Iraq, children with mental and physical disabilities are unseen victims who have been detrimentally affected by war, rumours of war, conflict and violence for decades. This article focuses on the need for transformation of access to mainstream and early childhood development experiences for disabled children in Iraq. Recommendations and an action agenda are highlighted to inform and encourage policy makers to take action to ameliorate conditions experienced by disabled children in Iraq in mainstream educational environments.
TL;DR: Light is shed on patterns of mental health staffing and resource provision, student psychosocial and mental health issues, mental health service provision, and barriers to and challenges of mentalhealth service provision in Catholic schools nationally.
Abstract: Little systematic inquiry has focused on school-based mental health services in the Catholic education sector, which educates more than two million children annually in the United States. More than 400 Catholic elementary and secondary schools were surveyed to inform a baseline environmental scan measuring how Catholic schools nationally are serving children's mental health needs. The article sheds light on patterns of mental health staffing and resource provision, student psychosocial and mental health issues, mental health service provision, and barriers to and challenges of mental health service provision. The findings are contextualized by comparison with estimates of public school mental health service provision, consideration of funding issues pertinent to the private school sector, and the continuing need for strategic assessment and action planning to support student mental health.
TL;DR: The authors examined interactive resilience processes within an urban public charter high school that serves a population of primarily low-income, African American students and identified and understand the school-based factors and processes that helped students to achieve academic success and healthy social-emotional development.
Abstract: This article is drawn from a qualitative case study that examined interactive resilience processes within an urban public charter high school that serves a population of primarily low-income, African American students Resilience describes ‘the process of, capacity for, and/or outcome of successful adaptation despite challenging or threatening circumstances’ (Masten et al 1990, p426) The purpose of the study was to identify and understand the school-based factors and processes that helped students to achieve academic success and healthy social-emotional development despite the presence of numerous risk factors in their lives The spotlighting of oft-marginalized students’ voices as they reflected upon the most influential school-based factors represents a critical addition to the literature
TL;DR: The authors examined the effectiveness of using intervention components with a high degree of efficacy in promoting student mental health to increase on-task behaviors and decrease inappropriate teacher engagement in a 4th-grade student diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and labeled with an emotional/behavioral disorder in a resource classroom.
Abstract: This study examined the effectiveness of using intervention components with a high degree of efficacy in promoting student mental health to increase on-task behaviors and decrease inappropriate teacher engagement in a 4th-grade student diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and labeled with an emotional/behavioral disorder in a resource classroom. The intervention package involved supplementing previous functional behavior assessment data and making additions to the existing function-based intervention plan to enhance classroom outcome. The results indicated that accurate work completion improved from an average of 18.75% to 78.75%, and inappropriate teacher engagement decreased from seven per segment to less than two, using self-monitoring interventions with reinforcement and teacher attention during the sessions in which data was recorded.
TL;DR: Preliminary outcome data of this comprehensive student and staff support system (CSSS) indicate positive student academic, behavioral and mental health outcomes, and positive staff training and coaching outcomes, to ensure sustainability of the system.
Abstract: Federal data indicate little improvement in outcome for students with, or at risk for, emotional and behavior disorders (EBD) since the early 1980s. For these students, there is a chronic shortage ...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the association between symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and self-identified peer crowd affiliation in a community sample of adolescents.
Abstract: This preliminary study explored the association between symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and self-identified peer crowd affiliation in a community sample of adolescents. Studying peer crowd affiliation in adolescents with ADHD is important to help clarify the nature of peer relationships and social functioning in this population. Participants were 41 adolescents aged 1117 who completed the lab-based study. ADHD symptoms were assessed using parent and teacher report, and peer crowd affiliation was based on self-report. Results suggested a negative relation between ADHD symptoms and affiliation with the Brains peer crowd, and a positive relation between ADHD symptoms and affiliation with the Jocks crowd. There was inconclusive evidence linking symptoms of ADHD to the Deviants or Populars peer crowds, perhaps because of the small sample size. The results have the potential to inform school mental health practices that seek to identity young people at risk for affiliating with speci...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors classify practice tasks in terms of request for services and perceived effectiveness in task completion, and examine how these groupings of service requests, as well as years practiced in a service area, influence groupsings of perception of practice task effectiveness.
Abstract: School social workers face requests for a myriad of mental health services. Because practice tasks are usually completed according to the services requested, different types of request may affect school social workers' perceived competency in completing mental health tasks. The objective of this study is to classify practice tasks in terms of request for services and perceived effectiveness in task completion. The study further examines how these groupings of service requests, as well as years practiced in a service area, influence groupings of perception of practice task effectiveness. Using data from a sample of Midwestern school social workers, a hierarchical cluster analysis was used in requests and perceived task effectiveness classifications. Three regression models, one for each perceived effectiveness cluster, were conducted using the request for services and years practiced clusters. The findings indicate that request types had a varying effect on the perceived efficacy of different tasks. Discus...