Transforming School Mental Health Services
Population-Based Approaches to Promoting the Competency and Wellness of Children
"This soundly structured book reinforces and enriches educators' skills in population-based mental health. It provides usable information on how to get administrative buy-in for implementing coordinated, proven prevention and intervention practices. Rich with Web connections and references, it can serve as a textbook, a practitioner's workbook, and as a tool kit for implementation."
—Kevin P. Dwyer, Consultant, Turnaround for Children
Former President, National Association of School Psychologists
The road map for designing and implementing effective mental health services for all students!
Studies have shown that mental wellness is a key determinant of students' academic and developmental success, but simply addressing the problems of individual students is not enough. Increasingly, schools are turning to population-based models for providing mental health services to ensure that students maintain the psychological, social, and emotional competence needed for learning. This comprehensive guidebook demonstrates how to use this approach to effectively assess mental health needs and design appropriate prevention and intervention strategies that will benefit individual students, whole classrooms, and an entire school population.
Drawing from a wealth of current research and backed by evidence supporting the effectiveness of the population-based approach, this wide-ranging resource offers:
- Formal and informal strategies for identifying and prioritizing a school's mental health needs, as well as risk and protective factors
- Insights into creating and managing a nurturing school environment, promoting psychological well-being, and preventing mental health problems
- Suggestions for engaging parents in the process of fostering mental health
- Intervention strategies that address significant behavioral problems, including violence, bullying, depression, and difficulty relating to peers
- An integrated ten-step sequence for shifting from conventional approaches that focus only on individual problems to population-based services that support all students
Transforming School Mental Health Services is the ideal resource for school mental health professionals and critical decision makers looking to optimize students' wellness and educational performance.
"This soundly structured book reinforces and enriches your skills in population-based mental health. It provides usable information on how to get administrative buy-in for implementing coordinated, proven prevention/intervention practices. Rich with Web connections and references, it can serve as a textbook, a practitioner's workbook, and as a tool kit for implementation."
"I would like to see this book in the hands of every practitioner in the country! It represents where school psychology needs to go in order to meet the increasingly complex needs of students and families and to create learning environments that remove barriers to student achievement."
"Uses a wealth of studies and research to offer both formal and informal methods for defining and prioritizing a school's mental health program. School administrators will find this book a winner to developing a mental health program that addresses all the issues."