UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools: ENews - Promoting Mental Health in Schools, Study Guides, Projects, Research of Social Work

Download UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools: ENews - Promoting Mental Health in Schools and more Study Guides, Projects, Research Social Work in PDF only on Docsity! ENEWS: A Monthly Forum for Sharing and Interchange June, 2006 (vol. 10 #9) Source: UCLA School Mental Health Project/ Center for Mental Health in Schools ENEWS is one of the many resources our Center offers to those concerned with enhancing policies, programs, and practices related to addressing barriers to student learning and to promoting mental health in schools. For more on what our federally supported Center can provide, see http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu <><><><><> Feel Free to Forward this to Anyone <><><><><><> WHAT’S HERE THIS MONTH **Emerging Issue >>What Price School Accountability – Should Students Pay the Price of No Diploma? **News from around the country **This Month’s Focus for Schools to Address Barriers to Learning >June – Addressing summer-minded students **Recent Publications Relevant to >Children’s Mental and Physical Health >Family, School & Community >Policy, Systems, Law, Ethics, Finances, & Statistics **Upcoming Initiative, Conferences & Workshops **Calls for Grant Proposals, Presentations & Papers **Updates for the two National Centers focusing on Mental Health in Schools **Other Helpful Resources **Training & Job Opportunities (including fellowships and scholarships) **Comments/Requests/Information/Questions from the field <><><><><> To post messages to ENEWS, email them to ltaylor@ucla.edu To subscribe/unsubscribe to ENEWS, go to: http://lists.ucla.edu/cri-bin/mailman/listinfo/mentalhealth-l and follow the directions to sign up. Alternatives, you can send an email request to smhp@ucla.edu asking to be added to the ENEWS listserv. <><><><> **EMERGING ISSUE >>What Price School Accountability -- Should Students Pay the Price of No Diploma? As it becomes clear how many students are not passing high school exit exams, the courts and state legislators are turning greater attention to high stakes testing and accountability. The arguments are heating up. Prominent in all this is the debate over: Are the tests fair? The argument is less about test validity than it is about whether appropriate efforts have been made to enable all students to have an equal opportunity to succeed at school. On one side we hear: “many impoverished and minority students – particularly those learning English as a second language – attend low performing schools that do not prepare them adequately for the test.” And, that argument is further extended: “In many cases, resources meant to level the playing field are not fairly distributed.” On the other side, proponents argue: “Research shows that (a) High School Exit Exams cause students to work harder and learn more, and (b) those who are struggling are getting the help they need to succeed.” And: “Without the test it will be harder to ensure all students master the basic skills needed to succeed in the work place and in college.” Where do you stand? Do the benefits of high stakes testing outweigh the price students who fail must pay? What actions do you advocate? Send your perspective to ltaylor@ucla.edu @#@#@# Here’s the view from Arturo Gonzalez’s perspective: “What all this is about is equal education. Until you have that, you can’t deprive students like these of the prize of education, the diploma.” @#@#@#@# **NEWS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY *BEHAVIORS MAY INDICATE RISK OF ADOLESCENT DEPRESSION “New Findings from a study supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, show that girls and boys who exhibit high levels of risky behaviors have similar chances of developing symptoms of depression. However, gender differences become apparent with low and moderate levels of risky behaviors with girls being significantly more likely than boys to experiences symptoms of depression...future research should examine the characteristics of these groups to determine the mechanisms underlying this difference.” 5/15/06 NIH News, http://www.nih.gov/news/ **STUDENTS ABUSING ADHD DRUGS “Many of today’s stressed-out, sleep-starved students are turning to prescription amphetamines such as Adderall for an edge...Nurses say the abuse reflects a wave of children so dependent upon pills that they’ve earned the title “Generation Rx”...Doctors diagnose about 8 percent of school-age children with ADHD, according to a study last fall by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About half the children get medication.” 5/8/06 Indianapolis Star http://www.indystar.com *SUICIDES LEAD EDUCATORS TO ASK WHY ADOLESCENTS FEEL OVERWHELMED “. . . experts say that it is rarely one thing – a bad report card or a failed test– that prompts someone to kill him/herself. More often, a complex set of pressures leads teenagers to feel as if they have no alternative to suicide. . . . officials differ on what is the best approach to dealing with [all this]. . . . Mental health experts say the key to prevention is creating an environment where kids feel comfortable talking about what is on their minds.” 5/1/06. Http://www.washingtonpost.com *ANTIPSYCHOTIC DRUG USE AMONG KIDS SOARS AND RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT OVER-PRESCRIPTION “The number of children taking antipsychotic medicines soared 73 percent in the four years ending in 2005.... Use of the new class of drugs known as atypical antipsychotics by people 19 and younger skyrocketed 80 percent. . . . atypical antipsychotics aren’t approved for use in children although doctors are free to prescribe drugs as they see fit. The number of children on antipsychotics rose to 6.6 per 1,000 in 2005 from 3.81 per thousand in 2001.” 5/3/06. >National estimates of antidepressant medication use among U.S. children, 1997-2002. (2006) B. Vitiello, et al, Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 45(3) 271-279. Http://www.jaacap.com >Highlights of the 2004 National Youth Gang Survey (2006) A. Egley & C. Ritz. Http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/publications/pubabstract.asp?pubi=235570 *Family, School & Community >School-based mental health: An empirical guide for decision makers (2006) K. Kutash, A.J Duchnowski, & N. Lynn http://rtckids.fmhi.usf.edu/rtcpubs/study04/index.htm >School connectedness is an underemphasized parameter in adolescent mental health: Results of a community prediction study. (2006) I. Schochet, et al, Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 35(2) 170-179. >Evidence for population-based perspectives on children’s behavioral adjustment and needs for service delivery in schools (2006) School Psychology Review, 35(1) 31-46. >Evidence-based practice in schools: Altering the environment (2006) J. Luckhurst & C. Lauback, The School Psychologist, 60(2) 66-69. >A novel evidence-based approach to school-based mental health: Integrating mental, medical, educational and familial (2006) A. Goldklang, et al, The School Psychologist, 60(2) 66-69. >The ripple effect: Schools are interconnected systems (2006) A. Hargreaves & D. Fink, Educational Leadership, 63(8) 16-20. >The Best Beginning: Partnerships Between Primary Health Care and Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for young Children and their Families (2005) E. Rosman, et al, http://gucchd.georgetown.edu >Innovative approaches for improving the interface between primary and speciality pediatric care (2006) http://www.mchpolicy.org >How does family well-being vary across different types of neighborhoods? (2006) M. Turner & D. Kaye. Http://www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=311322 >Parental verbal abuse and the mediating role of self-criticism in adult internalizing disorders (2006) N. Sachs-Ericsson, E. Verona, T. Joiner & K.J. Preacher, Journal of Affective Disorders http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/506077/description#description >Relation of positive and negative parenting to children’s depressive symptoms (2006) D. Dallaire, et al, Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 35(2) 313-322. >What are kids getting into these day? Demographic differences in youth out-of-school time participation (2006) http://www.gse.harvard.edu *Policy, Systems, Law, Ethics, Finances & Statistics >Beyond integration: Challenges for children’s mental health (2006) J. Knitzer & J. Cooper, Health Affairs, 25 (3) 670-679. Http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abst4ract/25/3/670 >The adult lives of at-risk students: The roles of attainment and engagement in high school (2006) National Center for Education Statistics. Http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006328 >Estimating the prevalence of early childhood serious emotional/behavioral disorders: Challenges and recommendations (2006) C. Brauner & C. Stephens, Public Health Reports. Http://www.publichealthreports.org >Improving the care of children with mental illness: A challenge for public health and the federal government (2006) H. Waxman, Public Health Reports. Http://www.publichealthreports.org >Scaling-up exemplary interventions (2006) S. McDonald, et al, Educational Researcher, 35(3) 15-24. >Alcohol, drug, and mental health speciality treatment services and race/ethnicity: A national study of children and families involved with child welfare (2006) A. Libby, et al, American Journal of Public Health, 96(4) 628-631. http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/abstract/96/4/628 Note: The Quick Find Online Clearinghouse at http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu is updated regularly with new reports and publications such as those listed above. Currently there are over 100 alphabetized topic pages with direct links to Center materials and to other online resources and related centers. Let us know about publications and reports that should be included in this dedicated online clearinghouse. Ltaylor@ucla.edu @#@#@# “The kids were so tough in the high school I went to that in biology class they used to dissect the teacher.” @#@#@#@# **UPCOMING INITIATIVES, CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS >Positive Action: a conference on social and emotional learning in elementary school students. 6/2, Cambridge, MA. Http://urbanimprov.org >National Mental Health Association, 6/8-10, Washington, DC. http://www.nmha.org >Coalition for Community Schools in National Forum, 6/14-16, Baltimore, MD. http://www.communityschools.org" >National School-Based Health Care Convention, 6/15-17, Portland, OR. http://www.nasbhc.org >Mental Health Services for Detained Youth, 6/13-15, Phoenix, AZ. Http://jabg.nttac.org/registration/selectRole.cfm?eventId=6 >Success in Sight 2006: Learning, Leading & the Future, 6/14-16, Denver, CO. http://www.mcrel.org/conference >American School Counselor Association, 6/24-27, Chicago, IL http://www.schoolcounselor.org >On the Move: Geographic Transitions and the Mental Health of Families, 6/29-7/1, Los Angeles, CA. Http://www.semel.ucla.edu/frc4/ >National Association of School Nurses, 6/30-7/3, NY, NY. Http://www.nasn.org >Sustainable Schoolwide Social and Emotional Learning, 6/26-27, Chicago, IL. http://www.casel.org >The Education Commission of the States National Forum on Education Policy, 7/11-14, Minneapolis, MN. http://www.ecs.org/ecsmain.asp?page=/html/meetings.asp >School of the 21st Century, 7/17-28, New Haven, CT. http://www.yale.edu/21C/ >Family-School Relations during Adolescence: Linking Interdisciplinary Research and Practice, 7/20-21, Durham, NC http://www.childandfamilypolicy.duke.edu >National Innovation Forum on Best Practices in School Leadership, 7/25-27, Cleveland, OH. Http://www.csuohio.edu/theacademy/ >School Health Interdisciplinary Program Conference, July 31 - 8/3, Ellicott City, MD, CSMHA, http://csmha.umaryland.edu >11th Annual Conference on Advancing School-Based Mental Health, CSMHA, 9/28-30, Baltimore, MD http://csmha.umaryland.edu >International Association for Truancy and Dropout Prevention Conference, 10/7-11, Baltimore, MD. Http://www.iatdp.org >International Bullying Prevention Conference, 11/2-3, Atlanta, GA. http://www.stopbullyingworld.com/ *Note: For ongoing information about conferences, refer to our website at http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/upconf.htm IF YOU WANT TO LIST YOUR CONFERENCE, please email information to ltaylor@ucla.edu @#@#@# “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” Ursula LeGuin @@#@#@ **CALLS FOR GRANT PROPOSALS, PRESENTATIONS & PAPERS >Grants See the electronic storefront for federal grants at http://www.grants.gov You can use it to double check due dates and access applications. Current Examples: >U.S. Department of Education >>Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems Grants – The purpose of this grant is to support programs that increase student access to high-quality mental health care by linking school systems with local mental health systems. Eligible applicants include state educational agencies, local educational agencies and Indian tribes. Estimated awards range from $150,000 to $350,000 for an estimated 20 grants. Deadline: July 10, 2006 For complete program information and application guidelines, see http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pd f/06-4936.pdf >Others from U. S. Department of Education (http://www.ed.gov) >>Small, Rural School Achievement Program. Due 6/2/06 >>Technical assistance and dissemination to improve services and results for children with disabilities; National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (CFDA 84.326H) Due date 6/12/06 >>Enhanced assessment instruments and systems used by states for measuring the achievement of all students (CFDA 84.3681) Due 6/15/06 >>Teacher Incentive Fund (CFDA 84.374A) Intent to apply due 6/15/06 http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu or contact: Howard Adelman and Linda Taylor, Co-Directors School Mental Health Project/Center for Mental Health in Schools UCLA Department of Psychology Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563 Phone (310) 825-3634; Toll Free (866) 846-4842; Fax (310) 206-8716 Email: smhp@ucla.edu ^ ^ ^CHECK OUT OUR SISTER CENTER – the Center for School Mental Health Analysis and Action, see http://csmha.umaryland.edu Or contact Mark Weist, Director, CSMHA, University of Maryland at Baltimore, Department of Psychiatry, 737 W. Lombard St., 4th Floor, Baltimore, MD, 21202. Toll free phone: 888-706-0980. Email csmh@umpsy.umaryland.edu @#@#@#@# “Children reinvent your world for you.” Susan Sarandon @#@#@# **OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES >What to Expect & When to Seek Help: Bright Futures Developmental Tools for Families and Providers. Http://www.brightfutures.org/tools/ >Preventing teen abuse of prescription and over-the-counter medication http://www.drugfree.org >UN Secretary General’s Study on Violence Against Children http://www.violencestudy.org/r25 >Voices in Urban Education: Getting to Equity http://www.annenberginstitute.org/VUE/index.html >Guide to federal resources for youth development http://www.americaspromise.org/partners/federal_funding_guidelines.pdf >Active hours afterschool: Local wellness policy toolkit for afterschool programs http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/active_hours.cfm >Refugee Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Toolkit. Http://www.refugeewellbeing.samhsa.gov >Education leadership action network http://www.wallacefoundation.org/WF/ELAN/ >Exploring quality standards for middle school after school programs http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/conference Note: For a wide range of relevant websites, see our Gateway to a World of Resources at http://smh.psych.ucla.edu/gateway/gateway_sites.htm ################# **TRAINING AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES <Policy Director> Maternal and Child Health Policy Research Centers’s Incenter Strategies, Washington, DC. Contact Melanie Schettler (mschettler@mchpolicy.org) <Managing Associate> The Association for the Study and Development of Community, Gathersburg, MD. See http://www.capablecommunity.com <Coordinator> Coordinator of School Mental Health Projects, Department of Psychology, Miami University, Oxford OH. Contact Paul Flaspohler at flaspopd@muohio.edu <Team Leader> Evaluation and Effectiveness Research Team, CDC, Atlanta, GA. Focus on development and evaluation of violence prevention programs. Deadline 6/9/06. Contact Annie Howerton (ahowerton@cdc.gov) <Evaluation Analyst> The Children’s Trust, Miami-Dade county, FL. See http://www.thechildrenstrust.org <Postdoctoral> Center for School Mental Health Analysis and Action, Baltimore, MD. Contact Mark Weist. Mweist@psych.umaryland.edu. <Postdoctoral> Division of Prevention and Community Research, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine and the Department of Psychology, NIDA funded research training on prevention of substance abuse. Contact david.snow@yale.edu Note: For more information on employment opportunities, see http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/job.htm. Following the list of current openings, you will see links to HRSA, SAMHSA, and other relevant job sites. @#@#@# “The school computers are six months old, How can I be expected to be competitive in the job market if I’m trained on obsolete equipment?” Aaron Bacall @#@#@# **COMMENTS/REQUESTS/INFO/QUESTIONS FROM THE FIELD >Request for Nominations for outstanding mental health in schools programs and leaders: (from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, Center for School Mental Health Analysis and Action) (1) Nominations are being accepted for the Juanita Cunningham Evans Memorial Award. As an ongoing memorial to Juanita Evans, an annual award was established for contributions made to advance mental health programs in schools. Nominations for this award should be external and should include a one page (single-spaced) description of the nominee's contributions to enhance policy/knowledge development and/or practice in school mental health. Please include a cover letter with contact information for the individual nominating the candidate. The awardee will receive a free conference registration and stipend ($250) to attend our 11th Annual Conference on Advancing School-Based Mental Health in Baltimore, Maryland, September 28-30. Nominations should be sent to the CSMHA, Juanita Evans Awards Committee, University of Maryland, 737 West Lombard Street, 4th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21201, or faxed to 410-706- 0984. Nominations must be postmarked by July 1, 2006. (2) Nominations For The SAMHSA Administrator School-based Mental Health Award - 2006. are now being accepted. The 2006 SAMHSA Administrator's Award will be made for the nominee who best exemplifies Goal 4, Objective 2, "Improve and expand school mental health programs." This annual award acknowledges the work of an outstanding school based program that advances mental health programs in schools and promotes mental health. Nominations should be sent to: SAMHSA, Fifth Annual Recognition Award Committee, Attn: Patrick Weld, 1 Choke Cherry Road, Rm. 6-1114, Rockville, MD 20857 and be post marked by August 1, 2006. The awardee will receive a free conference registration to the 11th Annual Conference in Baltimore, MD on September 28-30 and a stipend of $250. Nominations for this award should be external (i.e., no self nominations) and should include no more than a two-page (single spaced, one inch margins) description of the nominee's contributions (for format please download the nomination form: http://csmha.umaryland.edu/conf_meet/conference/conference_awards.html). Please include a cover letter with contact information for the person or persons nominating the award candidate. A three person panel will review the nominations and notification should be no later than the week of August 25th. The award will be presented by a representative of SAMHSA at the 11th Annual Conference on Advancing School Based Mental Health in Baltimore, MD in September, 2006. >Responses to last month’s emerging issue: What are the motivational underpinnings for many student learning, behavior, and emotional problems? (1) “I do think educators need to know more about intrinsic motivation and how to encourage it’s grow and development! I’ve worked at high schools and know this is a HUGE frustration for high school teachers. It carries over into the work place too! I believe high school teachers are frustrated because they expect their students to be intrinsically motivated by high school age and the majority is not! Their only extrinsic motivator at that level is grades and many students don’t care about grades. I’d call it a general sense of apathy that keeps them from doing their best. The reason for the apathy is complex (emotionally unavailable parents, poor coping skills, trauma, disconnection, untreated mental health issues, lack of successes and the belief that their life is important, etc.) but if society doesn’t recognize it and spend the $$ and time to remedy it, we will continue to leave many students ‘behind!’” (2) “As a mental health clinician by training, I think schools are the optimal place to address the issues that you present on motivation, behavior and learning. I see kids every day who ‘lack the desire’ for school for many reasons; low parent involvement, economic family stressors, unattended to afterschool, and inadequate teaching methods of teachers. Last summer I decided to take additional classes in teacher education program and decided that the special education curriculum was far more suited to the strategies that I wanted to assist students with. So, I immediately recognized a disconnect between the regular education teacher ed. programs and special education. All teachers should be taught the strategies of motivation not just for ‘underachievers’ or LD kids. In my experience, the ability to motivate and encourage makes all the difference between keeping a student on track, and referring them to special education. The more we support the division of general education teacher programs and special education teacher preparedness programs the more we avoid helping develop teachers who have skills and abilities to help ALL kids, not just those who arrive motivated. In that way, we could begin to reduce the disparity and really provide differentiated classroom learning.” >A request was made for sharing the following: Cognitive Behavior Interventions for At-Risk Youth(2006) by B. Glick, published by Civic Research Institute. A resource focused on at-risk and delinquent youth. See http://www.civicresearchinstitute.com