Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health

July/August 2008

School Suicide Prevention Accreditation for School-Based Health Centers (PDF)
The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) has developed an accreditation program in school suicide prevention to address the lack of sufficiently trained personnel in the nation's schools and to help accomplish the implementation of more effective school safety programs. The AAS School Suicide Prevention Accreditation Program is designed to train school psychologists, school social workers, guidance counselors, and school nurses to become their school's trained authority on suicide prevention.

The Social Security Administration Publishes Final Rules for the Ticket to Work Program
The U.S. Social Security Administration published the final regulations for the Ticket to Work and Self Sufficiency Program (Ticket to Work program), which was authorized by the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999. The final rules will become effective on July 21, 2008.

Council for Exceptional Children Collecting Ideas on Transition
The Council for Exceptional Children's Division on Career Development and Transition is collecting ideas and tips about transition practices from people in transition in order to develop "101 Practical Transition Ideas". They are collecting ideas in the areas of: transition planning, student involvement, family involvement, interagency collaboration, curriculum and instruction, inclusion and access to the general curriculum, transition assessment, cultural diversity, assistive technology, and universal design for learning.

Service Learning: What Works and What You Need to Know
This article from the National Association of Secondary School Principals provides an overview of service learning and what works. Service learning differs from community service or volunteer work, in that education is always at the core. The goal is to have students actively participating in the process of understanding, integrating, and applying knowledge in addition to improving their community.

June 2008

Youngsters' Mental Health and Psychosocial Problems: What are the Data? (PDF)

The intent of this report from the UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools is to provide a synthesis of the best available data and to clarify the limitations of what has been gathered so far. The inadequacies of current data gathering cause many in the field to rely on subpopulation survey data and best estimates of mental health problems in schools, primary health care systems, and juvenile justice systems.

Social Form of Bullying Linked to Depression, Anxiety in Adults

A new University of Florida study shows that spreading rumors and gossiping may not cause bruises or black eyes, but the psychological consequences of this social type of bullying could linger into early adulthood.

Cultural Competency Resource Packet (PDF)

This resource packet from the Center for School Mental Health is intended to assist those attempting to familiarize themselves with some of the available resources and references pertaining to the needs of mental health personnel seeking to develop cultural competency.

Empirically-Supported Interventions in School Mental Health (PDF)

This 16-page guide from the Center for School Mental Health reviews those interventions used in school mental health settings that have are empirically supported. It is an excellent review of the literature and standards for best practice.

May 2008

Brief: Improving Transition to Higher Education for Out-of-School Youth
This brief, a result of the forum co-sponsored by the American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) and the National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC), emphasizes factors influencing the success of youth programs that offer support for formerly out-of-school youth as they transition to postsecondary education and employment. The forum featured NYEC's policy recommendations intended to enlighten federal higher education and workforce development policy.

Brief: Mentoring, Policy and Politics (PDF)
This brief from Public/Private Ventures discusses the impact and appeal of mentoring, addresses various critiques of the mentoring movement, and suggests future directions for mentor applications.

ICARE Schools Projects: ICARE Transition Protocol & Kids with Cameras
The ICARE Schools Study, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), targets families of students with disabilities and their connections with their adolescents' schools. ICARE presented two new tools at the 2008 Council for Exceptional Children's Annual Convention, with the transition to high school as a topic of particular interest to the families in the ICARE study. The ICARE Transition Focus Group Protocol (PDF) is for families of students with disabilities in transition; the protocol is to encourage discussion of transition to high school, and can be used by either parent groups or school staff to discuss the unique issues of transition to high school that students with disabilities and their families face. Kids with Cameras (PDF), which was an activity for assessing students' connections to their school and why each connection is important, was also utilized by the ICARE Schools Study and was also presented at the Convention.

Research Sheds Light on the Students Most at Risk of Dropping Out – and How to Keep Students on the "Graduation Track" (PDF)
The July 2007 issue of The Progress of Education Reform summarizes the findings of five studies that address: early (6th-grade) predictors for dropping out of school; ninth-grade predictors of risk in an urban environment; school characteristics linked to higher graduation rates; economic benefits of several programs that positively influence high school completion rates; and a synthesis of the research on dropping out and the importance of State data systems to support dropout prevention efforts.

April 2008

Portions of this e-mail newsletter were excerpted from the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition E-News, which can be found at http://www.ncset.org/enews/.

Child Development Institute
The Child Development Institute Web site contains information on child development, parenting, family life, teenagers, learning, health & safety, child psychology, and mental health, including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Resource Highlights Community's Role in Educating All Children
The Public School Insights Web site shows how teachers, administrators, parents, and others are finding common ground and crafting innovative, 21st-century solutions to help all students succeed. Features include a wide variety of success stories about U.S. schools and districts that have adopted successful strategies for addressing key challenges in education. The site's ultimate goal is to build a sense of community among those who are working at the local level to strengthen their public schools, while showcasing proven strategies.

Organized Communities, Stronger Schools
The Annenberg Institute for School Reform has released a preview of findings from a six-year study that show a positive impact of effective community organizing on education reform in seven urban communities. The study finds that effective community organizing:

contributes to an improved learning environment and improved educational outcomes for students
strengthens school-community relations, parent engagement, and a sense of community and trust in schools
stimulates important changes in policy, practices, and resource distribution that expand equity and capacity at the system level, especially in historically underserved communities

Organizing groups in the study sites achieved their effectiveness through a combination of system-level advocacy; school- or community-based activity; and strategic use of data. Organizing also produced consistent parent, youth, and community engagement that both generated and sustained the improvements.

Towards Better Behavioral Health for Children, Youth and Their Families: Financing that Supports Knowledge (PDF)
This working paper from the National Center for Children in Poverty provides a broad overview of funding sources (and their policy roots) that underwrite children's behavioral health services, illuminating the flaws and prospects of various policy choices. It aims to stimulate debate that will bring about changes that put financing in the service of better behavioral health, social functioning and educational well-being for children and youth with or at risk for mental health and substance abuse problems and their families. While the focus is on public funding for mental health and substance abuse services within the behavioral health arena, attention is also paid to related funding in education, child welfare, and juvenile justice. However, this working paper does not represent a comprehensive review of funding in those areas.

March 2008

Tips for Parents of Teens with Mental Health Problems (PDF)
Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) has published a pamphlet for parents of teens with mental health problems who are unsure of where to turn for help. This pamphlet includes advice from mental health experts, teachers, and other parents on how a parent can partner with the child's school to determine if the child is eligible for accommodations and services. In addition, the pamphlet offers creative suggestions on where parents can turn for support for children who are ineligible for special education services.

New Publication Explores the Current Status of Mental Health in Schools
According to a recent Center for Mental Health in Schools publication, the need for enhancing mental health in schools to increase student success has long been a concern of school policymakers who have introduced a range of health, social service, counseling, and psychological programs to schools since the end of the 19th century. This publication reflects on current and past initiatives that have sought to improve mental health in schools. In addition, it discusses future directions for the field, such as addressing systemic change, creating necessary infrastructure, expanding the framework of school accountability, and weaving together community resources.

Families as Partners in School Emergency Management (PDF)
The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools has released two new Helpful Hints publications that provide overviews of various school emergency preparedness topics based on previous reader feedback and suggestions. Families as Partners in School Emergency Management (PDF) provides strategies for forming partnerships and communicating with families to create positive working relationships before an emergency occurs. Doing so strengthens a school's emergency management capacity as it ensures that the "experts" on each child's needs are involved from the beginning.

Establishing and Developing Strategic Partnerships with Media Representatives (PDF)
This publication also from Helpful Hints publications recommends that schools create communications plans and train a public information officer to be the primary liaison to the public. These, along with other strategies described in the publication ensure that when a school emergency occurs, the media can enhance the school's transition into the recovery phase rather than hinder it.

February 2008

Social and Emotional Learning (PDF)
This report from the National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention defines social and emotional learning (SEL) as "the process of acquiring the skills to recognize and manage emotions, develop caring and concern for others, make responsible decisions, establish positive relationships, and handle challenging situations effectively." This definition is used by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). CASEL has also defined SEL skill clusters (and the skills within each cluster).

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning
The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) encourages coordinated, evidence-based social, emotional, and academic learning as an essential part of education from preschool though high school. CASEL works to evolve the science of social and emotional learning (SEL), expand coordinated evidence-based SEL practice, and assemble a sustainable and collaborative organization to promote SEL. Resources such as the CASEL Connections; publications around SEL, toolkits, State standards, and more can be accessed through the CASEL Web site.

The Center for Social and Emotional Education
The Center for Social and Emotional Education (CSEE) collaborates with educators, parents, schools, and communities to promote academic achievement and prevent youth violence and other at-risk behaviors by fostering effective social and emotional education and character education for children and adolescents. CSEE provides services such as trainings on SEL, speakers, trainings on violence prevention, as well as consultation services to schools and districts. Resources such as the Interpersonal Violence Prevention Guidelines, self help materials, and a research database containing studies that evaluate SEL programs can be found on the CSEE Web site.

The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL)
The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) is a national center focused on strengthening the capacity of child care and Head Start programs to improve the social and emotional outcomes of young children. Resources available on the CSEFEL Web site include training modules, What Works briefs, and a collection of classroom tools and resources. Most of these resources are available in English and Spanish.

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	July/August 2008 School Suicide Prevention Accreditation for School-Based Health Centers (PDF) The American Association of Suicidology (AAS) has developed an accreditation program in school suicide prevention to address the lack of sufficiently trained personnel in the nation's schools and to help accomplish the implementation of more effective school safety programs. The AAS School Suicide Prevention Accreditation Program is designed to train school psychologists, school social workers, guidance counselors, and school nurses to become their school's trained authority on suicide prevention. The Social Security Administration Publishes Final Rules for the Ticket to Work Program The U.S. Social Security Administration published the final regulations for the Ticket to Work and Self Sufficiency Program (Ticket to Work program), which was authorized by the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999. The final rules will become effective on July 21, 2008. Council for Exceptional Children Collecting Ideas on Transition The Council for Exceptional Children's Division on Career Development and Transition is collecting ideas and tips about transition practices from people in transition in order to develop "101 Practical Transition Ideas". They are collecting ideas in the areas of: transition planning, student involvement, family involvement, interagency collaboration, curriculum and instruction, inclusion and access to the general curriculum, transition assessment, cultural diversity, assistive technology, and universal design for learning. Service Learning: What Works and What You Need to Know This article from the National Association of Secondary School Principals provides an overview of service learning and what works. Service learning differs from community service or volunteer work, in that education is always at the core. The goal is to have students actively participating in the process of understanding, integrating, and applying knowledge in addition to improving their community. June 2008 *Youngsters' Mental Health and Psychosocial Problems: What are the Data?* (PDF) The intent of this report from the UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools is to provide a synthesis of the best available data and to clarify the limitations of what has been gathered so far. The inadequacies of current data gathering cause many in the field to rely on subpopulation survey data and best estimates of mental health problems in schools, primary health care systems, and juvenile justice systems. *Social Form of Bullying Linked to Depression, Anxiety in Adults* A new University of Florida study shows that spreading rumors and gossiping may not cause bruises or black eyes, but the psychological consequences of this social type of bullying could linger into early adulthood. *Cultural Competency Resource Packet* (PDF) This resource packet from the Center for School Mental Health is intended to assist those attempting to familiarize themselves with some of the available resources and references pertaining to the needs of mental health personnel seeking to develop cultural competency. *Empirically-Supported Interventions in School Mental Health* (PDF) This 16-page guide from the Center for School Mental Health reviews those interventions used in school mental health settings that have are empirically supported. It is an excellent review of the literature and standards for best practice. May 2008 Brief: Improving Transition to Higher Education for Out-of-School Youth This brief, a result of the forum co-sponsored by the American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) and the National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC), emphasizes factors influencing the success of youth programs that offer support for formerly out-of-school youth as they transition to postsecondary education and employment. The forum featured NYEC's policy recommendations intended to enlighten federal higher education and workforce development policy. Brief: Mentoring, Policy and Politics (PDF) This brief from Public/Private Ventures discusses the impact and appeal of mentoring, addresses various critiques of the mentoring movement, and suggests future directions for mentor applications. ICARE Schools Projects: ICARE Transition Protocol & Kids with Cameras The ICARE Schools Study, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), targets families of students with disabilities and their connections with their adolescents' schools. ICARE presented two new tools at the 2008 Council for Exceptional Children's Annual Convention, with the transition to high school as a topic of particular interest to the families in the ICARE study. The ICARE Transition Focus Group Protocol (PDF) is for families of students with disabilities in transition; the protocol is to encourage discussion of transition to high school, and can be used by either parent groups or school staff to discuss the unique issues of transition to high school that students with disabilities and their families face. Kids with Cameras (PDF), which was an activity for assessing students' connections to their school and why each connection is important, was also utilized by the ICARE Schools Study and was also presented at the Convention. Research Sheds Light on the Students Most at Risk of Dropping Out – and How to Keep Students on the "Graduation Track" (PDF) The July 2007 issue of The Progress of Education Reform summarizes the findings of five studies that address: early (6th-grade) predictors for dropping out of school; ninth-grade predictors of risk in an urban environment; school characteristics linked to higher graduation rates; economic benefits of several programs that positively influence high school completion rates; and a synthesis of the research on dropping out and the importance of State data systems to support dropout prevention efforts. April 2008 Portions of this e-mail newsletter were excerpted from the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition E-News, which can be found at http://www.ncset.org/enews/. Child Development Institute The Child Development Institute Web site contains information on child development, parenting, family life, teenagers, learning, health & safety, child psychology, and mental health, including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Resource Highlights Community's Role in Educating All Children The Public School Insights Web site shows how teachers, administrators, parents, and others are finding common ground and crafting innovative, 21st-century solutions to help all students succeed. Features include a wide variety of success stories about U.S. schools and districts that have adopted successful strategies for addressing key challenges in education. The site's ultimate goal is to build a sense of community among those who are working at the local level to strengthen their public schools, while showcasing proven strategies. *Organized Communities, Stronger Schools* The Annenberg Institute for School Reform has released a preview of findings from a six-year study that show a positive impact of effective community organizing on education reform in seven urban communities. The study finds that effective community organizing: contributes to an improved learning environment and improved educational outcomes for students strengthens school-community relations, parent engagement, and a sense of community and trust in schools stimulates important changes in policy, practices, and resource distribution that expand equity and capacity at the system level, especially in historically underserved communities Organizing groups in the study sites achieved their effectiveness through a combination of system-level advocacy; school- or community-based activity; and strategic use of data. Organizing also produced consistent parent, youth, and community engagement that both generated and sustained the improvements. *Towards Better Behavioral Health for Children, Youth and Their Families: Financing that Supports Knowledge* (PDF) This working paper from the National Center for Children in Poverty provides a broad overview of funding sources (and their policy roots) that underwrite children's behavioral health services, illuminating the flaws and prospects of various policy choices. It aims to stimulate debate that will bring about changes that put financing in the service of better behavioral health, social functioning and educational well-being for children and youth with or at risk for mental health and substance abuse problems and their families. While the focus is on public funding for mental health and substance abuse services within the behavioral health arena, attention is also paid to related funding in education, child welfare, and juvenile justice. However, this working paper does not represent a comprehensive review of funding in those areas. March 2008 Tips for Parents of Teens with Mental Health Problems (PDF) Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) has published a pamphlet for parents of teens with mental health problems who are unsure of where to turn for help. This pamphlet includes advice from mental health experts, teachers, and other parents on how a parent can partner with the child's school to determine if the child is eligible for accommodations and services. In addition, the pamphlet offers creative suggestions on where parents can turn for support for children who are ineligible for special education services. New Publication Explores the Current Status of Mental Health in Schools According to a recent Center for Mental Health in Schools publication, the need for enhancing mental health in schools to increase student success has long been a concern of school policymakers who have introduced a range of health, social service, counseling, and psychological programs to schools since the end of the 19th century. This publication reflects on current and past initiatives that have sought to improve mental health in schools. In addition, it discusses future directions for the field, such as addressing systemic change, creating necessary infrastructure, expanding the framework of school accountability, and weaving together community resources. Families as Partners in School Emergency Management (PDF) The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools has released two new Helpful Hints publications that provide overviews of various school emergency preparedness topics based on previous reader feedback and suggestions. Families as Partners in School Emergency Management (PDF) provides strategies for forming partnerships and communicating with families to create positive working relationships before an emergency occurs. Doing so strengthens a school's emergency management capacity as it ensures that the "experts" on each child's needs are involved from the beginning. Establishing and Developing Strategic Partnerships with Media Representatives (PDF) This publication also from Helpful Hints publications recommends that schools create communications plans and train a public information officer to be the primary liaison to the public. These, along with other strategies described in the publication ensure that when a school emergency occurs, the media can enhance the school's transition into the recovery phase rather than hinder it. February 2008 Social and Emotional Learning (PDF) This report from the National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention defines social and emotional learning (SEL) as "the process of acquiring the skills to recognize and manage emotions, develop caring and concern for others, make responsible decisions, establish positive relationships, and handle challenging situations effectively." This definition is used by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). CASEL has also defined SEL skill clusters (and the skills within each cluster). The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) encourages coordinated, evidence-based social, emotional, and academic learning as an essential part of education from preschool though high school. CASEL works to evolve the science of social and emotional learning (SEL), expand coordinated evidence-based SEL practice, and assemble a sustainable and collaborative organization to promote SEL. Resources such as the CASEL Connections; publications around SEL, toolkits, State standards, and more can be accessed through the CASEL Web site. The Center for Social and Emotional Education The Center for Social and Emotional Education (CSEE) collaborates with educators, parents, schools, and communities to promote academic achievement and prevent youth violence and other at-risk behaviors by fostering effective social and emotional education and character education for children and adolescents. CSEE provides services such as trainings on SEL, speakers, trainings on violence prevention, as well as consultation services to schools and districts. Resources such as the Interpersonal Violence Prevention Guidelines, self help materials, and a research database containing studies that evaluate SEL programs can be found on the CSEE Web site. The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) is a national center focused on strengthening the capacity of child care and Head Start programs to improve the social and emotional outcomes of young children. Resources available on the CSEFEL Web site include training modules, What Works briefs, and a collection of classroom tools and resources. Most of these resources are available in English and Spanish.

Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health

Education Resources