MERRELL, K.W., ERVIN, R. A., & PEACOCK, G. G. (2006). SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY: FOUNDATIONS AND PRACTICES. Chapters 10 and 11

Chapter 10: The School Psychologist’s Role in Prevention and Intervention Part 2: Mental Health and Social-Emotional Behavior School psychology for the 21st century: Foundations and practices.

Mental Health Services  Only 20% of students who need mental health services.  70-80% of those get them within the schools  16%-22% of children have dx disorder  4% -8% with significant issues  ~12% of children receive SPED services  Services fall within three categories  Psychiatric disorders  Problem and at-risk behaviors  Delinquency

ADHD Data  ADHD  Percents (more disorder than ADHD) 44% have one 33% have two 10% have three  Types of Comorbidity Conduct Disorder Anxiety Disorder Academic problems  50% with ADHD are in SPED  Early intervention with ADHD decreases comorbidity

Psychostimulants for Tx of ADHD  Effective in most children with ADHD  Medication alone is useful.  Therapy alone is useful.  Together = best.  Side effects:  Delayed onset of sleep  Headaches  Stomachaches  Anxiety  Withdrawal  Tics

Diagnostics  Diagnoses: “constellations of covarying behaviors that can help to inform the “what” of behavior.”  Can provide a quick description of the problem.  Examines: common etiology, mechanism, or function  Organize our thinking on the problem  Can (not always) link dx to tx through research-based methods (Evidence Based Practice)  Do NOT get stuck in thinking that the problem you are seeing is completely tied to the dx. Child can have two separate problems Child can have different reactions to a problem Problem may be antecedent but some other consequence is sustaining the behavior. (A-B-C)

Problem Solving Model What is the problem? Why is it occurring? What should be done about it? Did it work?

Prevention  Prevention Models  Primary (universal supports)  Secondary (targeted supports “at-risk”)  Tertiary (already experiencing problems)  Data driven  When prevention doesn’t happen  1% - 5%: Children with severe behavior problems  50%: Office referrals from severe behavior problems

Externalizing/ Internalizing Tx  Good for externalizing issues  Empirically supported  Psychoeducational in nature  Shift towards POSITIVE interactions  Parenting SOS series  Good for internalizing problems  Focuses on cognitive distortions  Focus on patterns of behavior  Systematic desensitization  Relaxation training  Coping skills Parent Management TrainingCognitive-Behavioral Therapy

School Psychologists Need to Be:  Aware of the nature, scope, complexity, and developmental trajectories of student mental health and social-emotional issues that point to the need for early detection, primary prevention, and intervention.  Knowledgeable about evidence-based treatments for addressing these concerns.  Prepared to interact with professionals from medicine, clinical psychology, and community care to ensure access to treatment.  Experts in the application of a data-oriented problem- solving approach to management of primary, secondary, and tertiary intervention efforts.

Chapter 11: The School Psychologist’s Role in Facilitating Systems Change School psychology for the 21st century: Foundations and practices.

The School Context  Technology advances and changing dynamics of the workforce.  Increased heterogeneity of the student population and increased number, severity, and complexity of student needs  The push for evidence-based practices and increased accountability despite diminishing resources.  Change as a unifying feature of the challenges facing school systems.

Skills for Systems Change  Understanding human behavior from a social systems perspective.  Ability to use collaborative planning and problem- solving procedures.  Familiarity with principles for organization change  Problem-solving and planning cycles of a school from an organizational perspective.  The characteristics of an operating school district from a systemic perspective.  The steps in a strategic planning process.

Systems-Change Theory  “Two or more individuals whose interaction is intended to produce a desired outcome.”  Rules of System:  When one part changes, it effects change in other parts.  Learn how the different parts of the system work together.  Identify who the “change agents” are in the system  Focus:  Teaching skills needed  Building the capacity for systems to adopt new skills

Steps to Systems Change  Target visible problems  Establishing a coalition of groups  Staffing the campaign  Assemble the right information  Launch the campaign  Creating readiness  Vision and leadership  Identify the problem  Getting stakeholder buy- in  Infrastructure Redesign  Initial implementation  Institutionalization  Ongoing evolution Catalyst for changeSteps to Systems Change

Discussion: Page 239 #4  Read question #4 on Page 239 of your textbook for this chapter. Feel free to discuss this topic on the Blackboard forum.