Creating Safe and Supportive Schools and Fostering Students' Mental Health

Creating Safe and Supportive Schools and Fostering Students’ Mental Health provides pre- and in-service educators with the tools they need to prevent, pre-empt, handle, and recover from threats to students’ mental health. School safety and fostering a supportive learning environment have always been issues fundamental to educators. Over the last decade, teachers and administrators have been called on more than ever to cope with bullying, suicide, and violence in their schools. Handling every stage of this diverse set of obstacles can be unwieldy for teachers and administrators alike. Framed with interviews from experts on each of the topics, and including practical and applicable examples, this volume draws together the work of top-tier school psychologists into a text designed to work with existing school structures and curricula to make schools safer. A comprehensive and multi-faceted resource, this book integrates leading research with the well-respected Framework for Safe and Successful Schools to help educators support school safety, crisis management, and students' mental health. Featuring interviews with: Dewey G. Cornell, Frank DeAngelis, Beth Doll, Kevin Dwyer, Katie Eklund, Maurice J. Elias, Michele Gay, Ross W. Greene, Rob Horner, Jane Lazarus, Richard Lieberman, Troy Loker, Melissa A. Louvar-Reeves, Terry Molony, Shamika Patton, Donna Poland, Scott Poland, Eric Rossen, Susan M. Swearer, Ken Trump, and Frank Zenere.

Table of Contents:
Table of Contents Foreword Section I: Creating Safe and Emotionally Healthy Schools 1. The Evolving Role of Educators 2. Safe and Supportive Schools Section II: Fostering Students’ Mental Health 3. The Importance of Providing Mental Health Services in the Schools 4. The Promise of Social-Emotional Learning 5. Universal Interventions to Support the Mental Health of All Students 6. Resilient Classrooms & Targeted and Intensive Interventions Section III: Supporting Nurturing Learning Environments 7. School Climate and Social Supports 8. School Connectedness and Engagement 9. Positive Psychology in the Schools Section IV: Improving Student Behavior 10. School-Wide Positive Behavior Supports 11. Effective Behavior Management Strategies Section V: Identifying and Helping Vulnerable, Victimized, and At-Risk Youth 12. Bully Prevention and Intervention 13. Childhood Emotional and Behavioral Disorders 14. Highly Vulnerable Student Populations Section VI: Reducing School Violence and Preventing Suicide 15. Threat Assessment and Violence Prevention 16. Suicide Assessment, Prevention, and Intervention Section VII: Preventing and Responding to Crises in the Schools 17. School Crisis Prevention 18. School Crisis Intervention Afterword

About the Author :
Michael L. Sulkowski is Assistant Professor in the School Psychology Program and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Arizona, USA. Philip J. Lazarus is past-President of the National Association of School Psychologists and Associate Professor and Director of the School Psychology Training Program at Florida International University, USA.

Review :
"This is a must-read for all teachers, administrators, and support staff. Research-based information and engaging interviews with experts in the field make this a unique resource. As a school principal (and now an educator of principals and other administrators), crisis responder, and school psychologist, I value the strategies provided for topics ranging from school-wide prevention to targeted interventions for victimized and at-risk students. We know that school safety and mental health are interwoven, and this book provides a comprehensive foundation for making our schools safe and supportive." --Cathy Paine, Special Programs Administrator, Springfield School District, Springfield, OR "This essential, nuts-and-bolts book details how educators can help all children be safe, supported, and successful in schools. Those who read these chapters will be better prepared to help students reach their full personal and academic potential. An outstanding contribution informed by real-world experiences, it should be required reading for all educators." --William Pfohl, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, Western Kentucky University, USA, and Past President of the National Association of School Psychologists With Creating Safe and Supportive Schools, Sulkowski and Lazarus are filling a niche that has been missing in the past, and that is especially relevant given the current socio-political environment. In particular, there is a lack of attention paid in teacher education programs to classroom behavior management, and to coping with issues of mental health in the classroom. Based on the recent, violent acts in schools and communities, I foresee many educators being interested in this book. -- Anisa N. Goforth, Director of School Psychology Graduate Training Programs, University of Montana-Missoula, USA