Comprehensive Children's Mental Health Services in Schools and Communities: A Public Health Problem-Solving Model(School-Based Practice in Action)

Today's schools often lack the means necessary to effectively provide mental health services for all children who will need them during a given school year. A switch to a broader, more comprehensive model of support service delivery in schools from the traditional "one child at a time" approach can help to remedy this issue. In this text, the authors propose a public health model for comprehensive children's mental health services that encompasses, rather than replaces, the traditional model in school psychology. The background and theoretical perspective for this public health model is discussed as an important way to solve problems and accomplish goals in schools, after which the authors outline and develop a clear, practical procedure for implementing and evaluating programs based on public health ideas. This text will also address new roles for school psychologists that focus on prevention and promotion. An accompanying CD will contain sample activities, forms, handouts, and other materials that will be of use to school mental health practitioners implementing this public health model in their schools.

Table of Contents:
Part I: Introduction to Part I: Reconceptualizing Our Work. Intersection of Public Health, Children’s Mental Health and School Psychology. The Continuum of Services with a Public Health Model. Building Capacity through Collaboration and Coalitions. Part II: Introduction to Part II: Public Health Problem-Solving Model. Problem Identification through Applied Epidemiology. Problem Analysis of Risk and Protective Factors. Defining Risk and Protective Factors in Child/Environment Interactions. Ecological Plan Implementation. Monitoring and Evaluation of Outcomes. Part III: Introduction to Part III: From Concept to Action. Case Study in Public Health Problem-Solving. Changing Role of School Psychologists. Sustaining Change in a Public Health Problem-Solving Model.

About the Author :
Rick J. Short is a Professor of Psychology and Associate Dean for the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at Middle Tennessee University. He has previously held faculty positions at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Pennsylvania State University, and Auburn University, and has serves as Assistant Executive Director for Education in the American Psychological Association. He has written and presented extensively on comprehensive, coordinated services; public health and psychological practice; and conduct disorders in adolescence. Robyn S. Hess is an Associate Professor of School Psychology at the University of Northern Colorado. Her areas of research are culturally responsive practice, coping and stress in children and adolescents, and school completion among high risk youth, as well as integrating a public health perspective within school psychology training and practice.

Review :
"In this book, Hess, Short, and Hazel provide answers to questions that have plagued the field of school psychology for decades, regarding how to expand psychological services in schools to address population needs. It fills an important niche for those interested in adopting a public health approach to school-based mental health services and for school psychologists interested in broad-based service delivery." - Bonnie K. Nastasi, PhD, Associate Professor, Tulane University "School psychologists will recognize themselves in the familiar descriptions of consultation, collaboration, and data-based problem solving, and they will appreciate the book’s concise and effective explanations of less familiar topics including applied epidemiology and practice-guiding logic models. Ultimately, the invaluable contribution of the book is weaving together these familiar and unfamiliar topics into a potent image of what school mental health practice can become: a practice that embeds mental health supports into the daily lives of children in our communities. Readers will understand the power of this vision and will be convinced that they possess the skills to realize it." - Beth J. Doll, EdD, Professor and Director, School Psychology Program, University of Nebraska - Lincoln.