Mental and Behavioral Health Issues: An Overview

1
Mental and Behavioral Health Issues An Overview

• A Safety and Violence Prevention Curriculum
• Module One

2
Purpose of Curriculum

• Create training for all educational professionals
  regarding barriers to student success.
• Ensure the education of Ohios youth through
  joint efforts of several agencies.
• Provide early identification, referrals,
  community connections and help for students and
  their families.

3
Topics

• Module 1 Overview, Resilience, Barriers to
  Learning
• Module 2 Depression and Suicide
• Module 3 Alcohol and Drug Use, Abuse, and
  Addiction
• Module 4 Violence Against Children
• Child Abuse
• Bullying and Violence

4
Objectives of Module 1

• To understand
• Resiliency and protective factors
• Non-academic barriers to academic achievement
• Early identification and intervention
• Characteristics indicative of student behavioral
  health concerns
• How to make referrals to school and community
  professionals

5
Protective Factors

• What do kids need to be successful?
• Common sense
• Supportive family
• Healthy environment home, school, community
• Ability to deal with challenges, changes
• COPING ABILITIES RESILIENCE

6
Developmental Assets

• Since 1990, the Search Institute studied more
  than one million students and 213 communities.
• The Institute articulated 40 Developmental
  Assets
• See full list in Resources
• 20 External Assets
• 20 Internal Assets
• Which assets can schools influence?

7
Assets in Schools

• Positive other adult relationship (3 non-parent
  adults)
• Caring school climate
• Parent involvement in school
• Service to others (one or more hours per week)
• Safety youth feel safe at school
• School boundaries clear rules and consequences
• Adult role models
• High expectations

8
Assets in Schools

• Creative activities (3 hours/week)
• Youth programs (3 hours/week)
• Achievement motivation
• School engagement
• Homework
• Bonding to school
• POWER OF ONE CARING ADULT

9
One Caring Adult

• Research reinforces the power of one adult
• Parents or other caregivers or extended family
  members can serve this role
• Neighbors and other adults youth see in their
  daily lives.
• Adults who spend time with youth through schools
  and programs, including coaches, teachers,
  mentors, child care workers, youth workers and
  employers.

10
One Caring Adult

• We need to make sure that no boy or girl in
  America is growing up without the presence of a
  responsible, caring adult.
• Where else does a child learn how to behave?
  Where else does a child learn the experience
  totems and traditions of the past?
• Where else does a child look for proper
  examples except from responsible, caring, loving
  adults in his or her life?
• Founding Chairman General Colin L. Powell,
• Minnesota Alliance with Youth

11
Non-academic Barriers To Learning

• Maslows Hierarchy of Needs (1970)
• Basic needs must be met before child can attend
  to next need on the hierarchy.
• 5. Self-Actualization attaining ones
  full potential
• 4. Significance status within the group
• 3. Social belonging to a group
• 2. Safety knowing survival resources are safe
• 1. Survival food, clothing, shelter

12
ODE Resources

• See www.ode.state.oh.us and use
• these keyword search terms
• Safe and Supportive Learning
• Safe and Drug-Free Schools
• Ohio School Climate Guidelines
• Learning Supports Guidelines
• Tobacco Prevention
• Bullying Prevention
• Students with Disabilities
• Just for Families

13
Myth or Fact?

• 1. Whenever a student has red eyes, he/she has
  been doing drugs.
• 2. Bullying only happens at other schools.
• 3. Bullying is just kids being kids. It makes
  kids tougher and teaches them valuable life
  lessons.
• 4. Kids have the right to attend schools in which
  they feel safe.

14
Myth or Fact?

• 5. Parents will punish children if they are
  reported to Child Protective Services. Besides,
  kids will lie to get their parents in trouble.
• 6. Only lower-income parents commit child abuse.
• 7. Children dont commit suicide.
• 8. Talking about suicide will increase the
  likelihood that someone will commit suicide.
• 9. Suicide is contagious.

15
Myth or Fact?

• 10. Good kids wont have these problems. I can
  always spot a troubled kid.
• 11. The parents are at fault when something goes
  wrong with a kid.
• 12. I dont know how to help these kids!
• 13. One caring adult can save a childs life.

16
Recognizing Changes in Behavior, Appearance and
Performance

• Not all students have the support they need to be
  successful in school and in life.
• Students dont always ask for help, but school
  professionals can be alert for barriers to
  learning.

17
General Indicators

• School work has declined grades suddenly
  slipping or dropping dramatically
• Missing school (skipping secretly or too "tired"
  or "sick" to go)
• Unexplainable and dramatic mood changes
  (irritable, crying jags)
• Dropping out of usual activities (music, sports,
  hobbies)
• Physical appearance changing (poor hygiene,
  unusual style changes)
• Seems to have "lost" motivation

18
General Indicators

• Depression or anxiety
• Forgetfulness
• Unusual sleeping habits (changing over time or
  dramatic change)
• Behavior that will make a students pre-existing
  health conditions worse, e.g.,
• Child with diabetes refusing insulin
• Child with asthma smoking

19
What Can You Do?

• IDENTIFY students who are experiencing barriers
  to learning.
• REACH OUT Tell them you care and want to help.
• REFER students to in-school staff or community
  resources.

20
Referral Process

• Need students name and reason for concern.
• You do not need to investigate, only report
  concerns.
• Follow your school or district policy for
  referral
• In-school referral contact and/or
• Community contacts

21
Discuss School or District Referral Process
22
Resources

• Handouts in your packet
• Search Institutes Forty Developmental Assets
• References
• Resources