Our Children Can’t Wait — Improving Services for Children and Adolescents with Mental Illness: Mental Health and Education Systems Working Together - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Our Children Can’t Wait — Improving Services for Children and Adolescents with Mental Illness: Mental Health and Education Systems Working Together

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Title: Our Children Can’t Wait — Improving Services for Children and Adolescents with Mental Illness: Mental Health and Education Systems Working Together


1
Addressing Mental Health Barriers to Learning
Through Educator-Initiated Programs
Carl E. Paternite, Ph.D. Center for School-Based
Mental Health Programs Department of
Psychology Miami University (Ohio) http//www.unit
s.muohio.edu/csbmhp Presented at the 7th
National Conference on Advancing School-Based
Mental Health Programs, Philadelphia,
PA, September 21st, 2002
2
Addressing Mental Health Barriers to Learning
Through Educator-Initiated Programs
  • Instructional Objectives For Presentation
  • Offer a "case study" of program development.
  • Increase participant awareness of the importance
    of
  • educators in school-based mental health
    programming.
  • Increase participant knowledge of effective
    approaches to
  • enhance educator mental health professional
    collaboration.
  • Increase knowledge of ways to infuse "mental
    health
  • education" into the school milieu.

3
Addressing Mental Health Barriers to Learning
Through Educator-Initiated Programs
  • Themes Addressed in Presentation
  • Program development.
  • Interdisciplinary collaboration and partnership.
  • Prevention.
  • Research, training and education.

4
Mental Health Needs of Youth and Available
Services
  • 20-38 of children and adolescents need mental
    health intervention.
  • One-sixth to one-third of these youth actually
    receive any service, and, of those who do, less
    than half receive adequate treatment.
  • For the small percentage of youth who do receive
    service, most actually receive it within a school
    setting.
  • These realities raise questions about the mental
    health fields over-reliance on clinic-based
    treatment, and have reinforced the importance of
    alternative models for mental health service
    especially expanded school-based programs.

5
Expanded School-Based Mental Health Programs
  • National movement to place effective mental
    health programs in schools.
  • To promote the academic, behavioral, social,
    emotional, and contextual/systems well-being of
    youth, and to reduce mental health barriers to
    school success.
  • Programs incorporate primary prevention and
    mental health promotion, secondary prevention,
    and intensive intervention.
  • Intent is to contribute to building capacity for
    a comprehensive, multifaceted, and integrated
    system of support and care.

6
Potential of Schools as Key Points of Engagement
  • Opportunities to engage youth where they are.
  • Unique opportunities for intensive, multifaceted
    approaches and are essential contexts for
    prevention and research activity.

7
Center for School-Based Mental Health Programs
(at Miami University)
  • Ohio Mental Health Network for School Success
  • Six affiliate organizations working together in
    regional and state-wide activities.
  • Butler County School-Based Mental Health Program
  • School-based mental health promotion, prevention,
    intervention, and applied research activities.
  • Addressing Barriers to Learning Program
  • Annual conferences to initiate and sustain local,
    school-based projects that reduce mental health
    barriers to learning and enhance the development
    of healthy school communities.

8
Center for School-Based Mental Health Programs
(at Miami University)
  • Behavioral Health Advisor
  • Mental health newsletter for elementary and
    secondary school educators, focusing on issues
    related to child mental health and school
    success.
  • Evaluation of Alternative Education/ Discipline
    Programs
  • Ongoing formative evaluation of 11 alternative
    programs in Butler County,OH.
  • Partnerships for Success Academy (with the Ohio
    State University Center for Learning Excellence)
  • Technical assistance to 15 counties engaged in
    efforts to build capacity to prevent and respond
    effectively to youth problem behaviors while
    promoting positive development.

9
Center for School-Based Mental Health Programs
(at Miami University)Funding
  • Butler County Mental Health Board
  • The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati
  • Ohio Department of Mental Health
  • The Center for Learning Excellence
  • Butler County Family and Children First Council
  • Talawanda School District
  • Miami University cost sharing

10
School-Based Mental Health Partnerships Many
individuals have been instrumental to our
school-based mental health partnerships since
1998. To name just a few University-Based (3
universities, 5 academic divisions, 6
departments) Faculty/Staff Carl E. Paternite,
Karen Schilling, Julie Rubin, Denise Fox-Barber,
Amy Wilms, Betty Yung, David Andrews, Al Neff,
Diana Leigh, Alex Thomas, Randy Flora, Doris
Bergen, Valerie A. Ubbes, Raymond Witte, Joan
Fopma-Loy Psychology interns and graduate
assistants Lynne Knobloch, Becky Hutchison,
Sally Phillips, Leslie Baer, Linda Gal, Derek
Oliver, Mike Imhoff, Julie Cathey, Liz Morey,
Chris Dyszelski, Chris Mauro, Nancy Pike, Jessica
Donn, Sandra Kirchner, LaTasha Mack, Ann-Marie
Bixler, Jari Santana-Wynn, Jeanene Robinson,
Gloria Oliver, Francesca Dalumpines, Jamie
Williamson, Jill Thomas, Jennifer Malinosky,
Jason Kibby, Julia Pemberton, Ann Marie Lundberg,
Marc McLaughlin, Robin Graff-Reed
Community-Based John Staup, Kay Rietz,
Saundra Jenkins, Barbara Perez, Susan Smith,
Valerie Robinson, Jolynn Hurwitz, Kate Keller,
Terri Johnston, Charlie Johnston, Kathy Oberlin,
Ellen Anderson, Noelle Duval, Linda Maxwell, Greg
Foster, Teresa Jullian-Goebel, Suzanne Robinson,
Terre Garner, Bryan Brown, Greg Rausch, Carolyn
Jones, David Turner School-Based Teacher
consultants Sherie Davis, Marilyn Elzey, Tom
Orlow, Teresa Abrams, Sarah Buck, Jim Carter,
Julie Churchman, Amy Gibson, Joy Boyle, Chris
Carroll, Mary Hessling, Joan Parks, Joanne
Williamson, Jaimie Pribble, Pam Termeer, Pat
Stephens, Patricia Scholl, Martha Slamer, David
Wood, Susan Meyer, Monna Even, Ginny Paternite,
Connie Short, Terri Hoffmann, Karen Shearer
Guidance counselors, school psychologists,
school nurses, and administrators Marianne
Marconi, Sandy Greenberg, Tom OReilly, Roberta
Perlin, Betsy Esber, MaryBeth Bergeron, Greg
Rausch, Ann Schmitt, Alice Bonar, Stephanie
Johnson, Marcia Schlichter, Susan Cobb, Phil
Cagwin, Bob Bierly, Martha Angello, Bill Miller,
Bob Phelps, Dan Milz, Dave Isaacs, Mark Mortine,
Rhonda Bohannon, Clint Moore, Cathy Keener, Mary
Jane Roberts, Jean Eagle, Alice Eby, Kathy
Jonas, David Greenburg, Candice McIntosh, Sharon
Lytle, Terri Fitton, Steve Swankhaus, Melissa
Kessler, Mary Jacobs .. Action-Project Teams
Fourteen 2-4 person teams from ten schools in
five school districts, each with a university
faculty/graduate student liaison.
11
  • Center for School-Based Mental Health Programs
    (at Miami University)
  • Overarching Goals
  • Build collaborative university-school district
    relationships to
  • address the mental health needs of children
    and adolescents
  • through multifaceted programming.
  • Promote mental health and school success for
    youth through
  • Primary prevention and mental health education
  • Early direct intervention for identified at-risk
    children
  • and adolescents, and treatment for those with
    severe/
  • chronic mental health problems
  • Action research, training, and consultation

12
The Ohio Mental Health Network for School Success
  • Mission
  • To help Ohios school districts, community-based
    agencies, and families work together to achieve
    improved educational and developmental outcomes
    for all children especially those at emotional
    or behavioral risk and those with mental health
    problems, including pupils participating in
    alternative education programs.

13
The Ohio Mental Health Network for School Success
  • Action Agenda
  • Create awareness about the gap between childrens
    mental health needs and treatment resources,
    and encourage improved and expanded services.
  • Encourage mental health agencies and school
    districts to adopt mission statements that
    address the importance of partnerships.
  • Conduct surveys of mental health agencies and
    school districts to better define the mental
    health needs of children and to gather
    information about promising practices.

14
The Ohio Mental Health Network for School Success
  • Action Agenda (continued)
  • Provide technical assistance to mental health
    agencies and school districts, to support
    adoption of evidence-based and promising
    practices, including improvement and expansion of
    school-based mental health services.
  • Develop a guide for education and mental health
    professionals and families, for the development
    of productive partnerships.
  • Assist in identification of sources of financial
    support for school-based mental health
    initiatives.
  • Assist university-based professional preparation
    programs in psychology, social work, public
    health, and education, in developing
    inter-professional strategies and practices for
    addressing the mental health needs of school-age
    children.

15
Educators as Key Members of the Mental Health
Team
  • Schools should not be held responsible for
    meeting every need of every student.
  • However, schools must meet the challenge when the
    need directly affects learning and school
    success. (Carnegie Council Task Force on
    Education of Young Adolescents, 1989)
  • There is clear and compelling evidence that there
    are strong positive associations between mental
    health and school success.

16
Educators as Key Members of the Mental Health Team
  • Children whose emotional, behavioral, or social
    difficulties are not addressed have a diminished
    capacity to learn and benefit from the school
    environment. In addition, children who develop
    disruptive behavior patterns can have a negative
    influence on the social and academic environment
    for other children. (Rones Hoagwood, 2000,
    p.236)
  • Contemporary school reformand the associated
    high-stakes testing (including recently signed
    federal legislation)has not incorporated the
    Carnegie Council imperative. That is, recent
    reform has not adequately incorporated a focus on
    addressing barriers to development, learning, and
    teaching.

17
Common Messages Across Initiatives
  • It is important to build on the common goals of
    expanded school-based mental health programs and
    existing community and school initiatives. For
    example, in Ohio
  • Comprehensive Strategy
  • Partnerships for Success
  • Alternative Education Challenge Grant Program
  • All share a common core focus on barriers to
    development, learning, and teaching.
  • Identification of the common message across
    initiatives is extremely important for reducing
    the chances that what is being introduced by any
    one initiative will be marginalized by proponents
    of narrowly-focused school reform.

18
Creating and Maintaining Ongoing, Empowering
Dialogue with Educators
  • Multi-level, formal and informal dialogue with
    policy makers, formulators, enforcers, and
    implementers.
  • Programs for school board members and
    administrators.
  • Newsletter for teachers.
  • Website resources.
  • Extensive contact time with educators in their
    school buildings.
  • Joining the school community.
  • Key opinion leaders.

19
Assessing and Responding To Educator-Identified
Needs and Concerns
  • Careful, detailed, local needs assessments from
    the perspective of educators, and a commitment to
    be responsive to identified needs.
  • Results used in advocacy efforts and as
    guideposts for ongoing work.

20
Prioritizing Promotion of Healthy Development and
Problem Prevention
  • School-based models should capitalize on schools
    unique opportunities to provide mental
    health-promoting activities.
  • Recommended strategies for violence and drop-out
    prevention, including those for which the central
    role of educators is evident, can be promoted
    actively within an expanded school-based mental
    health program.

21
Prioritizing Promotion of Healthy Development and
Problem Prevention
  • For violence prevention, these include
  • Structured social skill development programs.
  • Mentoring.
  • Programs that foster school engagement,
    participation, and bonding.
  • Promotion of developmental assets.
  • A variety of approaches that engage parents and
    families.

22
Prioritizing Promotion of Healthy Development and
Problem Prevention
  • For drop-out prevention, these include
  • Early intervention.
  • Mentoring and tutoring.
  • Service learning.
  • Conflict resolution and violence prevention
    curricula and training for students/staff.
  • Alternative schooling.

23
Teacher Consultants
  • Teacher consultants develop and implement special
    projects
  • related to school-based mental health
    enhancement.
  • Teacher consultants serve as liaisons to the
    schools in efforts to promote school-based
    mental health programming.
  • Teacher consultants serve as informal
    advisers/mentors to
  • school staff on matters related to
    social-emotional adjustment and learning needs of
    children and school/climate issues.

24
Incentives For Teacher Consultants
  • Leadership opportunity
  • Training opportunity
  • Academic credit
  • Stipends (supplemental contracts)
  • Empowerment
  • Demystification

25
  • Addressing Barriers to Learning Annual
    Conference and Action Projects Program
  • Goal
  • Conduct annual conferences, to help initiate
    planned
  • local public school-based projects that
    reduce mental
  • health-related barriers to learning and
    enhance the

26
  • Objectives of Addressing Barriers to Learning
    Program
  • Demonstrate, produce and assess school-based
    mental
  • health practices (classroom-based,
    classroom-linked)
  • that address barriers to desired academic
    outcomes
  • and personal and social skill development.
  • Put into continuing practice that which
    participants learn
  • in conference activities and projects.
  • Increase the effectiveness of school district
  • collaboration and system support for
    school-based
  • mental health practices.
  • Disseminate findings.

27
  • Resources for Addressing Barriers to Learning
    Program
  • Researchers and practitioners whose work on the
  • conference theme evidences quality and the
    potential for
  • successful application locally.
  • Web-site support.
  • Resource packets.
  • Small grants to support action projects.
  • Ongoing consultation with action teams with
    graduate
  • students/faculty.

28
  • Conference Themes for Addressing Barriers to
    Learning Program
  • 2000 Nonviolent Schools Building Programs
    That Work
  • Consultants Betty Yung and
    Jeremy Shapiro
  • 2001 School, Family, and Community
    Partnerships
  • Consultants Marc Atkins and
    Scott Rankin
  • 2002 School, Family, and Community
    Partnerships
  • Consultants Program faculty

29
  • Addressing Barriers To Learning
  • School, Family, and Community Partnerships
  • Second Annual Conference
  • March 22 24, 2001
  • Marcum Conference Center
  • Miami University
  • Oxford, Ohio
  • Institute for Educational Renewal Based
  • At Miami University
  • Miami University Center for

Addressing Barriers To Learning School, Family,
and Community Partnerships Conference Advisory
Committee Randy Flora Institute for
Educational Renewal, MU Joan Fopma-Loy
Department of Nursing, MU Susan Mosley-Howard
Associate Dean, EAP, MU Carl E. Paternite
Department of Psychology, MU Roberta Perlin
Talawanda City Schools Alex Thomas Dept. of
Educational Psychology, MU Valerie Ubbes
Dept. of Physical Education, MU Raymond Witte
Dept. of Educational Psychology,
MU Evaluator Doris Bergen Dept. of
Educational Psychology, MU Contacts Randy
Flora floravr_at_muohio.edu (513)529-6926 203
McGuffey Hall Oxford, OH 45056 Carl E.
paternce_at_muohio.edu (513)529-2416 Paternite Dept.
of Psychology, Benton Hall Oxford, OH
45056 Many thanks to the members of the
Conference Advisory Committee for your time and
effort. Additional thanks to our funding
providers, The Graduate School of Miami
University and the Butler County Mental Health
Board, for their support.
30
Thursday, March 22, 2001500 p.m.- 840
p.m.PROGRAM
Saturday, March 24, 2001 745 a.m. 400
p.m. PROGRAM 745 Continental Breakfast 815 Set
ting the Focus on Todays Work Carl E.
Paternite 830 Conversation with
Consultants . A. Research-based Strategies
Addressing Barriers to Learning in School
Communities - Marc Atkins B. Empowering
Families and Engaging Community Agencies for
Healthy, Achieving Children - Scott
Rankin 915 Break 930 Conversation with
Consultants Continued 1015 Break 1030 Consulta
nts Synthesis From Morning Session Marc Atkins
and Scott Rankin 1045 Team Work with Technical
Assistance Clarifying Goals, Objectives, and
Strategies for School Projects 1145 Lunch 12
45 Review and Refocus Marc Atkins and Scott
Rankin 130 Team Work with Technical Assistance
Refining Project Strategies and Resource Needs
Resource Needs 215 Break 230 Assessment
Suggestions for Consideration Doris Bergen,
Dept. of Educational Psychology, Miami
University Julia Pemberton 245 Team Work with
Technical Assistance Planning Assessment
Strategies for Team Projects 315 Budget
Procedures Randy Flora and Julia
Pemberton 330 Next Steps Carl E. Paternite and
Randy Flora 345 Evaluation and
Adjournment Julia Pemberton
  • 500 Reception - Highlights of 2000-2001
    Programs
  • 515 Welcome and Introductions
  • Carl E. Paternite, Miami University Center for
    School-Based Mental Health Programs
  • 530 School, Family, and Community Partnerships
    Addressing Barriers to Learning - Research and
    Practical Applications
  • Marc Atkins, University of Illinois - Chicago
  • 600 Dinner
  • 640 Under Pressure!
  • Lakota East High School Students with Advisors,
    Richard Schmaltz and Lisa Schmaltz
  • 730 School, Family, and Community Partnerships
  • Scott Rankin, Fairfax School, Hamilton County
    MRDD
  • 800 Imagining School, Family, and Community
  • Partnerships Drawing the Pictures
  • Marc Atkins and Scott Rankin

31
  • Addressing Barriers To Learning
  • School, Family, and Community Partnerships
  • Second Annual Conference
  • March 20 21, 2002
  • Marcum Conference Center
  • Miami University
  • Oxford, Ohio
  • Institute for Educational Renewal Based
  • at Miami University
  • Miami University Center for

Addressing Barriers To Learning School, Family,
and Community Partnerships Conference Advisory
Committee Randy Flora Institute for
Educational Renewal, MU Joan Fopma-Loy
Department of Nursing, MU Susan Mosley-Howard
Associate Dean, EAP, MU Carl E. Paternite
Department of Psychology, MU Roberta Perlin
Talawanda City Schools Alex Thomas Dept. of
Educational Psychology, MU Valerie Ubbes
Dept. of Physical Education, MU Raymond Witte
Dept. of Educational Psychology,
MU Evaluator Doris Bergen Dept. of
Educational Psychology, MU Contacts Randy
Flora floravr_at_muohio.edu (513)529-6926 203
McGuffey Hall Oxford, OH 45056 Carl E.
paternce_at_muohio.edu (513)529-2416 Paternite Dept.
of Psychology, Benton Hall Oxford, OH
45056 Many thanks to the members of the
Conference Advisory Committee for your time and
effort. Additional thanks to our funding
providers, The Graduate School of Miami
University and the Butler County Mental Health
Board, for their support.
32

Thursday, March 21, 2002 815 a.m.- 300
p.m. PROGRAM
  • Wednesday, March 20, 2002
  • 515 p.m.- 800 p.m.
  • PROGRAM
  • Session 2 Goals
  • School-based teams refine goal statements to
    include outcome and process goals that include
    criteria/indicators for determining success.
  • Participants plan implementation strategies
    appropriate to the goals and criteria/indicators
    for determining success.
  • Participants understand their
    responsibilities for implementation, budget
    management, evaluation, and reporting.
  • Faculty consultants and graduate students
    are assigned to, and understand their
    consultation responsibilities for, each team for
    2002-2003.
  • Session 1 Goals
  • Participants understand and support the
    purpose of the
    Addressing Barriers to Learning
    initiative.
  • Participants become aware of successful
    and promising school-based projects.
  • Participants strengthen their commitments
    to support their



    respective school-based projects.

815 Continental Breakfast 845 Todays
Agenda Carl E. Paternite, Department of
Psychology, MU 900 Assessing Progress
Suggestions for Consideration Doris Bergen,
Department of Educational Psychology,
MU 930 Focusing Projects on Desired Conditions
and Outcomes Knowing What You Want Alex
Thomas, Department of Educational Psychology,
MU 1000 Work Session with Consultants 1100 Choo
sing Strategies that Earn Desired Outcomes Ray
Witte, Department of Educational Psychology,
MU 1130 Lunch 1230 Work Session with
Consultants 115 Question and Answer
Session Whole Group 145 Cross-team
Conversation Teams are paired up to describe
their projects and receive constructive input on
their projects 230 Budget Procedures and Next
Steps Carl E. Paternite 245 Evaluation and
Adjournment Julia Pemberton, Graduate Assistant,
Institute for Ed. Renewal
515 Reception - Highlights of 2001-2002
Programs 545 Welcome and Networking
Dinner Carl E. Paternite, Miami University
Center for School-Based Mental Health
Programs 700 Under Pressure! Lakota East High
School Students with Advisor, Sue
Bateman 730 Under Pressure! Question and
Answer Session with Under Pressure!
33
Addressing Barriers to Learning Evaluation of
2002 Training Conference Mean ratings for each
training component (scale 1 low/no usefulness
5 very useful) Evening Session (25-26
respondents) Highlights of 2001-02
Projects 4.0 Networking dinner 4.4
Youth group performance 4.8 Full-day Session
(30-32 respondents) Assessing progress 3.6
Desired conditions and outcomes 4.1 Work
session with consultants 1 4.5 Strategies
that earn desired outcomes 4.0 Work session
with consultants 2 4.5
34
  • Addressing Barriers to Learning Current
    Elementary School Action Projects
  • School-wide project focused on increasing
    students positive social skills, using monthly
  • themes and activities (open house nights,
    assemblies, community speakers). Parent
  • involvement in planning and implementation is
    emphasized.
  • School-wide project focused on trait of the
    month themes (e.g., responsibility, caring)
  • and activities (community service projects,
    fund raising for needy families, school-based
  • counseling groups, after school activities,
    peer mediation program).
  • School-wide attendance enhancement program,
    through improved monitoring, enhanced
  • parental involvement with an after
    school/evening tutoring program linked to family
  • dinner/activity events, and an attendance
    reward program.
  • School-wide outreach program to families (The
    Road Show) taking school informational
  • meetings into neighborhoods and communities,
    to overcome obstacle of the
  • geographically large catchment area and to
    increase family sense of engagement with the
  • school.

35
  • Addressing Barriers to Learning Current
    Elementary School Action Projects (contd)
  • A violence reduction program, focused on
    development of resource materials and use of
  • psychoeducational training in coping skills
    and strategies for at risk students.
  • School-wide family engagement project
    emphasizing literacy, through school-based
  • reading night dinner programs with
    storytellers and opportunities for families to
    read
  • together.
  • School-wide parent involvement and support
    program focused on attention to needs of
  • families, efforts to increase positive
    attitudes toward learning, and enhancement of
    social
  • skills of students, using community picnics
    and Parents on Board parenting classes.
  • School-wide program focused on understanding and
    appreciating difference, tolerance,
  • and conflict resolution skills, using
    curricula from the Center for Peace Education.

36
  • Addressing Barriers to Learning Current High
    School Action Projects
  • Mentoring program focused on academic and
    personal success
  • of students, including a strong community
    service component.
  • Alternative high school service learning program
    incorporating
  • intensive involvement with a senior citizens
    center and tutoring in
  • an elementary school.

37
  • Addressing Barriers to Learning Training in the
    Project Evaluation Process
  • Determine goals and objectives.
  • Determine data needed to measure desired
    outcomes.
  • Select measurement methods.
  • Outline data collection plan.
  • Collect data.
  • Compile, analyze, interpret, and report results.
  • Refine project based on findings.
  • Note Dr. Doris Bergen (Miami University Center
    for Human Development, Learning, and
  • Teaching) has provided ongoing technical
    assistance on the evaluation process.

38
Addressing Barriers to LearningLevels of
Evaluation Evaluation expected on two or more
of the four levels Level 1 -- Records on
planned activities. Level 2 -- Self-report data
from participant groups on knowledge,
attitudes, behaviors. Level 3 -- Outcome data
on student effects (attendance, office
referrals, grades). Level 4 -- Systematic
observational data on behavior change
related to objectives of project. Note Dr.
Doris Bergen (Miami University Center for Human
Development, Learning, and Teaching) has provided
ongoing technical assistance on the evaluation
process.
39
  • Addressing Barriers to Learning Linking Project
    Objectives to Evaluation
  • The Road Show
  • Objectives
  • Increase family involvement with school
  • Increase student attendance
  • Decrease discipline referrals
  • Evaluation Plan
  • Number of positive/negative calls to school
  • Road show attendance rates and parent survey
  • Attendance at parent conferences
  • Student attendance rates
  • Student discipline referrals

40
Closing Observations
  • Clearly, intellectual, social, and emotional
    education go hand-in-hand, and all are linked to
    creating safe schools, building healthy
    character, and achieving academic success
  • The proper aim of education is to promote
    significant learning. Significant learning
    entails development. Development means
    successively asking broader and deeper questions
    of the relationship between oneself and the
    world. This is as true for first graders as it is
    for graduate students, for fledgling artists as
    graying accountants.
  • A good education ought to help people
    become more perceptive to and more discriminating
    about the world seeing, feeling, and
    understanding more, yet sorting the pertinent
    from the peripheral with ever finer touch,
    increasingly able to integrate what they see and
    to make meaning of it in ways that enhance their
    ability to go on growing. To imagine otherwise,
    to act as though learning were simply a matter of
    stacking facts on top of one another, makes as
    much sense as thinking one can learn a language
    by memorizing a dictionary. Ideas only come to
    life when they root in the mind of a learner.
    (Daloz, 1999, p. 243)

41
Closing Observations
  • The need for increased attention to mental health
    promotion on behalf of youth, is quite clear
  • We have a burgeoning field of developmental
    psychopathology but have a more diffuse body of
    research on the pathways whereby children and
    adolescents become motivated, directed, socially
    competent, compassionate, and psychologically
    vigorous adults. Corresponding to that, we have
    numerous research-based programs for youth aimed
    at curbing drug use, violence, suicide, teen
    pregnancy, and other problem behaviors, but lack
    a rigorous applied psychology of how to promote
    youth development.
  • The place for such a field is apparent to
    anyone who has had contact with a cross section
    of American adolescents. (Larson, 2000, p. 170)

42
Closing Observations
  • Certainly, educators are key partners in efforts
    to intervene with children in need and to promote
    development.
  • In fact, through their day-to-day interactions
    with students, educators are the linchpins of
    school-based efforts to encourage healthy
    psychological development of youth.
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