CB Education Blog

If you hope for to happen to a noble undergraduate, it’s signal to father confidence in yourself as a learner. It’s substantial to feel that you actually like erudition, and that you actually satisfaction in the point you are studying.

When you picture yourself erudition poorly, you program your mind object of more wisdom failures. This is what you keep in view, so it becomes more in all probability that you will carry out it.

What should you do if you don’t truly have faith in yourself as a trainee, or if you are convinced that you’ll not in the least understand the thesis you are studying? Fortunately you can learn to change your impression of yourself and what you are lore by a manner called visualization.

Successful visualization essentially means that you are skilled to pretend to yourself that you are already performing successfully the ingenuity you scarceness to learn.

To silver your messages to yourself up what make of evaluator you are, you intention contain to hard cash your inner big of yourself as a learner, and substitute new messages repayment for yourself saying that scholarship is easy and joy owing you.

Your mind more without a hitch absorbs consummate messages when you are in a completely cool governmental of cadaver and mind. To gain this splendour, appear or lie comfortably in a ease arrive where you intention not be disturbed. Comment your breathing.

Reduce your stiff and nave your attention on your breath. Start to exhale freely and entirely, in a cool manner. You can also press into service separate meditation techniques to become infected with your haul into a more relaxed structure where it at one’s desire be easier to assent to a up to date, confident message.

Rip off a not many messages to image yourself as a learner. Adopt note of what you know in your mind.

When visualizing, some people see still images, as in a photograph, while others be wise to persevere persist process all approximately them. For some people, the images are two-dimensional and faint, while inasmuch as others, the images are three dimensional and solid. In behalf of various people the images may come as hyacinthine and stainless, see-through, or colored.

Your visualization may seem to unwind on a gauge like a motion picture, or you may talk yourself acting in a take up on point with seemingly actual people. You may be watching an image of yourself in influence, or you may intuit as if you are literally advantaged your own group, looking into the open through your eyes, watching the function all you and participating in it.

If you are visualizing either old times or coming scenarios in a withdraw that drains away your self- self-reliance, you can advantage idiosyncratic techniques derived from Neuro-Linguistic Programming that commitment lessen their hold on you.

Are your visualizations of yourself reliable or negative?

When a adverse outline plays itself out of the closet in your mind, recognize how it appears. Does the locality take the role in hyacinthine and pure, or is it in color? Is it near or far? Does it non-standard like to be on a camouflage, or is it three dimensional? Are there voices? Are they threatening? Humiliating? How do you appear in the scene–are you on the loose, or small? Do you seem powerful? Or weak?

Aeons ago you are familiar with the details of your negative imaginings, grace the director of your own inner movie. If you are seeing a disputing taste in color, revolution it to swarthy and pasty, or beat it it transparent. If the argumentative materialization is close, name it make headway far away.

If the negative notion is three-dimensional, proceed towards it two-dimensional. If there are voices you don’t poverty to heed, fix them quiet, or veer them into droll cartoon voices that touched off silly.

Play circus music in the unnoticed to swamp out the words of people you don’t necessitate to hear. If other people in your scenes non-standard like very looming to you, back away from them in enormousness or make them into cartoon characters. Create yourself growing very, quite hefty and solid, much bigger than the people who take been putting you down.

If you attired in b be committed to been reliving an unpleasant scene as if you are literally participating in it with the action all on all sides you, novelty it so it takes position succeed on a sift that you are viewing from a distance. That way it determination have less wild force on you. Blanch out the colors, or turn them to threatening and white. Turn down the sound. Then total the screen smaller and mentally whoosh it away.

Under, succeed the visualizations that you don’t wish for with visualizations that you do want. Think of scenes of yourself being gleeful, relaxed and confident. Apprehend yourself erudition unquestionably, understanding way down, getting barring marks on your tests free essays download in english.

Strongly appear within yourself the damages, coolness, and haughtiness you would have. Know it, pet it, above-board promptly, in the emcee, as a segment of you. Experience that you exceptionally get wind of the submissive to occasion and that you unqualifiedly love erudition more about it. Represent to yourself that it is inseparable of your favorite subjects to learn about.

When you have imagined yourself in a scene that fills you with unquestioned self-assurance, you can opinion it on a conceal, or conjecture yourself sound in the middle of the location, entrancing rank all in all directions from you. Hot up the colors, and your positive feelings.

Anytime you bear a few minutes, recreate these overconfident imagined scenes. Do this as myriad times a daylight as you can, until you always think of yourself as a smart, gifted learner.

Whether you teach high school physics or college level English, your own personal website can not only help your students better understand the material but make your life easier at the same time. Even if your institution provides for you to have your own website, they may not give you enough room to really do with it what you need to. Use this site for basic information and link to your personal website where you will have more freedom to give your students the information they need.

Update homework assignments. Sometimes, inclement weather or emergencies may keep you or your students out of the classroom. Rather than lose whole class periods, you can use your website to update your students on what to expect. Was an important paper due that day? Give an extension or have them email it or upload it to your site. Will the reading for that day be discussed the next time the class meets or should they go ahead and do the next reading? Also, if there is a typo or a question that you are getting about the homework assignment from many students, you can address the concern on your website.

Answer questions one time only. You may have two sections of the same class or students who weren’t listening or didn’t show up the first 7,000 times the question was asked. To make things simple, you can have a frequently asked questions page for class expectations and rules and a forum for students to ask questions where other students can refer first before asking you again.

Notes and review sheets. Especially for high-schoolers, notes for your class may help them to not only understand the material, but learn how to take good, thorough notes. Also good for those who miss class. Review sheets, too, will help your class hone in on the topics they should focus on for major exams or projects.

Link to research and interactive examples. Often the top 10% and the bottom 10% of the class miss out on the extra attention they need. With a website, you can provide interactive learning activities, extra worksheets to practice with, and further information for those who want to learn more about the background of the subject or explore beyond the limits of the class. These are good for offering extra credit, as well.

No matter what it is that motivates you to build your own website, as a teacher, it will be easier for you reach your students more efficiently and minimize at-home phone calls, excuses, and panicked students. Email, of course, will come with your web site and you can give different classes different email addresses to reach you in order to better organize your desk or assign a certain email address for high priority or turning in assignments.

You can also include pages that are inaccessible to the students for your own personal organization. Grades, attendance, notes to yourself on projects, resources, lecture notes, et cetera can all be kept on your website, accessible to you at any time. As a teacher, a personal website is not just a luxury. Once you build yours, you will wonder how you ever managed without it.

Let’s face it!!! Our children are judged based on their grade point average and their performance on standardized test such as ACT/ SAT. Our children’s high school and college admissions are based on those credentials. As parents, we invest money in sophisticated desktop/ laptop computers to give them access to the worldwide web. We establish home offices, libraries and structured areas to encourage daily homework and studying. We believe constant studying and attention to homework will groom our children to brilliant status and give them impeccable credentials. To a certain extent, we are correct. Homework and study skills lay the basic foundation for school success as high grade point averages flow from high test scores.

Memory skills and repetition is the key to high grade point averages; however, they are not the key to brilliance on standardized test. Standardized test, such as California Achievement Test (CAT), Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), American College Test (ACT), assumes students are exposed to different cultures, climates, countries and experiences at least 10 times before reaching 10th grade. Students who perform the best on standardized test have exposure to diverse experiences. What better way to gain this exposure than a vacation to another city, state, country or continent!!!!!

Wealthy families have always known that trips, getaways and vacations are the secret to grooming brilliant students. Family vacations are an opportunity for students to apply all their classroom knowledge quickly. The average vacation is three to seven days. Some wealthy families are known to vacation up to 45 days on multiple continents. Nevertheless, most families are on a limited timeframe requiring them to make quick decisions regarding currency exchange, climate differences, navigation of city, etc.

These decisions while extremely practical require the use of mathematics, science, geography, social studies and reading. Unconsciously, students are immersed into lessons fueled by sheer excitement and curiosity.

Imagine how productive the lesson would become if a family vacation evolves around a classroom lesson. Children learn lessons at a faster pace. For example, a train trip to an Indian Reservation in Arizona/ New Mexico really solidifies a lesson on Native American History.

I know you are thinking “I don’t have the money for vacation as travel is too expensive.” Under normal circumstances and full prices, travel can be extremely expensive. However, prices drop substantially September 7 through November 20 as this time period is considered the travel slow season. Other lesser known slow seasons are December 1 through December 20, January 3 through February 1 and 2 weeks after Passover/Easter through May 20.

Combine slow season discounts with internet discounts, a family can experience the world at the fraction of cost of your holiday (Christmas, Hanukah, and Ramadan) gift fund. “I spent $1500 dollars for a 3 day vacation in Nassau, Bahamas. That cost included air travel to Miami for 3 people and a cruise to Bahamas. Since food was include, the trip was relatively inexpensive,“ states Ida Byrd-Hill, a parent of 7th grade twins, Kevin and Karen Hill who attend Duke Ellington Conservatory of Music and Art (a Detroit Public School). “My children learned about world colonization, but better yet they learned about opportunities as they met the Bahamian Governess, a woman of African descent. I am glad I was able to find that trip on the web. as Karen scored 96 percentile on the Social Studies portion of the California Achievement Test and Kevin scored 87 percentile on the Science portion of the California Achievement Test ” states Byrd-Hill.

Great deals can be found on the internet by booking at least 14 days or even 21 days in advance. There are also websites that specialize in last minute travel. Often these trips (air/ hotel combos) are for a weekend departing the same week you book the vacation or the next weekend. Since there are so many travel websites on the internet it pays to spend some time price comparing. There are websites, that allow individuals to surf many of the top websites and not so well known sites to compare vacation pricing.

If you want to groom your children into brilliant students, improve their grades and performance on standardized test, implement the secret wealthy families have known for generations &ndash Take a Family Vacation.

Good Trip!!! Bon Voyage!!! Viaje Bueno!!! Arrivaderci!!! Viaggio Buono!!! Gut Tschus!!!

Teachers and Counselors: Does it seem to you that you are seeing more and more seriously emotionally disturbed kids than ever before? The problem may not be with your perceptions. The problem may be that in fact, you are seeing more disturbed children and youth than at any time before.

This article covers some of the updated mental health information we give out in our popular Problem-Kid Problem-Solver Workshop (.youthchg.com). It’s data that all teachers and counselors can use.

There are a few explanations for what you may already have noticed. First, many settings such as schools and Job Corps, are accepting youth with increasingly serious emotional problems. Second, mainstreaming has shifted many kids from sheltered or specialized settings, into mainstream classrooms, sports teams and scouting troops. Third, and perhaps most important, there may be, in fact, more and earlier serious emotional disturbances developing in children. Or, perhaps we are just getting better at identifying these problems.

Late last year, you may have read in your local newspaper a summary of the US Surgeon General’s report that noted that an amazing 1 in 10 children may have a serious mental health disorder. This report noted that the typical wait for troubled children to gain an appointment with a mental health professional was 3 to 4 months. Some communities lack children’s mental health services entirely, the report also noted. This report quotes a study that indicated that many children with severe emotional problems don’t gain proper school services until age 10. The report emphasizes that many of these troubled children will wind up in jail, in part because their problems went unnoticed, or were addressed way too late. The report advocates for more mental health resources for children, and better training in children’s mental health for everyone who works with youth.

The Bottom Line: If you are not a mental health professional, but you work with kids, you may need to acquire a basic mental health background in order to fully understand your changing population, and to best serve their changing needs.

This background will also help you know when to access help from a mental health professional. There is no substitute for the expertise of a mental health worker, and if budget cuts have reduced this option at your site, that is quite serious. A class like our Breakthrough Strategies Workshop (.youthchg.com/live.html) can help you get the basics, but with the incidence of severe childhood emotional problems apparently on the rise, it makes relying on that counselor, social worker, or psychologist perhaps more important than ever before.

If you are a mental health professional you may also want to check your skills too. We are always surprised at our workshop how many mental health professionals confuse conduct disorders and thought disorders, for example, two basic and essential mental health concepts.

We also need more groups like IYI in Indiana, and the Family Resource Centers in Kentucky IYI, the Indiana Youth Institute, brings hands- on training to everyone involved with youth including scout troop leaders, faith-based professionals, after school workers and everyone else involved with kids. Kentucky’s Family Resource Centers are in just about every school in the state, ready to assist the student, family, teacher, counselor or anyone involved in the child’s life to help that child succeed in school, community, family and life.

Sadly, most of us lack a Family Resource Center worker or an IYI to turn to. Your challenge becomes, how do I provide my service to a child with serious emotional problems? Here are a few key do’s and don’t’s, but be sure to also upgrade your basic mental health skills if needed.

** Strike the Balance

Especially in this age of widespread, mandated education performance testing, teachers can feel pressured to get students to perform and produce. But tests don’t “understand” that a child has a serious emotional disturbance and make allowances, but you can. Strive to balance your school or agency’s mission with the child’s special needs. Keep the goals, but don’t accomplish them at any cost.

** When I’m Not Sure What to Do

A good general guideline for anytime that you just don’t know for sure how to work with a child, is ro ask the child. That child is the expert on that child. If you get no useful response, a fall-back plan is to consider what would work or not work with you if you were in that situation.

** But I Have to Be Fair

You may worry that if you give a troubled child extra time to complete a task, for example, that the other kids will complain that it is unfair. In the work world, bosses are required to accommodate employees’ special needs from providing a ramp for a wheel chair to a sign language interpreter. The ultimate mission of most youth-serving sites is to prepare the child for the real world. In the real world, providing some accommodation is either legally mandated or a common courtesy. Most schools even attempt to give a bigger desk to a bigger student. Simple human courtesy and common sense should never be viewed as unfair.

** They Can Take It

Some youth professionals will tell you that the child can “take it.” The truth is that you have no way of looking into a child and accurately gauging their resilience. Since kids do not generally announce that they were beaten last night, or that they haven’t eaten for two days, you don’t know how fragile or strong a child actually is. You don’t know whether or not a child can “take it.” There is a risk that a harsh, embarrassing, aggressive act could harm or undermine a child. While it is never okay to yell, demean or humiliate any child for any reason, it is especially true with children who are severely troubled.

** These Children Are Manipulating the Adults

While some emotionally disturbed children are very adept at manipulation, many emotionally disturbed children do not manipulate at all. There are many types of emotional disturbances, and each has its own unique dynamics. Because an adult works differently with different types of students, tailoring their methods to fit each child and that child’s unique circumstances, does not mean the adult has been manipulated. It means that the adult has a sophisticated understanding of different types of youth and they choose the correct tools for each type.

For more specific techniques to use with troubled youth, consider our “Child’s Guide to Surviving in a Troubled Family.” Find out more about it via our web site (link below).

Teachers and Counselors: Does it seem to you that you are seeing more and more seriously emotionally disturbed kids than ever before? The problem may not be with your perceptions. The problem may be that in fact, you are seeing more disturbed children and youth than at any time before.

This article covers some of the updated mental health information we give out in our popular Problem-Kid Problem-Solver Workshop (.youthchg.com). It’s data that all teachers and counselors can use.

There are a few explanations for what you may already have noticed. First, many settings such as schools and Job Corps, are accepting youth with increasingly serious emotional problems. Second, mainstreaming has shifted many kids from sheltered or specialized settings, into mainstream classrooms, sports teams and scouting troops. Third, and perhaps most important, there may be, in fact, more and earlier serious emotional disturbances developing in children. Or, perhaps we are just getting better at identifying these problems.

Late last year, you may have read in your local newspaper a summary of the US Surgeon General’s report that noted that an amazing 1 in 10 children may have a serious mental health disorder. This report noted that the typical wait for troubled children to gain an appointment with a mental health professional was 3 to 4 months. Some communities lack children’s mental health services entirely, the report also noted. This report quotes a study that indicated that many children with severe emotional problems don’t gain proper school services until age 10. The report emphasizes that many of these troubled children will wind up in jail, in part because their problems went unnoticed, or were addressed way too late. The report advocates for more mental health resources for children, and better training in children’s mental health for everyone who works with youth.

The Bottom Line: If you are not a mental health professional, but you work with kids, you may need to acquire a basic mental health background in order to fully understand your changing population, and to best serve their changing needs.

This background will also help you know when to access help from a mental health professional. There is no substitute for the expertise of a mental health worker, and if budget cuts have reduced this option at your site, that is quite serious. A class like our Breakthrough Strategies Workshop (.youthchg.com/live.html) can help you get the basics, but with the incidence of severe childhood emotional problems apparently on the rise, it makes relying on that counselor, social worker, or psychologist perhaps more important than ever before.

If you are a mental health professional you may also want to check your skills too. We are always surprised at our workshop how many mental health professionals confuse conduct disorders and thought disorders, for example, two basic and essential mental health concepts.

We also need more groups like IYI in Indiana, and the Family Resource Centers in Kentucky IYI, the Indiana Youth Institute, brings hands- on training to everyone involved with youth including scout troop leaders, faith-based professionals, after school workers and everyone else involved with kids. Kentucky’s Family Resource Centers are in just about every school in the state, ready to assist the student, family, teacher, counselor or anyone involved in the child’s life to help that child succeed in school, community, family and life.

Sadly, most of us lack a Family Resource Center worker or an IYI to turn to. Your challenge becomes, how do I provide my service to a child with serious emotional problems? Here are a few key do’s and don’t’s, but be sure to also upgrade your basic mental health skills if needed.

** Strike the Balance

Especially in this age of widespread, mandated education performance testing, teachers can feel pressured to get students to perform and produce. But tests don’t “understand” that a child has a serious emotional disturbance and make allowances, but you can. Strive to balance your school or agency’s mission with the child’s special needs. Keep the goals, but don’t accomplish them at any cost.

** When I’m Not Sure What to Do

A good general guideline for anytime that you just don’t know for sure how to work with a child, is ro ask the child. That child is the expert on that child. If you get no useful response, a fall-back plan is to consider what would work or not work with you if you were in that situation.

** But I Have to Be Fair

You may worry that if you give a troubled child extra time to complete a task, for example, that the other kids will complain that it is unfair. In the work world, bosses are required to accommodate employees’ special needs from providing a ramp for a wheel chair to a sign language interpreter. The ultimate mission of most youth-serving sites is to prepare the child for the real world. In the real world, providing some accommodation is either legally mandated or a common courtesy. Most schools even attempt to give a bigger desk to a bigger student. Simple human courtesy and common sense should never be viewed as unfair.

** They Can Take It

Some youth professionals will tell you that the child can “take it.” The truth is that you have no way of looking into a child and accurately gauging their resilience. Since kids do not generally announce that they were beaten last night, or that they haven’t eaten for two days, you don’t know how fragile or strong a child actually is. You don’t know whether or not a child can “take it.” There is a risk that a harsh, embarrassing, aggressive act could harm or undermine a child. While it is never okay to yell, demean or humiliate any child for any reason, it is especially true with children who are severely troubled.

** These Children Are Manipulating the Adults

While some emotionally disturbed children are very adept at manipulation, many emotionally disturbed children do not manipulate at all. There are many types of emotional disturbances, and each has its own unique dynamics. Because an adult works differently with different types of students, tailoring their methods to fit each child and that child’s unique circumstances, does not mean the adult has been manipulated. It means that the adult has a sophisticated understanding of different types of youth and they choose the correct tools for each type.

For more specific techniques to use with troubled youth, consider our “Child’s Guide to Surviving in a Troubled Family.” Find out more about it via our web site (link below).

“Oh God, tomorrow is exam! Will I remember what I have studied?” This fear haunts many students. Now, don’t fear friend. You can remember what you study.

Provided, you use those study methods that help your brain to remember better.

Here are five ‘Brain-friendly’ study methods that help to improve your memory and remember your study lessons easily:

1. Study with short breaks

Take short breaks while studying. Do not study continuously for more than 30 to 45 minutes.

Give a break of five to ten minutes in between two sessions.

Such short breaks give rest to your brain and help it to reinforce what you are learning. This will make it easy for you to understand more and remember better.

Do not read any new information during these short breaks. Just relax or walk around.

2. Explain to yourself

Explain what you study to yourself. Pretend you are both the student and the teacher, and try to explain the chapter or study topic to yourself.

This kind of ‘explaining’ automatically helps you to learn the subject in detail. Hence you will remember it clearly.

3. Discuss

Discuss important study topics with a willing classmate. Holding such discussion will jog your memory. This is like another form of revision.

Also, you will become aware of important points about those study topics. This will help both you and your classmate to learn more and remember more.

4. Sleep well

Yes, sleep cosily. Good sleep is essential for good memory.

Recent research has shown that lack of sufficient sleep interferes with memory function. Because during sleep and rest period, our brain processes and consolidates information which it records during the day.

So do not skip sleep; especially during the exam days. Sleep for at least six hours. Eight hours is best.

5. Eat Well

Now what has eating got to do with remembering more? Simple. What we eat affects our brain’s performance. Poor nutrition leads to learning and memory problems.

So make sure you include nutrient-rich food items like–whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and milk in your diet. This will keep your brain healthy and happy.

The above five remedies are easy to follow. They definitely help to strengthen your memory and achieve more success in your studies.

“Oh God, tomorrow is exam! Will I remember what I have studied?” This fear haunts many students. Now, don’t fear friend. You can remember what you study.

Provided, you use those study methods that help your brain to remember better.

Here are five ‘Brain-friendly’ study methods that help to improve your memory and remember your study lessons easily:

1. Study with short breaks

Take short breaks while studying. Do not study continuously for more than 30 to 45 minutes.

Give a break of five to ten minutes in between two sessions.

Such short breaks give rest to your brain and help it to reinforce what you are learning. This will make it easy for you to understand more and remember better.

Do not read any new information during these short breaks. Just relax or walk around.

2. Explain to yourself

Explain what you study to yourself. Pretend you are both the student and the teacher, and try to explain the chapter or study topic to yourself.

This kind of ‘explaining’ automatically helps you to learn the subject in detail. Hence you will remember it clearly.

3. Discuss

Discuss important study topics with a willing classmate. Holding such discussion will jog your memory. This is like another form of revision.

Also, you will become aware of important points about those study topics. This will help both you and your classmate to learn more and remember more.

4. Sleep well

Yes, sleep cosily. Good sleep is essential for good memory.

Recent research has shown that lack of sufficient sleep interferes with memory function. Because during sleep and rest period, our brain processes and consolidates information which it records during the day.

So do not skip sleep; especially during the exam days. Sleep for at least six hours. Eight hours is best.

5. Eat Well

Now what has eating got to do with remembering more? Simple. What we eat affects our brain’s performance. Poor nutrition leads to learning and memory problems.

So make sure you include nutrient-rich food items like–whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and milk in your diet. This will keep your brain healthy and happy.

The above five remedies are easy to follow. They definitely help to strengthen your memory and achieve more success in your studies.

We live in a complicated world requiring complex skills. We must prepare our children to cope and to compete. They need reading, social studies, science and math more than ever, but they also need social skills, problem solving, superior reasoning and good mental health. There is a societal need to reduce the incidence of violence in our schools, as well.

When children and teens are focused on problems at home or within themselves, they often do not do well in school. School success and good mental health are intrinsically tied together. Additionally, school success and good mental health are linked to life success. Identifying those youth who are in need of help can reduce suffering and improve mental health, school success, and life success. Good mental health aids development, learning, interpersonal relationships, and the ability to cope with stress more effectively.

Approximately 1 in 5 children & adolescents (20%) experience the signs and symptoms of a mental health disorder during the course of a year. These children are estimated to have severe emotional or behavioral problems that significantly interfere with their daily functioning. Yet, less than one-third of the children under the age 18 with a serious disturbance receive any MH Services. Often the services they do receive are inadequate or inappropriate (Children’s Defense Fund). Ten percent of children in any given classroom (3/30) are ready to learn at the curriculum level (Dr. Adleman & Dr. Taylor UCLA School Mental Health Project).Only 16% of all children receive any mental health services. Follow through for children receiving mental health services in school is much greater than those referred to community services. Of the 16% that receive MH services, 70-80% receive that care in a school setting (healthinschools.org), yet less than 10% of all school districts in the United States currently have an established School Based Mental Health Program (Center for School Mental Health Assistance, Dr. Mark Weist 2001, University of Maryland).

To assess the effectiveness of school based mental health (SBMH) services in reducing emotional, school, home, and behavioral problems of youth, Robert Schmidt, MA and Kathryn Seifert, Ph.D. collaborated on the evaluation of outcomes for a SBMH program for a rural mid-Atlantic School district. Coordination of mental health services with educators, Department of Social Services, the Department of Juvenile Services, and the Development Disabilities program contributed to the program’s success.

The project began in 1999 with a Federal grant to the school district and the project is ongoing. Youth were referred to the project from teachers, guidance counselors, parents, student self-referrals and other agencies such as the Departments of Social Services and Juvenile Services and Law Enforcement. The student’s scores on the Devereaux, BASC, CARE and several school measures such as absenteeism, disciplinary referrals, violence related suspensions, and other suspensions were measured at the beginning of services and at the beginning and end of each school year.

From 1999 to 2004, 36% youth were referred because of symptoms of depression, 26% because of family problems, and 24% because of behavior problems. Examples of reasons for referral to the program included: crying in class, child can’t stay focused, student found out mom is terminally ill, youth’s parents going through divorce, and recent sexual abuse. There were 84 referrals to the program in 1999, compared to 437 students in 2002 and 239 students in 2003. Peak referral times were in October and February. Youth in the transition years of sixth and ninth grades were referred to the program most often. In 2000, 2,132 mental health sessions were provided, in contrast to an amazing 15,763 sessions in 2003.

A group of 632 students who participated in the program showed significantly improved attitudes toward teachers and school, mental health symptoms, and self-esteem during and after services. Students participating in SBMH in years one and two had significantly better school attendance (56 and 57% increase) when compared to non-participants (66 and 59% decrease). Additionally for the group of participants, absenteeism increased 44% before participation and decreased 53% during participation.

Students had a significant (40%) decrease in disciplinary referrals when compared to non-participants (20% decrease). Participants in years one and two had a significant decrease in suspensions (32% and 27%) from school when compared to non-participants (33 and 16% increases). Parents reported that their children were having significantly fewer problems after receiving services. Youth self-reported significantly improved commitment to school, interpersonal relationships and self-esteem, as well as fewer stress related problems. Students reported significantly reduced school maladjustment and clinical maladjustment and improved attitude toward parents and emotional well-being.

Evaluation of the success of the program revealed several key components. One important component was having a central school/mental health coordinator to be an organizer, ombudsman, problem solver, program evaluator, and coordinator of the two systems. Additionally, the mental health service must be an integral part of the school system, not just an adjunct or add-on. Mental health staff need to communicate and attend meetings with school personnel. Mental health professionals can provide workshops and consultation to teachers, guidance counselors, and administrative staff.

Funding for the project came from mental health third party billing and grant funding. Supplemental funds allowed mental health professionals to attend meetings, consult with school personnel, and provide services for children and youth who do not meet medical necessity criteria of their insurance companies. It is also important to include families as an essential part of the program.

In a time when all programs are struggling to cope with funding cuts, collaborative programs, such as this one can make services more efficient and cost effective. Many families of troubled youth are involved in more than one service, in addition to the school. Coordination of multiple services is beneficial to the families and helps improve outcomes for youth.

This project demonstrated that school based mental health services improved student well-being, behavior and school success, while showing a significant decrease in violence and other behavior problems at home and at school. The study is ongoing and a second site has been added.

We live in a complicated world requiring complex skills. We must prepare our children to cope and to compete. They need reading, social studies, science and math more than ever, but they also need social skills, problem solving, superior reasoning and good mental health. There is a societal need to reduce the incidence of violence in our schools, as well.

When children and teens are focused on problems at home or within themselves, they often do not do well in school. School success and good mental health are intrinsically tied together. Additionally, school success and good mental health are linked to life success. Identifying those youth who are in need of help can reduce suffering and improve mental health, school success, and life success. Good mental health aids development, learning, interpersonal relationships, and the ability to cope with stress more effectively.

Approximately 1 in 5 children & adolescents (20%) experience the signs and symptoms of a mental health disorder during the course of a year. These children are estimated to have severe emotional or behavioral problems that significantly interfere with their daily functioning. Yet, less than one-third of the children under the age 18 with a serious disturbance receive any MH Services. Often the services they do receive are inadequate or inappropriate (Children’s Defense Fund). Ten percent of children in any given classroom (3/30) are ready to learn at the curriculum level (Dr. Adleman & Dr. Taylor UCLA School Mental Health Project).Only 16% of all children receive any mental health services. Follow through for children receiving mental health services in school is much greater than those referred to community services. Of the 16% that receive MH services, 70-80% receive that care in a school setting (healthinschools.org), yet less than 10% of all school districts in the United States currently have an established School Based Mental Health Program (Center for School Mental Health Assistance, Dr. Mark Weist 2001, University of Maryland).

To assess the effectiveness of school based mental health (SBMH) services in reducing emotional, school, home, and behavioral problems of youth, Robert Schmidt, MA and Kathryn Seifert, Ph.D. collaborated on the evaluation of outcomes for a SBMH program for a rural mid-Atlantic School district. Coordination of mental health services with educators, Department of Social Services, the Department of Juvenile Services, and the Development Disabilities program contributed to the program’s success.

The project began in 1999 with a Federal grant to the school district and the project is ongoing. Youth were referred to the project from teachers, guidance counselors, parents, student self-referrals and other agencies such as the Departments of Social Services and Juvenile Services and Law Enforcement. The student’s scores on the Devereaux, BASC, CARE and several school measures such as absenteeism, disciplinary referrals, violence related suspensions, and other suspensions were measured at the beginning of services and at the beginning and end of each school year.

From 1999 to 2004, 36% youth were referred because of symptoms of depression, 26% because of family problems, and 24% because of behavior problems. Examples of reasons for referral to the program included: crying in class, child can’t stay focused, student found out mom is terminally ill, youth’s parents going through divorce, and recent sexual abuse. There were 84 referrals to the program in 1999, compared to 437 students in 2002 and 239 students in 2003. Peak referral times were in October and February. Youth in the transition years of sixth and ninth grades were referred to the program most often. In 2000, 2,132 mental health sessions were provided, in contrast to an amazing 15,763 sessions in 2003.

A group of 632 students who participated in the program showed significantly improved attitudes toward teachers and school, mental health symptoms, and self-esteem during and after services. Students participating in SBMH in years one and two had significantly better school attendance (56 and 57% increase) when compared to non-participants (66 and 59% decrease). Additionally for the group of participants, absenteeism increased 44% before participation and decreased 53% during participation.

Students had a significant (40%) decrease in disciplinary referrals when compared to non-participants (20% decrease). Participants in years one and two had a significant decrease in suspensions (32% and 27%) from school when compared to non-participants (33 and 16% increases). Parents reported that their children were having significantly fewer problems after receiving services. Youth self-reported significantly improved commitment to school, interpersonal relationships and self-esteem, as well as fewer stress related problems. Students reported significantly reduced school maladjustment and clinical maladjustment and improved attitude toward parents and emotional well-being.

Evaluation of the success of the program revealed several key components. One important component was having a central school/mental health coordinator to be an organizer, ombudsman, problem solver, program evaluator, and coordinator of the two systems. Additionally, the mental health service must be an integral part of the school system, not just an adjunct or add-on. Mental health staff need to communicate and attend meetings with school personnel. Mental health professionals can provide workshops and consultation to teachers, guidance counselors, and administrative staff.

Funding for the project came from mental health third party billing and grant funding. Supplemental funds allowed mental health professionals to attend meetings, consult with school personnel, and provide services for children and youth who do not meet medical necessity criteria of their insurance companies. It is also important to include families as an essential part of the program.

In a time when all programs are struggling to cope with funding cuts, collaborative programs, such as this one can make services more efficient and cost effective. Many families of troubled youth are involved in more than one service, in addition to the school. Coordination of multiple services is beneficial to the families and helps improve outcomes for youth.

This project demonstrated that school based mental health services improved student well-being, behavior and school success, while showing a significant decrease in violence and other behavior problems at home and at school. The study is ongoing and a second site has been added.