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Texas Education Agency. (2018). The Texas model for comprehensive school counseling programs (5th ed.). Texas Counseling Association. https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/Pub_2018_Texas-Model_5th-Edition.pdf

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Website with documents, frameworks, and other resources to assist stakeholders in understanding the law when it comes to supporting students with disabilities

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The purpose of the project is to provide and maintain an updated web-based platform to assist stakeholders such as local educational agencies (LEAs), advocates, and parents in learning about state and federal laws and regulations by providing rich resources regarding obligations and rights for the provision of a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment to students with disabilities.

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American Counseling Association. (2014). 2014 ACA code of ethics. https://www.counseling.org/knowledge-center

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Learn about different types of mental disorders in children, including symptoms, treatment, and what can be done to prevent them.

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Website to support parents with children who have anxiety

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Even in the best of situations, all children experience some anxiety in the form of worry, apprehension, dread, fear or distress. Occasional nervousness and fleeting anxieties occur when a child is first faced with an unfamiliar or especially stressful situation. It can be an important protection or signal for caution in certain situations. In fact there are specific expected fears that accompany each stage of child development.

Anxiety: Normal and Necessary
From toddlers to teens, life's challenges may be met with a temporary retreat from the situation, a greater reliance on parents for reassurance, a reluctance to take chances, and a wavering confidence. Typically these concerns will resolve when the child learns to master the situation or the situation changes. Incorporating their newfound abilities, whether it is mastering a new school, the neighborhood pool, taking tests, encountering dogs, kids move on from their fears and have no lasting ill-effects. Parents can facilitate a child's successful adjustment to a new challenge by: (1) being accepting of the child's concerns, (2) listening to the child's perceptions, and gently correcting misinformation, and (3) patiently encouraging a child to approach a feared situation one step at a time until it is becomes familiar and manageable.

Typical Childhood Fears

In response to a growing ability to differentiate familiar faces (parents) from unfamiliar, stranger anxiety (clinging and crying when a stranger approaches) develops around 7-9 months and typically resolves by end of first year.

Early Childhood
As a healthy attachment to parents grows, separation anxiety (crying, sadness, fear of desertion upon separation) emerges around one year and improves over the next 3 years, resolving in most children by the end of kindergarten. As children's worlds expand, they may fear new and unfamiliar situations, and real and imagined dangers from big dogs, to spiders, to monsters. Children from age 3-6 are trying to master what is real and what is not, and until this is resolved, they may have difficulty with costumed characters, ghosts, and supernatural beings. While trying to master fears of what could be they may struggle with the dark, the basement, closets, and under the bed. As a child learns how to manage and put aside these fears, their ability to sleep alone will be secured.

Each year, with access to new information, children begin to fear real world dangers-fire drills, burglars, storms, illness, or drugs. With experience, they learn that these risks can exist as remote, rather than imminent dangers. In middle school, the growing importance of social status leads to social comparisons and worries about social acceptance. Concerns about academic and athletic performance, and social group identification are normal. Learning about various physical and mental health diseases in school may lead to some temporary concerns about risk and safety. Teenagers continue to be focused on social acceptance, but with a greater concern for finding a group that reflects their chosen identity. Concerns about the larger world, moral issues and their future successes are common.

When You Should be Concerned

Anxiety is considered a disorder not based on what a child is worrying about, but rather how that worry is impacting a child's functioning. The content may be "normal" but help is needed when a child is experiencing too much worry or suffering immensely over what may appear to be insignificant situations, when worry and avoidance become a child's automatic response in many situations, when they feel constantly keyed up, or when coaxing or reassurance are ineffective in moving them through. For these children anxiety is not protecting them, but rather preventing them from fully participating in typical activities of daily life-school, friendships, academic performance.

Unremitting anxiety lasting for weeks or months at a time can cause physical distress in the form of headaches, stomachaches, nausea, vomiting and sleeplessness, Difficulty sleeping, reluctance to go to school or elsewhere outside of the child's comfort zone, crying jags, tantrums and clinginess are common. Anxiety can also interfere with a child's concentration and decision-making. An anxious child's thinking is typically unrealistic, catastrophic and pessimistic. They may seek excessive reassurance and yet the benefit of that reassurance is fleeting. Irritability and anger can also be red flags for anxiety when a child becomes frustrated by the stress of worry, or worn down from sleep deprivation. For some children, feeling "different" from other kids can be an additional source of concern.

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Even in the best of situations, all children experience some anxiety in the form of worry, apprehension, dread, fear or distress. Occasional nervousness and fleeting anxieties occur when a child is first faced with an unfamiliar or especially stressful situation. It can be an important protection or signal for caution in certain situations.

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Green, T. (2022). Could it be an anxiety disorder? [Unpublished infographic]. Angelo State University.

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Information on a variety of anxiety orders and treatment options

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Below you will find a list of anxiety related disorders that may be experienced during childhood. Please select the anxiety disorder for which you would like to receive more information. Each selection includes information on the anxiety disorder, its symptoms, and the types of non-drug treatment strategies used with children and adolescents with anxiety disorders. Remember that it is important that a child be assessed and treated with the guide of a properly trained therapist.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Panic Disorder

Separation Anxiety Disorder

Specific Phobias

Selective Mutism

Social Phobia

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (coming soon)

Copyright © 2001 The Child Anxiety Network. All Rights Reserved.
Sponsored by Psychzone Inc.

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Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents

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Below you will find a list of anxiety related disorders that may be experienced during childhood. Please select the anxiety disorder for which you would like to receive more information. Each selection includes information on the anxiety disorder, its symptoms, and the types of non-drug treatment strategies used with children and adolescents with anxiety disorders.

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Paylo, M. J., Dari, T., & Kress, V. (2015). Treating anxiety disorders in youth. American Counseling Association. 1-4.

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High School Toolkit for Suicide Prevention and Response

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High School Toolkit for Suicide Prevention and Response

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Substances and Mental Health Services Association. (2012). Preventing suicide : A toolkit for high schools. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Preventing-Suicide-A-Toolkit-for-High-Schools/SMA12-4669

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A case study published by the American Counseling Association that walks school counselors through the process of providing support for students dealing with depression.

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A group of female classmates has been harassing 13-year-old Marie for a month, making fun of her clothing and her weight. She has stopped socializing, other than to check Facebook to ensure no other hurtful things are being said about her. She sleeps fitfully, has stopped eating regularly and her grades have dropped.

Robert, Marie's classmate, didn't make the basketball team, which represented his singular dream. His recently divorced parents and his teachers have noticed he has grown much more irritable, to the point that other students avoid him.

His older brother, Randy, was previously a high school honor student. Now his grades have plummeted.

Kaitlyn, the girl who sits behind Randy in chemistry, smokes marijuana. She is often high in school and nearly always high when she is with her new group of friends. Her younger brother in fourth grade calls his foster mother and goes home sick from school one or two times per week.

Another student, Juan, always seems very sad. For two years, teachers have told his counselor about his mood. In Juan's file, the counselor finds similar reports dating back to middle school.

Under the current criteria, any one of these students might potentially be diagnosed with major depressive disorder, which generally involves a client experiencing six or more of nine common symptoms for a duration of two weeks, or dysthymic disorder, which presents as having a chronic depressed mood with two established symptoms for two years or more.

But based on proposed revisions, when the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM-5) is published approximately two years from now, new criteria will likely suggest that each of these students is depressed - by degrees.

"[The DSM-5] will introduce the idea of looking at disorders such as depression on a spectrum, with certain severity levels used as cut points to identify maladaptive symptoms and functioning, much like we associate blood pressure of 140 over 90 as higher risk," says Gary Gintner, associate professor of counselor education and program leader at Louisiana State University. "Depression, too, will have a dimensional rating that notes severity."

But no matter the process for diagnosis, experts would say that all of these students have serious symptoms of depression and need attention from counselors to help them feel better and address the problem early when it is easier to make inroads.

Gintner says at any one time, about 2 percent of children younger than age 12 have depressive disorders. That number rises to between 4 and 8 percent for those ages 12 to 18. Once adolescent girls hit puberty, their risk of depression is double that of their male classmates (see sidebar, page 34). The rate of depression among young people has increased every decade since the 1940s, according to Gintner, who trains counselors in the use of the DSM and is an expert in planned revisions for the DSM-5.

Each of the professionals interviewed for this article noted that an early diagnosis of depression can make it easier to treat the issue successfully, often with talk therapy.
The diagnosis
That means it is important for counselors - especially those in schools - to be the first line in identifying students struggling with depression.

According to Dr. Graham Emslie, a psychiatrist at Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and a specialist in child depression, only about 40 percent of adolescents and children needing treatment get adequate care, often because the problem is not spotted. "It is a quiet problem," he says. "We tend to relieve the symptoms or simply not identify it."

One key indicator of depression among students is a precipitous drop in grades, he says, especially if accompanied by other symptoms of depression: low self-esteem, sleep problems, fatigue, apathy and feelings of worthlessness, changes in appetite, loss of pleasure in life and problems concentrating.

Gintner, a past president of the American Mental Health Counselors Association, a division of the American Counseling Association, notes that uncharacteristic or excessive irritability is a symptom associated with depressed adolescents and children. He adds that children may have temper tantrums, stomachaches or headaches associated with depression, while adolescents may be moody, act out or even injure themselves by cutting or burning their skin.

"Many times, the behavior is interpreted as oppositional, but the young person is actually depressed," Gintner says. "The key thing to look for is if they have one of these other depressive symptoms (see sidebar, page 35). And it is critical to identify these problems early when there is a greater chance of treating them successfully."

Often, experts say, life stressors cause depression. For children and adolescents, those stressors don't necessarily stem from a serious personal failure or a major event such as the death of a loved one but rather from common daily hassles or interpersonal problems, such as changes in relationships with peers.

James Matta, an associate professor of counseling at Geneva College in Pennsylvania and senior research principal at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Pittsburgh, says counselors should pay particular attention to feelings of hopelessness among young people. "It hinders an individual's ability to form and maintain close relationships with family, friends and early romantic partners," he warns.

Matta, an ACA member who presented on depression in young people at the 2011 ACA Annual Conference in New Orleans, adds that comorbidity is not adequately studied or identified, even though substance use disorders and depression are often linked. Depressed young people are twice as likely to have a substance abuse problem than other adolescents, he says, and "comorbidity is more often seen than not in adolescents with substance use disorders."

Emslie says it is often difficult to determine whether certain characteristics and circumstances cause depression or whether they are symptoms of it. For instance, being bullied can cause children to become depressed, but depressed children might also be more likely to be targets of bullying because they are less likely to defend themselves and perhaps present themselves in a way that encourages bullies.
The treatment
When school counselors are concerned about a student, Matta says, it is critical that they develop a baseline for the student's mood, demeanor and performance in school, using communications with former teachers and counselors as a guide. Early treatment is key, he says.

"We are determining - and it's very affirming to counselors - that psychotherapy or talk therapy is most useful for those with mild to moderate levels of depression," he says. "Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy seem to be very effective."

Laura Choate, an associate professor at Louisiana State University and the author of books and papers on depression, particularly as it relates to young women (see sidebar, this page), says considerable research has reached that conclusion about treatment. She says the most effective components of CBT to date are psychoeducation about the nature of depression, the development of problem-solving skills, self-monitoring, building relationship skills, communication training (assertiveness, social interactions, family communication, active listening), cognitive restructuring and behavioral activation - for instance, increasing pleasant activities or setting small, achievable goals.

Choate, a member of ACA, notes that a popular "Coping With Depression-Adolescent" program from Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research is "among the most studied CBT programs for adolescents and has the most empirical support." The training manual and student workbook in individual and group formats are available for free at kpchr.org/acwd/acwd.html.

Meanwhile, through interpersonal therapy, young people improve relationships by building support and developing their interpersonal competence, Choate says. "Most counselors are not familiar with interpersonal therapy, but there is a strong line of research supporting its effectiveness with adolescents, particularly with girls of color from impoverished backgrounds," she says, noting that Laura Mufson, a researcher and professor at the Columbia University Medical Center, has developed research and training material surrounding the treatment.

Gintner says counseling should include positive interactions, active listening, restoring hope and doing problem solving for real problems. Emslie adds that family therapy is also useful.

Matta notes the American Psychiatric Association released guidelines for treatment of depression in October that suggested talk therapy is most effective initially for clients with less severe cases of depression. "Four to six weeks into treatment, if they are not showing improvement - or in more severe cases - then you consider an antidepressant," Matta says.

Emslie agrees: "Data would suggest that the persistence of the problem in spite of attempts to improve the situation is the best indicator for medication. Unfortunately, only 40 percent of young people who suffer from depression are treated, and only 20 percent of those treated use medication."

A study that Matta helped conduct found that young people with comorbidity who received both talk therapy and the antidepressant fluoxetine (more commonly known by the brand name Prozac) did not have significantly better results than those receiving only talk therapy, though both groups showed significant within-group improvement.

"It was not the specific intent of this study," Matta says, "but its results support the recent recommendation that psychotherapy intervention should be considered the first-line treatment in comorbid populations, with pharmacotherapy being offered to those who do not respond to psychotherapy intervention alone."

But Gintner cautions that the "old class" of antidepressants such as Elavil isn't helpful with children and youth, while selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) only seem to work with adolescents. He also notes these drugs are not without risks.

"In 2000," he says, "studies began to find risk of suicide ideation or suicidal behavior increased from 2 percent with a placebo to 4 percent on SSRIs. It's a risk, but not a huge risk, so we have to weigh the risk versus the benefit and, sometimes, the benefit is significant." Research has shown that Paxil seems to have a higher incidence of suicidal ideation and acts, he says, while adding that Prozac is the only SSRI approved for use with youth by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA recommends that youth taking SSRIs be seen by a psychiatrist every week for a month and be monitored closely, he points out.

Still, experts say better treatment techniques and the refined use of medication are helping increasing numbers of young people. And Matta notes the weighty issue is not without positive data. "Adolescent recovery rate is 90 percent over one to two years from the onset of depressive disorder with treatment," he says. "So we do know how to treat it."

Jim Paterson is a writer and editor and the head of counseling at Argyle Middle School in Silver Spring, Md. Contact him atjamespaterson7@gmail.com

Letters to the editor: ct@counseling.org

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A group of female classmates has been harassing 13-year-old Marie for a month, making fun of her clothing and her weight. She has stopped socializing, other than to check Facebook to ensure no other hurtful things are being said about her. She sleeps fitfully, has stopped eating regularly and her grades have dropped.

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Personal Safety Plan for Students with Suicidal Ideation

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Personal Safety Plan for Students with Suicidal Ideation

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Stanley, B. & Brown, G. (2021). Stanley-Brown safety plan. Stanley Brown Safety Planning Intervention. https://suicidesafetyplan.com/forms/

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What Teachers Should Know

Bipolar disorder affects how the brain functions, causing shifts in a person's moods and energy levels. It's also called manic depression, manic-depressive disorder, manic-depressive illness, bipolar mood disorder, and bipolar affective disorder.

People with bipolar disorder go through episodes of low-energy depression and high-energy mania.

Depression episodes may include:

sadness or feelings of worthlessness or guilt

loss of interest in usual activities

sleeping too much or inability to sleep

inability to concentrate and a drop in academic performance

inability to experience pleasure

overeating or loss of appetite

thoughts of death or suicide

Mania episodes may include:

increased physical and mental activity

racing speech and thoughts

elevated mood and exaggerated optimism

inflated sense of self-importance

decreased need for sleep

difficulty concentrating

reckless or aggressive behavior

anger, excessive irritability, or impatience

poor judgment and making rash decisions

In adults, mania or depression episodes can last weeks or months. In kids and teens, episodes can be much briefer, going back and forth between mania and depression throughout a day.

Without treatment, bipolar disorder can worsen as children get older. But following a medication treatment plan and making a few lifestyle changes - like eating a nutritious diet, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and managing stress - can help kids and teens with bipolar disorder control the symptoms and lead normal lives.

Students with bipolar disorder may:

need seating near the front of the room to help avoid distractions

show drops in grades and changes in class participation

need additional time for tests and assignments or require modified schedules

miss class time due to appointments with health care professionals

need to visit the school nurse for medication

need to carry a water bottle and have unlimited access to restrooms (especially students taking lithium)

need to talk with a school counselor or psychologist periodically

be at a higher risk for suicide

What Teachers Can Do

Treatment for bipolar disorder usually involves the use of medications, such as mood stabilizers, and counseling or psychotherapy. Teachers need to watch for extreme behavioral changes or any signs of suicidal thoughts. Educators should take these signs seriously. The student's parents or guardians, psychologist, or other health care professionals can talk to school staff about how to respond to such situations.

Encourage your students with bipolar disorder to participate in all school-based activities as best they can, when they can.

Plan and agree on a "safe place" with your student - a place to go if he or she feels overwhelmed or just needs to relax. You also can agree on a "safe person" (possibly you) your student can talk to. When your student needs to go to the safe place or talk with the safe person, allow for a discreet exit without drawing his or her classmates' attention.

If the student does not have an individualized education plan (IEP) or a 504 education plan, consult with a school counselor, psychologist, or social worker to see if developing a plan with parents or guardians would help. If the student does have an IEP or 504, make sure to follow the plan's requirements.

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bipolar mood disorder and bipolar affective disorder

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Bipolar Disorder Factsheet (for Schools)

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Bipolar disorder affects how the brain functions, causing shifts in a person's moods and energy levels. It's also called manic depression, manic-depressive disorder, manic-depressive illness, bipolar mood disorder, and bipolar affective disorder. People with bipolar disorder go through episodes of low-energy depression and high-energy mania.

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A thorough website with recommendations for teens on how to manage their bipolar, deal with outbursts, and seek help at school.

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Article focuses on bipolar teens and school classroom issues, such as should you tell your school about your bipolar condition.
One of the many challenges a teen with bipolar disorder faces is attending school. The ways things are handled vary depending on the school you attend. In a public school, for example, teens are eligible for all sorts of assistance, from having an aide to assist with their ever-changing moods to having their schedules and classes tailored to their emotional needs. Private schools are only required to accommodate teens with bipolar disorder under the Americans with Disabilities Act, in which case the school has to accommodate any physical needs, like medications during school and side effects from such medications. The last kind of school is home schooling, where all accommodations and needs can be met. Teens with bipolar can succeed in any of these schooling environments. This article will focus on living day-to-day in the classroom with bipolar disorder, stable or unstable, what to do if you lose control of your emotions, how to set up a support network and the importance of doing so, along with other important topics.

First, should you tell the school about your bipolar condition? Yes, you should. Generally, this should be done before the school year starts. It is best to contact the guidance counselor, if available, or otherwise a principal, vice principal, or any other member of the administration.You should tell the school about your bipolar disorder and explain to them how it affects you in the classroom. At this discussion you should present any doctors' notes you have in regard to medication during school or accommodations needed due to medication side effects (such as needing access to water and bathrooms). Teachers should be notified before school starts about your bipolar disorder and how to handle things you were to lose control of your emotions (discussed below). Teens with bipolar need a support system or network, whether they are stable or not; these can be set up with the school rather easily. You should meet with your guidance counselor within the first few weeks of school. Talk with the counselor in general about how things are going and discuss any problems you may be having inside or outside of school. Ask if the school has a Student Assistance Program, as you should know who the teachers and staff on the team are. If the school doesn't have a Student Assistance Program, you should make yourself comfortable with teachers and staff. If there is a teacher you feel comfortable in confiding in, you should by all means discuss how you feel or any problems with that person. While with the guidance counselor, you should set up a plan in case emotions go awry in the classroom. An example of this would be if you put your head down on your desk in order to collect your thoughts. You shouldn't be given any trouble from the teacher for this. If you should feel you can longer stay in control of your emotions, you should be allowed to leave the classroom freely. No questions should be asked, as by this time your emotions are already stretched, and anything could set you off emotionally.

A safe spot should be established in the school, generally in the nurse's office. A safe spot is where a teen with bipolar disorder is allowed to go into a meltdown; also, efforts should be made to calm the teen down. The teen should be given the option of calling parents to talk and/or talk with a trusted adult in the building. Once the teen is calmed down, he or she should be given the option of returning to class. When returning to class, it should be at a time when the least amount attention be brought to the teen.

Having a meltdown or episode in class is one of the hardest and embarrassing things that can happen to a teen. Every measure should be taken so that you don't have an episode during class, but rather can leave the room in time without undue attention. However, if you do lose control of emotions during class time, you should quietly leave. If you are questioned by other students, you can just say that you didn't feel good and leave it at that. You should not feel obligated to tell your life story as to what happened, as most people simply won't understand.

These are just some suggestions and ideas for making life in high school easier for teens with bipolar. Some teens make it through high school without being affected much by their bipolar, while for other teens with bipolar disorder, high school may be four very long years. Arranging a good support network and making sure your teachers are aware of needed accommodations will help ease the way.
Important note: The above represents only the author's opinion. Each person must decide what is best for him or her.
next: Late-Life Bipolar Disorder Guidelines and Challenges
~ bipolar disorder library
~ all bipolar disorder articles

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Living with Bipolar As A Teen: Dealing with School

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Article focuses on bipolar teens and school classroom issues, such as should you tell your school about your bipolar condition. One of the many challenges a teen with bipolar disorder faces is attending school. The ways things are handled vary depending on the school you attend.

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Assessments, Interventions, and Resources for Supporting Students with ADHD

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Assessments, Interventions, and Resources for Supporting Students with ADHD

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Group Interventions - ADHD: RESOURCES FOR PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELORS

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The goal of adventure-based counseling (ABC) and Adlerian play therapy is to provide a strength-based approach for working with children diagnosed with ADHD. This approach helps youngsters to grow, develop problem solving skills as well as achieve belonging, significance, and a perception of self worth within their social construct.

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ADHD: Strategies for Counselors and Teachers

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ADHD: Strategies for Counselors and Teachers

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As an elementary school counselor, you will create a nurturing environment in which children develop the knowledge, habits, and emotional skills to succeed in middle school, high school, and beyond.

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NYU Steinhardt's Online Master's in School Counseling prepares aspiring school counselors to pursue certification and employment in public and private schools.

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Green, T. (2022). Classroom support for students with oppositional defiant disorder: The counselor's role [Unpublished essay]. Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Angelo State University.

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Support for Students with Oppositional Defiant Disorder

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Practitioner's Guide to Ethical Decision-Making

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Practitioner's Guide to Ethical Decision-Making

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Forester-Miller, H., & Davis, T. E. (2016). Practitioner’s guide to ethical decision making (Rev. ed.). Retrieved from https://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/ethics/practioner-39-s-guide-to-ethical-decision-making.pdf?sfvrsn=f9e5482c_10

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American School Counselor Association (2019). ASCA school counselor professional standards & competencies. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/a8d59c2c-51de-4ec3-a565-a3235f3b93c3/SC-Competencies.pdf

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Guide for Building a Successful Referral Program

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Guide for Building a Successful Referral Program

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Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA]. (2015, September). School mental health referral pathways (SMHRP) toolkit. Center for Mental Health Services. www.samhsa.org/nitt-ta

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School Counselors - Guidance to Stakeholders

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School Counselors - Guidance to Stakeholders

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A fresh look at seeing how the domains affect the different groups of people that we support.

Asheville Middle School. What does a school counselor do?  Asheville City Schools. Retrieved November 30, 2022, from https://www.ashevillecityschools.net/Page/892

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Support students find the right words to describe their emotions.

Grace Butler. (n.d.) How are you feeling today? Meet Me in My Mind. Retrieved November 30, 2022, from https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/862367079/how-are-you-feeling-today-chart-school

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Missouri School Counselors and Counselor Educators. (2015, May). School counselor referral process guide [p. 6]. Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/guid-respon-serv-referral-process-guide

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Missouri School Counselor's Guide to Referrals

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Missouri School Counselor's Guide to Referrals

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Missouri School Counselors and Counselor Educators. (2015, May). School counselor referral process guide. Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/guid-respon-serv-referral-process-guide

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Sophia F. Dziegielewski. (2014). DSM-5 in action (3rd ed.). Wiley.

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System Support - Children's Mental Health Disorders Teacher Fact Sheet

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System Support - Children's Mental Health Disorders Teacher Fact Sheet

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Minnesota Association for Children’s

Mental Health. (2007). Children's mental health disorder fact sheet for the classroom. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.pacarepartnership.org/uploads/MH_fact_sheet_minn07.pdf

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Butler, S., Caldwell, D., Chappelle, A., Green, T., Hall, A., & Nunez, R. (2022, October 17). Implicit bias and its effects on education [Google Slideshow]. Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Angelo State University.

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Handelsman, J., & Skraney, N. (2015, September 14). Implicit bias [Policy brief]. White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/bias_9-14-15_final.pdf

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Assessments teachers and faculty can take online to become more aware of their own privately held beliefs.

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This dashboard was made by Liz Redford using the publicly-available Project Implicit demonstration website datasets.

Project Implicit is a non-profit organization and international collaboration between researchers who are interested in implicit social cognition - thoughts and feelings outside of conscious awareness and control. You can donate to Project Implicit here.

This dashboard works best in a browser. If on mobile, it works best positioned in landscape, but still won't appear as intended.

You can find all data and code used to create this dashboard at Github.

How does the IAT work?

The IAT measures the strength of associations between concepts (e.g., black people, gay people) and evaluations (e.g., good, bad) or stereotypes (e.g., athletic, clumsy). The main idea is that making a response is easier when closely related items share the same response key.

When doing an IAT you are asked to quickly sort words into categories that are on the left and right hand side of the computer screen by pressing the "e" key if the word belongs to the category on the left and the "i" key if the word belongs to the category on the right. The IAT has five main parts.

Read more at the Project Implicit page.

Take an Implicit Association Test (IAT)

Take an IAT yourself by clicking here; you'll get personal feedback on your preferences or associations.

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Explore the data: Implicit Association Test

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This dashboard was made by Liz Redford using the publicly-available Project Implicit demonstration website datasets. Project Implicit is a non-profit organization and international collaboration between researchers who are interested in implicit social cognition - thoughts and feelings outside of conscious awareness and control. You can donate to Project Implicit here.

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Individual Planning - College/Career Website

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Individual Planning - College/Career Website

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A variety of hyperlinks to help students determine and reach their postsecondary goals.

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Career and College Planning Web Resources

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Career and college planning resources including links to interest surveys, college application help, SAT tutorials and career counseling.

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American School Counselor Association. (n.d.) Appropriate and inappropriate activities for school counselors. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/8fe536c2-7a32-4102-8ce7-42e9b0683b3b/appropriate-activities-of-school-counselors.pdf

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American School Counselor Association. (2022). ASCA ethical standards for school counselors. (1984, revised 1992, 1998, 2004, 2010, 2016, 2022).  https://www.schoolcounselor.org/About-School-Counseling/Ethical-Legal-Responsibilities/ASCA-Ethical-Standards-for-School-Counselors-(1)

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Continuing Education and Resources for Mental Health Professionals

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Section A: The Counseling Relationship
. . .

A.2.a. Informed Consent: Clients have the freedom to choose whether to enter into or remain in a counseling relationship and need adequate information about the counseling process and the counselor. Counselors have an obligation to review in writing and verbally with clients the rights and responsibilities of both counselors and clients. Informed consent is an ongoing part of the counseling process, and counselors appropriately document discussions of informed consent throughout the counseling relationship.

A.2.b. Types of Information Needed: Counselors explicitly explain to clients the nature of all services provided. They inform clients about issues such as, but not limited to, the following: the purposes, goals, techniques, procedures, limitations, potential risks, and benefits of services; the counselor's qualifications, credentials, relevant experience, and approach to counseling; continuation of services upon the incapacitation or death of the counselor; the role of technology; and other pertinent information. Counselors take steps to ensure that clients understand the implications of diagnosis and the intended use of tests and reports. Additionally, counselors inform clients about fees and billing arrangements, including procedures for nonpayment of fees. Clients have the right to confidentiality and to be provided with an explanation of its limits (including how supervisors and/or treatment or interdisciplinary team professionals are involved), to obtain clear information about their records, to participate in the ongoing counseling plans, and to refuse any services or modality changes and to be advised of the consequences of such refusal.

A.2.c. Developmental and Cultural Sensitivity: Counselors communicate information in ways that are both developmentally and culturally appropriate. Counselors use clear and understandable language when discussing issues related to informed consent. When clients have difficulty understanding the language that counselors use, counselors provide necessary services (e.g., arranging for a qualified interpreter or translator) to ensure comprehension by clients. In collaboration with clients, counselors consider cultural implications of informed consent procedures and, where possible, counselors adjust their practices accordingly.

A.2.d. Inability to Give Consent: When counseling minors, incapacitated adults, or other persons unable to give voluntary consent, counselors seek the assent of clients to services and include them in decision making as appropriate. Counselors recognize the need to balance the ethical rights of clients to make choices, their capacity to give consent or assent to receive services, and parental or familial legal rights and responsibilities to protect these clients and make decisions on their behalf.

A.2.e. Mandated Clients: Counselors discuss the required limitations to confidentiality when working with clients who have been mandated for counseling services. Counselors also explain what type of information and with whom that information is shared prior to the beginning of counseling. The client may choose to refuse services. In this case, counselors will, to the best of their ability, discuss with the client the potential consequences of refusing counseling services.

A.3. Clients Served by Others: When counselors learn that their clients are in a professional relationship with other mental health professionals, they request release from clients to inform the other professionals and strive to establish positive and collaborative professional relationships.

A.8. Multiple Clients: When a counselor agrees to provide counseling services to two or more persons who have a relationship, the counselor clarifies at the outset which person or persons are clients and the nature of the relationships the counselor will have with each involved person. If it becomes apparent that the counselor may be called upon to perform potentially conflicting roles, the counselor will clarify, adjust, or withdraw from roles appropriately.

Section B: Confidentiality and Privacy

B.1.d. Explanation of Limitations: At initiation and throughout the counseling process, counselors inform clients of the limitations of confidentiality and seek to identify situations in which confidentiality must be breached.

B.3. a. Information Shared With Subordinates: Counselors make every effort to ensure that privacy and confidentiality of clients are maintained by subordinates, including employees, supervisees, students, clerical assistants, and volunteers.

B.3.b. Interdisciplinary Teams: When services provided to the client involve participation by an interdisciplinary or treatment team, the client will be informed of the team's existence and composition, information being shared, and the purposes of sharing such information.

B.4.a. Group Work: In group work, counselors clearly explain the importance and parameters of confidentiality for the specific group.

B.4.b. Couples and Family Counseling: In couples and family counseling, counselors clearly define who is considered "the client" and discuss expectations and limitations of confidentiality. Counselors seek agreement and document in writing such agreement among all involved parties regarding the confidentiality of information. In the absence of an agreement to the contrary, the couple or family is considered to be the client.

B.5.a. Responsibility to Clients: When counseling minor clients or adult clients who lack the capacity to give voluntary, informed consent, counselors protect the confidentiality of information received-in any medium-in the counseling relationship as specified by federal and state laws, written policies, and applicable ethical standards.

B.5.b. Responsibility to Parents and Legal Guardians: Counselors inform parents and legal guardians about the role of counselors and the confidential nature of the counseling relationship, consistent with current legal and custodial arrangements. Counselors are sensitive to the cultural diversity of families and respect the inherent rights and responsibilities of parents/guardians regarding the welfare of their children/charges according to law. Counselors work to establish, as appropriate, collaborative relationships with parents/guardians to best serve clients.

B.5.c. Release of Confidential Information: When counseling minor clients or adult clients who lack the capacity to give voluntary consent to release confidential information, counselors seek permission from an appropriate third party to disclose information. In such instances, counselors inform clients consistent with their level of understanding and take appropriate measures to safeguard client confidentiality

B.6.c. Permission to Record: Counselors obtain permission from clients prior to recording sessions through electronic or other means.

B.6.d. Permission to Observe: Counselors obtain permission from clients prior to allowing any person to observe counseling sessions, review session transcripts, or view recordings of sessions with supervisors, faculty, peers, or others within the training environment.
Section D: Relationships With Other Professionals
D.1.e. Confidentiality Limits in Judicial Proceedings: When counselors are required by law, institutional policy, or extraordinary circumstances to serve in more than one role in judicial or administrative proceedings, they clarify role expectations and the parameters of confidentiality with their colleagues.
Section E: Evaluation, Assessment, and Interpretation
E.13.b Consent for Forensic Evaluation: Evaluation for Legal Proceedings: Individuals being evaluated are informed in writing that the relationship is for the purposes of an evaluation and is not therapeutic in nature, and entities or individuals who will receive the evaluation report are identified. Counselors who perform forensic evaluations obtain written consent from those being evaluated or from their legal representative unless a court orders evaluations to be conducted without the written consent of the individuals being evaluated. When children or adults who lack the capacity to give voluntary consent are being evaluated, informed written consent is obtained from a parent or guardian.
Section F: Supervision, Training, and Teaching
F.5. Student and Supervisee Responsibilities
F.5.c. Professional Disclosure: Before providing counseling services, students and supervisees disclose their status as supervisees and explain how this status affects the limits of confidentiality. Supervisors ensure that clients are aware of the services rendered and the qualifications of the students and supervisees rendering those services. Students and supervisees obtain client permission before they use any information concerning the counseling relationship in the training process.
Section H: Distance Counseling, Technology, and Social Media
H.2.a. Informed Consent and Disclosure: Clients have the freedom to choose whether to use distance counseling, social media, and/or technology within the counseling process. In addition to the usual and customary protocol of informed consent between counselor and client for face-to-face counseling, the following issues, unique to the use of distance counseling, technology, and/ or social media, are addressed in the informed consent process:
* distance counseling credentials, physical location of practice, and contact information;
* risks and benefits of engaging in the use of distance counseling, technology, and/or social media;
* possibility of technology failure and alternate methods of service delivery;
* anticipated response time;
* emergency procedures to follow when the counselor is not available;
* time zone differences;
* cultural and/or language differences that may affect delivery of services;
* possible denial of insurance benefits; and
* social media policy.

H.2.b. Confidentiality Maintained by the Counselor: Counselors acknowledge the limitations of maintaining the confidentiality of electronic records and transmissions. They inform clients that individuals might have authorized or unauthorized access to such records or transmissions, (e.g., colleagues, supervisees, employees, information technologists.)

H.2.c. Acknowledgment of Limitations: Counselors inform clients about the inherent limits of confidentiality when using technology. Counselors urge clients to be aware of authorized and/or unauthorized access to information disclosed using this medium in the counseling process.

---------------------------------------------

*These are only selected Ethical Standards from American Counseling Association (2014) Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.
Familiarity with these standards is not a substitute for knowing all of the sections of your Ethics Code.

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Selected Ethical Standards About Informed Consent:Counselors (from ACA Code of Ethics) - Center for Ethical Practice

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Section A: The Counseling Relationship . . . A.2.a. Informed Consent: Clients have the freedom to choose whether to enter into or remain in a counseling relationship and need adequate information about the counseling process and the counselor. Counselors have an obligation to review in writing and verbally with clients the rights and responsibilities of [...]

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A Guide for Legal and Ethical Practice: confidentiality, etc.

Anne Marie Wheeler, & Burt Bertram. (2015). The Counselor and the Law : A Guide to Legal and Ethical Practice: Vol. Seventh edition. American Counseling Association.

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An ACA monthly publication with online exclusive articles relevant to counselors of any type

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A Publication of the American Counseling Association

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Harris County Department of Education. (2009, August 20). Related services for students with disabilities.  http://www.txspot.org/Documents/Related%20Services%20Q%20and%20A%20Document.pdf

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Because of the federal laws and regulations that govern the education of students with disabilities, a process has evolved over time that governs the special education referral process. The purpose of this module is to provide an overview to the "Special Education Process" so that the learner may understand the global procedures for providing a student with disabilities a free and appropriate education (FAPE).

PHASE ONE: Recognition

All students begin their educational careers with needs. For many, it is the need for guidance by a professional educator who can expand their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. While each student brings a different level of knowledge and skills to his or her first class, the individual's needs are typically met by a highly-qualified educator. However, there are children who have unique needs that are atypical for children of their age and may not be within the expertise of the general education classroom teacher. It is during this time that the teacher (or parent, administrator, or counselor) recognizes a consistent need or problem exhibited by the student. The recognition of a discrepancy in the student's academic, social/emotional, behavioral, and/or physical ability and his or her age may signal the need for additional academic or behavioral supports.

During this phase, it is important to call a meeting with the parents or guardians. The teacher should provide examples of the student's work and/or anecdotal classroom notes regarding the student's needs. In the meeting, the teacher and the parent/guardian should explore the following:

Is the issue a recurrent problem or new? The parents will be best able to present invaluable insight into the knowledge, skills, and needs of their child. The teacher should document when they recognized an issue.

Is the issue constant? All children may exhibit unique needs or problems at some point but it may only be an isolated episode for that day. The teacher should document any issue that is constant, providing dates and information about the behavior of concern or skill deficit exhibited by the student.

Is the issue appropriate for children of this age? How many kindergarten students have been seen crying the first days of school? This behavior is a typical occurrence and should not be confused with an atypical behavior. The teacher should have a strong understanding of the cognitive, behavioral, and physical development levels of typical students they teach.

It is possible that the problems that are being exhibited by the student may be "solved" with the careful execution of a cooperative plan of action between the teacher and the parents. The teacher and the parent should document their plan of action, strategies utilized with the student, and progress. The teacher should continue to collect student work samples and keep assessment data relevant to the student's unique needs. It is critically important that the teacher document all actions and strategies used in the classroom and the impact on the student.

The student's parents/guardians should be kept informed of any changes in the student's progress. If the teacher, after a period of time, determines the problem cannot be controlled with simple classroom interventions, then the teacher should notify the parents/guardians that they will be asking for outside help from a school-based pre-referral team.

PHASE TWO: Pre-referral

The pre-referral step in the special education process is more formal than providing simple and temporary accommodations for students. Pre-referral intervention is to identify, develop, and implement alternative education strategies for students who have recognized problems in the classroom before the student is referred to special education. Pre-referral intervention is typically conducted by a Student Centered Team (also called early intervention team, intervention assistance team, student support team, teacher assistance team, or instructional support team). The pre-referral team usually consists of the teacher, the parents/guardians, an administrator, other general education teachers, nurse, guidance counselor, and any other adult involved in the education of the student. The general education teacher provides background information regarding the problem exhibited by the student and the team works together to develop possible solutions.

Because of changes to IDEA in 2004, many states and independent school districts have begun using a more formal and systematic pre-referral process called response to intervention (RTI).

"RTI is a model designed to address the needs of all children through a continuum of services, which include:

High-quality instruction and tiered evidence-based or practice-based intervention strategies aligned with individual student needs;

Frequent monitoring of progress to make results-based academic or behavioral decisions; and

Application of child response data to important educational decisions (such as those regarding placement, intervention, curriculum, and instructional goals and methodologies)" (TEA, 2007).

RTI provides three levels of intervention for students who are experiencing problems. Generally, the first level (sometimes referred to as Tier 1) is focused on utilizing high-quality general education instruction in the core curriculum with all students. RTI theorizes that around 80% of all students will respond positively to core curriculum and behavior systems. The second level (or Tier 2) provides targeted group instruction or some form of group remediation to improve performance. The RTI model believes that second level services will improve performance for approximately 15% of all students. If performance does not improve in the second level, then students are moved to the third level which consists of intensive, individualized interventions.

Whether the school uses pre-referral teams or the more formal RTI process, the intent is to provide interventions that will help the student achieve success without entering special education. However, if these interventions do not improve the student's performance, then the student will be referred for an assessment to determine possible eligibility for special education services.

PHASE THREE: Referral for Special Education Evaluation

If, after interventions in the general education classroom, the student continues to experience difficulty, school personnel may refer the child for a special education evaluation. Referrals for determination of eligibility for special education services may be initiated by:

School personnel (including general education teachers, special education teachers, counselors, administrators, etc.);

Child's parent(s) or legal guardian(s);

Any other person involved in the education or care of the child.

The official referral begins the formal process of determining eligibility for special education services. Once a referral is provided, the school must obtain consent from the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) to begin the evaluation phase of the referral process.

PHASE FOUR: Special Education Evaluation

IDEA requires that students referred for special education services receive a nondiscriminatory multi-factored evaluation. The school district is required to complete the evaluation within 60 days of the referral date. The evaluation is to be conducted by a multidisciplinary team that will consist of individuals who can bring different perspectives and expertise to the evaluation. Some examples of team members include:

Educational Diagnostician (also called Psychometrist) or School Psychologist: These professionals are qualified to conduct all types of educational assessments including intelligence (IQ), achievement, behavior, etc.

Special Educators: These individuals are qualified to conduct some types of achievement and behavior evaluations as well as informal observations.

General Educators: These individuals provide documentation of the problems of the specific student.

Parent(s) or Legal Guardian(s): The parents or legal guardians provide valuable insight into the student's behavior and personality in other environments.*

Related Service Providers (Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Audiologist, Orientation and Mobility Specialist, etc.): These specialists provide information pertaining to specific areas of concern that have been assessed.

Medical Doctors (including psychiatrists, ophthalmologists, and optometrists): Depending on the disability of the student, medical records can also be used in the determination of eligibility for special education services.

* Parents of students with developmental disabilities must decide whether to complete the legal process to become the legal guardian once their child reaches 18 years old, the age of majority. According to Texas state law, this process is separate from the required school transition planning process.

The evaluation must be comprehensive and use evaluation tools and strategies that are technically sound and accepted. Most students receive a battery of formal evaluations that measure:

Intelligence

Achievement

Behavioral

Disability-specific issues

Medical

However, informal observations and documentation of the student's past work should also be used during the eligibility determination meetings. Assessments may not be biased in regard to race, culture, language, or disability. The materials and procedures must be administered in the language and form most likely to provide accurate information on what the child knows and can do.

PHASE FIVE: Eligibility (FAPE)

IDEA states that each child is entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE.) Special education services are one way to accomplish that requirement for some students with disabilities. Within 30 days of the completion of the evaluation, the individuals that took part in the process thus far will meet to determine eligibility. In simple terms, a student is considered eligible for special education services if (1) the child has a disability as defined by IDEA which negatively impacts his/her educational performance, and (2) the child needs special education services in order to benefit from education.

Not all students are determined to be eligible for special education services. There are multiple reasons why a student may not qualify for special education services including not having a disability that negatively impacts his or her education. However, these students may need help to access the academic curricula. In these situations, the school will need to work out a plan to provide other services for the student.

If the team determines that the student is eligible for special education services, then a formal Individualized Education Program (IEP) team will be formed to develop a plan of special education services for the student.

PHASE SIX: IEP Meeting (IEP and LRE)

The Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a legal contract between the parents and the school district that describes the special education services to be provided by the local education agency which is the local school district. While IEP documents vary, the basic parts of an IEP include:

A student profile that provides background information about the student. The profile will include strengths and weaknesses of the student, information regarding performance in the classroom and on formal assessments, and the reason he or she is receiving special education services.

IEP initiation and duration dates: the goals expressly stated in an IEP begin on the date, stated in the IEP meeting, and are in effect until the date stated in the IEP. These IEP goals are reviewed, monitored and updated based on student progress. For most students, IEP goals are in place for one academic year.

A statement of "special instructional factors" (such as the need for assistive technology, braille, or transition services). If the student requires any of the special instructional factors, they should be addressed in the IEP.

A statement of special transportation needs;

A statement of opportunities to participate in nonacademic and extracurricular activities with their non-disabled peers

A statement of the frequency and method of reports of goal attainment for parents or guardians.

Benchmark pages are included and focus on specific areas that need special education services (such as reading, math, PE, etc.). The benchmark pages include: Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) statements,

Measurable Annual Goals,

Evaluations used to measure annual goals,

Benchmarks to be achieved to meet the annual goals,

Special education and related services needed to achieve the annual goal (includes frequency of services, amount of time, location, and responsible agencies).

A Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) if the student's behavior is a concern and a functional behavioral assessment has been done or needs to be conducted,

For students 16 years and older; the plans and activities for the student's transition from high school will be addressed

The signature page which provides a statement of least restrictive environment (LRE) and has the signatures of all members present at the meeting.

The benchmark pages are the "meat" of most IEPs and can be developed by any member of the team. Typically, these pages are developed by the special education teachers in collaboration with the parents, general education teachers, related service providers, and behavioral specialists.

In some school districts, the IEP meeting may be referred to as the ARD meeting. ARD stands for Admission, Review, and Dismissal. The IEP team (also called IEP committee or ARD committee) is formed for the purpose of 1) developing the IEP, the formal plan of special education services; 2) overseeing the implementation of the plan, 3) evaluating the effectiveness of the plan annually, and 4) developing future plans as needed. The IEP team can also meet as needed when unique issues present themselves during the academic year (such as with behavior issues).

The IEP team is composed of the following:

The parent(s) or legal guardian(s) of the student with a disability;

At least one general education teacher of the student if the student is or may be participating in the regular education environment for any classes;

At least one special education teacher of the student or a special education provider of the student;

A representative of the local educational agency (LEA) who is (1) qualified to supervise the needs of the student, (2) is knowledgeable of the general curriculum, (3) is knowledgeable about the availability of resources of the public agency, and (4) has the authority to commit agency resources; This person is frequently a principal or assistant principal of the student's campus.

An individual who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluations (typically an educational diagnostician, school psychologist, or specially-trained special education teacher);

The student, when appropriate; and

Other individuals asked to attend at the discretion of the school or the parent who have knowledge or special expertise regarding the student (such as related service providers and/or family members or family friends maintaining a close relationship with the student). Parents also have the right to invite an advocate if they so desire.

Depending on the age of the student, other individuals may be included in the meeting including rehabilitation or transition service providers or early intervention representatives.

PHASE SEVEN: IEP Implementation

Once the IEP is developed and signed by members of the IEP team it is the responsibility of the entire IEP team to ensure that the IEP is implemented. The IEP team may meet as frequently as needed to discuss the implementation of the IEP. School personnel are required to provide documentation of the mastery of benchmarks and annual goals. The IEP document is a "living" document and can be altered during the school term if needed. The IEP goals and benchmarks provide the objectives for the education of the student and prescribe what services will be provided by the local school district and school campus to achieve those objectives. However, it must be understood that school agencies are not required to meet all the goals within the school term, but they must provide evidence of a "good faith effort" toward achieving the goals.

PHASE EIGHT: Reevaluation

Each year, the IEP team is required to meet for the dual purpose of evaluating the implementation of the current IEP and to develop the next annual IEP. During these annual meetings, the IEP team should discuss the positive and negative elements of the special education services provided and determine, based on any new assessment data, what services should be provided in the upcoming school year.

While the IEP is redeveloped each year, the IEP team does not have to conduct the battery of assessments each year. At a minimum, the IEP team is to determine if formal evaluation is required every three years. However, the IEP team can ask that formal evaluations be conducted more frequently if needed.

There are times when, after the reevaluation takes place, it is determined that the student does not need special education services. One example of this might be young children who are provided speech and language services and have developed the ability to speak without problems. In this case, the IEP team will need to file appropriate documentation to support the fact that the student no longer is eligible for services and the IEP team will disband for this student.

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Special Education Referral Process - Project IDEAL

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Overview to the “Special Education Process”; the global procedures for providing a student with disabilities a free and appropriate education.

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Children who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are plagued with unwanted thoughts, images or impulses that are difficult to suppress, causing them great stress and worry. These are called obsessions. To alleviate the anxiety caused by their obsessive thoughts, they perform repetitive, ritualized actions called compulsions. A child with OCD might need to line things up, touch things in a certain order when leaving the room or wash his hands repeatedly.

Obsessions Common in Kids With OCD

Contamination: Kids with this obsession are sometimes called "germaphobes." In schools, this plays out with kids worrying about other kids sneezing and coughing, touching things that might be dirty or getting sick in many different ways. This is the most common obsession seen in children.

Magical thinking: This is a kind of superstition, like "step on a crack, break your mother's back," taken to extremes. For example, kids might worry that their thoughts can cause someone to get hurt, or get sick. A child might think, "Unless my things are lined up in a certain way, mom will get in a car accident."

Catastrophizing: Some kids easily jump to the conclusion that something terrible has happened. For example, if her parents are five minutes late picking her up, a girl who is catastrophizing might tell herself that they've decided to abandon her.

Scrupulosity: This is when kids have obsessive worries about offending God or being blasphemous in some way.

What ifs: Kids may be plagued by a lot of different kinds of thoughts about bad things they could do. "What if I hurt someone? What if I stab someone? What if I kill someone?"

The "just right feeling": When OCD first develops, from about 6 to 9 years of age, kids may not know why they are doing something, but just that they need to do it until they get what we call the "just right feeling." So: "I'll line these things up until it just kind of feels right, and then I'll stop." And then over time - in the 9- to 12-year-old range - it evolves into magical thinking and becomes more superstitious in nature.

Behaviors You Might See in Students With OCD

Frequent requests to go to the bathroom: This could be to wash hands, if someone near the child was coughing or sneezing, or if she touched something that she perceives as contaminated. She could be washing items-pens, pencils, backpacks, books. It could also be an excuse to get out the classroom and just be away from everyone, and have some respite.

Constant reassurance-seeking: This takes the form of repetitive questions. "Are you sure that's the answer? Could you tell me again? Did you hear what I said?" Checking doors, windows, lockers, desks. Over and over and over again.

Getting stuck on tasks: Sometimes kids with OCD will need to finish something to completion, or understand it to completion, before they're able to move on. So if a child is working out what he did wrong on a math test, and the teacher says, "Now let's open the textbook and start a new chapter," he's not going to be able to shift gears.

Retracing: If a child leaves the classroom and worries that she left a pencil behind, she'll go back into the classroom and go to her desk and check. If she had a bad thought as she went through the doorway, she might have to "fix it" by going back through the doorway again saying a good word. If she had a bad thought when she went down a flight of stairs on the way to class, she might need to go back up that same stairway at the end of the period, even if it means being late to her next class.

Obsessive erasing: A child could be erasing a lot because the letters have to look perfect. Or he could have used a word that disturbs him. For example, if he has a fear of vomiting and he's written the word vomit, he might not be able to stand seeing that word, so he erases it. Kids start having erasers worn down to the metal. Teachers start to see holes in the paper. Words will be drawn over on the back of the page. A lot of different areas of writing become problematic.

Behaviors Often Confused With Another Disorder

Some behaviors associated with OCD are easy to confuse with ADHD, learning problems or being oppositional.

Distraction: If a child is busy thinking that if she doesn't turn the pen cap and count to four the right way then her mom is going to get sick, she's not going to be paying attention in class. And if her teacher calls on her to answer a question, her distraction might look like ADHD, but it isn't.

Slowness on exams, papers and tasks: Sometimes when kids take a long time, they're struggling with the perfectionism of needing to do things the right way. This could look like learning problems, or inattention, but it isn't.

Avoidance: Teachers might see a child who doesn't want to sit on the floor, or pick things up that touched the floor, or get his hands dirty in art class. He may avoid a lot of playground activities - kids with germ fears will view the playground the way some adults view the subway: it's gross. Why touch anything there?

Tapping and touching symmetrically: If a child sits down at her desk and she accidentally kicks the chair of the kid next to her with her right foot, she's going to have to then kick it with her left foot. That might look like somebody who's being oppositional, or somebody who's got too much energy, but actually it's OCD.

Complaints of anxiety and fatigue: There's one interesting theory that kids with OCD are smarter than other kids. And if you consider how much thinking they're doing, they're really using their brain more frequently than a lot of other kids are. But when that's coupled with a lot of anxiety, you can have a lot of fatigue. So it's common for kids with OCD to want to come home and take a nap after school.

How to Help Students With OCD

For children struggling with OCD, functioning in school can be complicated and very difficult. Here are some things you can do to help them, and the class as a whole, focus on learning:

Seating arrangement: If the school has noisy hallways, you might not want to have a child with OCD sit by the door. You might have her sit in the front, where she's less able to hear the noise and can stay more focused on her work. On the other hand, a child who has very observable symptoms, and doesn't want other kids to see her fidgeting with her hands, rocking or getting up a lot, might be better off closer to the door, toward the back of the room.

Extended time for tests and papers: If writing is a problem for a child who needs to find the perfect way to say something, he's going to need more time to finish those essay questions or papers.

Laptops for writing: If writing and rewriting/erasing is really problematic for a child, consider letting her use a laptop for taking notes, and having all assignments be typed instead of handwritten.

Private testing rooms: Research is quite clear that kids with OCD do better, are less overwhelmed and are more in control of their thoughts and their reactions if they're in a quiet place away from the other kids.

Skip reading out loud: Kids who feel they need to read perfectly may have to go back and reread sentences or whole paragraphs over and over to make sure they've got them right. So reading becomes a very laborious task, and reading in front of the class can become a nightmare. So if we know doing this is a problem for children, we can spare them.

Books on tape: If kids get so hung up reading that it takes forever, listening to the books can be a solution.

Break homework into chunks: If looking at a whole page of math makes kids feel overwhelmed and anxious - think of the potential for mistakes! - the problems can be broken up over four pages. It helps kids stay focused on doing the problems instead of worrying.

How to Minimize Behavioral Problems

Plan an escape route: Try working out a communication system so that if the student feels symptoms coming on, she can signal to you and leave the classroom, or go to a protected place in the classroom, without interrupting the class. It can prevent an embarrassing and disruptive blowup of symptoms in the classroom, and the other kids picking on or bullying her about it.

Be aware of triggering events: It's very important for teachers to know what kind of things might trigger the symptoms. Fatigue is a huge piece of OCD, and it can be exacerbated by medication. So it's important to know that if a child is drowsy in class, and maybe he's putting his head down, it's not because he's being oppositional or disrespectful, but because he's overwhelmed with fatigue.

Advance notice: Irritability and frustration are two of the longer-lasting things that kids with OCD are feeling on a daily basis. Changes in schedule can be very disruptive for a child with OCD, so it can be helpful for teachers to give advance notice of things. Kids who know what to expect are less likely to be thrown by the change.

Children with OCD are often teased and bullied because of their symptoms. Kids feel very uncomfortable about their rituals, knowing that they're being watched. It can be helpful to educate the whole class about what's going on, especially if a child is going to be in the same school for a number of years, and it can inspire a surprising amount of support from other children.

Peer understanding program: A peer understanding program includes a presentation in the classroom that explains (with the child participating) what OCD is. The child might say, "Listen, I have OCD. It's an anxiety disorder. It makes me think that my hands are dirty and I have to wash my hands a lot, so if you see me getting up and going to the sink to wash my hands, that's why." Psychologists can role-play with the teacher and child ahead of time, to anticipate questions his classmates might ask, and how to answer them.

A buddy system: A buddy is like a peer coach who sits next to the child and prompts him to keep up with note taking and staying on task. It can be great for the buddy, to foster a sense of confidence and pride and to be able to help someone in need, and great for fostering friendship.

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Lo sentimos, la página que usted busca no se ha podido encontrar. Puede intentar su búsqueda de nuevo o visitar la lista de temas populares. Children who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are plagued with unwanted thoughts, images or impulses that are difficult to suppress, causing them great stress and worry.

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School Counselor Hierarchy and Effectiveness Rating Form

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School Counselor Hierarchy and Effectiveness Rating Form

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Texas Tech University School Counseling Field Handbook: Use the rating form to self-reflect regarding counselor micro-skills.

Bradley, L. (2019). School Counseling MED Student Field Experiences Handbook. Texas Tech University College of Education. www.educ.ttu.edu/epce

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Counselor Hierarchy and reflection sheet

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Information, symptoms, and treatment suggestions for students with BDD.

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Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), or body dysmorphia, is a mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance. These flaws are often unnoticeable to others.
People of any age can have BDD, but it's most common in teenagers and young adults. It affects both men and women.

Having BDD does not mean you're vain or self-obsessed. It can be very upsetting and have a big impact on your life.

Symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)

You might have body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) if you:

worry a lot about a specific area of your body (particularly your face)

spend a lot of time comparing your looks with other people's

look at yourself in mirrors a lot or avoid mirrors altogether

go to a lot of effort to conceal flaws - for example, by spending a long time combing your hair, applying make-up or choosing clothes

pick at your skin to make it "smooth"

BDD can seriously affect your daily life, including your work, social life and relationships.

BDD can also lead to depression, self-harm and even thoughts of suicide.

Getting help for body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)

You should see a GP if you think you might have BDD.

They'll probably ask a number of questions about your symptoms and how they affect your life.

They may also ask if you've had any thoughts about harming yourself.

You may be treated by the GP, or they may refer you to a mental health specialist for further assessment and treatment.

It can be very difficult to seek help for BDD, but it's important to remember that you have nothing to feel ashamed or embarrassed about.

Getting help is important because your symptoms probably will not go away without treatment and may get worse.

You can also refer yourself directly to an NHS talking therapies service without a referral from a GP.

Treatments for body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)

The symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) can get better with treatment.

If your symptoms are relatively mild, you should be referred for a type of talking therapy called cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which you have either on your own or in a group.

If you have moderate symptoms, you should be offered either CBT or a type of antidepressant medicine called a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).

If your symptoms are more severe, or other treatments do not work, you should be offered CBT together with an SSRI.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

CBT can help you manage your BDD symptoms by changing the way you think and behave.

It helps you learn what triggers your symptoms, and teaches you different ways of thinking about and dealing with your habits.

You and your therapist will agree on goals for the therapy and work together to try to reach them.

CBT for treating BDD will usually include a technique known as exposure and response prevention (ERP).

This involves gradually facing situations that would normally make you think obsessively about your appearance and feel anxious.

Your therapist will help you to find other ways of dealing with your feelings in these situations so that, over time, you become able to deal with them without feeling self-conscious or afraid.

You may also be given some self-help information to read at home and your CBT might involve group work, depending on your symptoms.

CBT for children and young people will usually also involve their family members or carers.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

SSRIs are a type of antidepressant.

There are a number of different SSRIs, but fluoxetine is most commonly used to treat BDD.

It may take up to 12 weeks for SSRIs to have an effect on your BDD symptoms.

If they work for you, you'll probably be asked to keep taking them for several months to improve your symptoms further and stop them coming back.

There are some common side effects of taking SSRIs, but these will often pass within a few weeks.

Your doctor will keep a close eye on you over the first few weeks. It's important to tell them if you're feeling particularly anxious or emotional, or are having thoughts of harming yourself.

If you've not had symptoms for 6 to 12 months, you'll probably be taken off SSRIs.

This will be done by slowly reducing your dose over time to help make sure your symptoms do not come back (relapse) and to avoid any side effects of coming off the drug (withdrawal symptoms), such as anxiety.

Children, adults younger than 30, and all people with a history of suicidal behaviour will need to be carefully monitored when taking SSRIs. This is because they may have a higher chance of developing suicidal thoughts or trying to hurt themselves in the early stages of treatment.

Children and young people may be offered an SSRI if they're having severe symptoms of BDD.

Medicine should only be suggested after they have seen a psychiatrist and been offered talking therapies.

Further treatment

If treatment with both CBT and an SSRI has not improved your BDD symptoms after 12 weeks, you may be prescribed a different type of SSRI or another antidepressant called clomipramine.

If you do not see any improvements in your symptoms, you may be referred to a mental health clinic or hospital that specialises in BDD, such as the National OCD/BDD Service in London.

These services will probably do a more in-depth assessment of your BDD.

They may offer you more CBT or a different kind of therapy, as well as a different kind of antidepressant.

Causes of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)

It's not known exactly what causes body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), but it might be associated with:

genetics - you may be more likely to develop BDD if you have a relative with BDD, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) or depression

a chemical imbalance in the brain

a traumatic experience in the past - you may be more likely to develop BDD if you were teased, bullied or abused when you were a child

Some people with BDD also have another mental health condition, such as obsessive compulsive behaviour (OCD), generalised anxiety disorder or an eating disorder.

Things you can do to help with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)

Support groups for body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)

Some people may find it helpful to contact or join a support group for information, advice and practical tips on coping with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).

You can ask your doctor if there are any groups in your area, and the BDD Foundation has a directory of local and online BDD support groups.

You may also find the following organisations to be useful sources of information and advice:

Mental wellbeing

Things that can help with your mental wellbeing if you have BDD include:

taking regular exercise

making sure you get enough sleep

Some people also find it helpful to get together with friends or family, or to try doing something new to improve their mental wellbeing.

It may also be helpful to try some relaxation and breathing exercises to relieve stress and anxiety.

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NHS information and advice about body dysmorphic disorder (BDD or body dysmorphia), including what the symptoms are and what can help.

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School-specific Support for Students with BDD

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School-specific Support for Students with BDD

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This resource includes flyers for teachers, staff, parents, and students regarding BDD and how to provide interventions and support.

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Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a psychological condition where a person becomes very preoccupied with one or more features in physical appearance, e.g. nose, skin, hair, etc. The concern can be very specific (e.g. "my nose is too big") or it may be vague (e.g. "I feel ugly"). People with BDD engage in behaviours to 'fix' or hide the perceived flaw/s that are difficult to resist or control (e.g. frequently checking mirrors, seeking reassurance, etc). What is BDD? >

BDD can seriously affect a person's daily life, including school, social life and relationships. It is very common for young people with BDD to feel anxious, upset, depressed because of their appearance concerns and experience life as being a struggle. What are the symptoms of BDD? >

Stepping out of class to check mirrors or other reflective surfaces

Wearing excessive make-up or not adhering to uniform rules at school as a way of camouflaging appearance

Regularly arriving late, inconsistent attendance or not attending at all

Seeking reassurance about appearance

Avoiding certain lessons such as P.E where aspects of their appearance may be more visible

Appearing distracted and finding it difficult to focus in class due to appearance worries invading students mind

Avoiding being around peers or groups

Student becoming distressed or upset in class

Decline in academic performance

It is difficult to manage BDD alone. Having supportive people on the young person's side will make it easier for them to get the right help.
There are lots of ways young people can get help:

Tell someone they trust

Make a GP appointment (taking this information leaflet with them to their appointment)

If the GP agrees they may be struggling with BDD or appearance anxiety they will refer the young person to Child and Adolescent Services (CAMHS) (called Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Services (EWMHS) in some geographical areas.

The good news is that there are effective treatments for BDD! The UK's national guidelines for BDD recommend two treatment options: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for BDD and/or medication.

We know that BDD is as common as other mental health difficulties. In fact, based on the available research, we know around 2% of the students in your school, college or university are likely to have this disorder. If you are aware of a student who has BDD, there are a number of ways you may be able to support them.

Tips on how schools can help:

Students may need a time-out in lessons if they are feeling anxious or overwhelmed

They may need extra time to complete work in lesson or homework tasks

Avoid all comments on appearance - even positive statements and don't discuss the perceived defect.

Be aware student may be tired due to the appearance worries and lengthy rituals they often engage in

Special adjustments may need to be made to ensure the student is not disadvantaged because of their difficulties e.g. extra time in exams or taking them in a smaller room

Be aware that students with BDD may experience difficulties with peer relationships and suffer low self-esteem, so you may need to keep a lookout for any teasing and bullying of the student

It may be helpful to speak to the student to understand what likely triggers are for them and to help identify stressful aspects of school. Exploring this together can help you and the student come up with a plan to manage this (e.g. how can they discretely signal if they need to leave the class? How they can minimise the impact on learning and academic performance)

If the student is having treatment, have regular contact with family and therapist about specific provisions they will need in place to manage symptoms at school. It is helpful to ask about what they are working on in treatment and how the school can help, as the school may be a helpful environment to support and build on the student's learning from sessions.

Learn more about BDD by watching our videos, listening to our podcast 'Beating BDD', or reading these books

Share these leaflets:

What Can Universities do to help?:

Reasonable Adjustments

The 2010 Equality Act in England, Scotland and Wales requires publicly-funded universities to make 'reasonable adjustments' to enable people with disabilities to study without being at a disadvantage. The 1995 Disability Discrimination Act and 2005 Special Educational Needs & Disability Order in
Northern Ireland works very similarly.

In this context, 'reasonable' means that it must be effective, financially viable (often with the help of Disabled Students' Allowance), fulfil health and safety requirements, and not disadvantage other students. An extra consideration for students in some vocational fields, including medicine and nursing, is that the reasonable adjustments must also fit in with what is required by the relevant professional body, such as the General Medical Council or Nursing and Midwifery Council. This means that adjustment made cannot affect the safety of that individual in future practice.
Examples of reasonable adjustments:

Extending coursework deadlines

Extra time/rests during exams

Time off when BDD is especially bad

Support from welfare and counselling staff

Taking exams in separate exam halls

Being excused from whole-class presentations

Helpful Resources

Young people's experiences of body dysmorphic disorder in education settings: a grounded theory. Research study by Dr Nicole Schnackenberg

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Information for Educational Professionals (School & Uni)

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Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a psychological condition where a person becomes very preoccupied with one or more features in physical appearance, e.g. nose, skin, hair, etc. The concern can be very specific (e.g. "my nose is too big") or it may be vague (e.g. "I feel ugly").

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Identifying and Intervening on the Behalf of Students Displaying Psychotic Behaviors

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Identifying and Intervening on the Behalf of Students Displaying Psychotic Behaviors

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Schiffman, J., Hoover, S., Roemer, C., Redmon, S., & Bostic, J. (2018). Supporting students experiencing early psychosis in middle school and high school.  National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors.

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Video Narrations of People with Schizophrenia

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Video Narrations of People with Schizophrenia

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This could be a moving addition to a staff professional development program. It can help promote understanding of people with mental health issues and help remove the stigma.

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Buser, J. (2012). The school counselor's role in addressing eating disorder symptomatology among adolescents [Article 97]. Vistas 2012. https://www.counseling.org/resources/library/vistas/2012_vol_1_67-104/2_2012-ACA-PDFs/Article_97.pdf

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Support for School Counselors dealing with Eating Disorders

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Support for School Counselors dealing with Eating Disorders

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concerning this article should be addressed to Jennifer Maskell Carney, Department of Counselor Education, Argosy University, 1550 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22209 (e‐mail: JCarney@argosy.edu).

Abstract

School counselors play a crucial role in the prevention, assessment, treatment, and overall management of eating‐related problems among children and adolescents. This article provides a framework for conceptualizing these difficulties on a continuum of severity and includes recommendations at each level for intervention and consultation. Collaboration with other professionals is encouraged when confronted with these multifaceted issues. Efforts by school counselors are vital to prevention and recovery from eating disorders.

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Eating Issues in Schools: Detection, Management, and Consultation With Allied Professionals

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concerning this article should be addressed to Jennifer Maskell Carney, Department of Counselor Education, Argosy University, 1550 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22209 (e‐mail: JCarney@argosy.edu). School counselors play a crucial role in the prevention, assessment, treatment, and overall management of eating‐related problems among children and adolescents.

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Presentation for Professional Development: Recognize, Report, and Lead Students Down the Road to Healing.

Green, T. (2022, November 6). Feeding and Eating Disorders [Canva Slideshow]. https://www.canva.com/design/DAFQszVdG_I/ZGt3kHZSLV6WkLhs_Hd8aQ/view?utm_content=DAFQszVdG_I&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink

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Presentation that includes sample questions related to SFBT approach: Miracle questions, Scaling method, Exclusions.

Sabella, R. (2020, March 8). The solution focused brief approach: From problem solver to solution seeker. Florida Gulf Coast University. http://bit.ly/sfbc-packet

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National Eating Disorder Association Website

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National Eating Disorder Association Website

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Information on Statistics, Prevention, Treatment and other resources for ED

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Refresher on the different skills that counselors need to facilitate open and honest communication.

Geldard, D., & Geldard, K. (2001).

Basic personal counselling: A training manual for

counsellors. Pearson Education Australia.

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Green, T. (2022, November 27). Movie analysis: To the bone [Unpublished essay]. Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Angelo State University.

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Help students navigate postsecondary options in a variety of CTE fields.

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Resources and helpful links for counselors

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Click on a topic below to go directly to that section.
Introduction to "Develop Student Assessments"
Three Types of Student Assessment Outcomes
Three Major Uses of Student Assessments in a CBA
Managing Student Assessment Data
Reporting Student Assessment Data
CBA-Based Protective Factors Index (PFI)
Links to Student Assessment Templates Click HERE for a "pdf" version of this Webpage6

Introduction to "Develop Student Assessments"

Primary Components of a Learner-Centered CBA

The graphic below displays the primary components of a learner-centered CBA. Assessing students is the third primary component. Student assessments are required to determine what and how well students have learned.

As a reminder, or in case you have not reviewed the first two sections in the "Develop a CBA" module, a brief summary is provided to establish the relationship among the three components. Student excellence is defined using research-based constructs and sub-constructs, and a results-based approach wherein the results students are expected to achieve are articulated as standard and competency statements. In a CBA, academic, metacognitive, social-emotional and career competencies are defined in terms of motivation, self-direction, self-knowledge and relationships, along with their associated sub-constructs.

The standard and competency statements form the basis of meaningful learning opportunities (primarily learning targets for CBA curriculum acuities) in which students can learn what is expected of them in the school counseling program and how to apply their learning in authentic contexts. Students are provide multiple opportunities to practice applying their learning in order to develop their proficiency and mastery of knowledge and skills, and to demonstrate to others how much and how well they have learned what they are expected to achieve.

Focus on Student Results

A construct-based approach to school counseling is a results-based program that focuses on achieving four types of results: a) student results, b) school counseling program results, c) organizational support results and d) school counselor performance results. This section will focus on student results and how we assess them in relation to the results we expect them to achieve through participation in a CBA school counseling program.

A CBA is learner-centered. CBA school counseling programs are designed to help students achieve the results articulated in our vision statement displayed in the graphic below.

By participating in CBA school counseling programs, students learn how to learn, plan for their future success and cope with the challenges of growing up, developing as proficient life-long learners, and being prepared to enter and benefit from educational and career opportunities in the postsecondary world. Student assessments are critical to the ability of school counselors to help students achieve these results.

Role of CBA Student Assessments

The desired results for students participating in a CBA school counseling program are to achieve the twelve "CBA Student Standards" and by doing so achieve the results articulated in "A Vision To Live By." Student assessments are integral to this process by generating data that determines students' status in relation to what is expected of them. Without student assessment data, school counselors, other educators and parents/guardians would have no way of understanding students' learning needs, potential and outcomes. Nor could it be determined what activities and interventions would be most appropriate to fulfill those needs and help students achieve at their highest potential.

Student assessments are tied directly to the CBA student results (standards and competencies) which students are expected to achieve through participation in the counseling program. On their own, however, the standard and competency statements lack relevance unless they are contextualized in meaningful learning opportunities where they become the primary learning targets for students to achieve. CBA student assessments determine whether students are achieving the results the CBA learning opportunities are designed to help them achieve.

Student assessments, therefore, are inextricably related to the first two components of a learner-centered CBA and should only be discussed in relation to, and never in isolation from, each other.

Data Needed to Make Informed Decisions

CBA student assessment is the use of observation and systemic data collection methods to assist local decision making in the short-term related to discrete interventions and specific activities that are components of the school counseling program.

The primary purpose of CBA student assessments is to provide key constituencies with accurate and timely data that are needed to make informed educational decisions. Accurate and timely information is needed on both: a) academic performance and b) social, emotional and career competencies related to academic performance.

Student assessment is a multi-faceted process. Data collected are used in a variety of ways by various constituent groups. For the purpose of this discussion, we identify four constituencies which are the primary beneficiaries of the data collected: a) students, b) parents/guardians, c) counselors and other support staff, and d) teachers. These four groups have the greatest capacity for analyzing the data and potential for making adjustments to students' learning plans.

Each constituent group will have its own uses for the data. Students will use it to understand where they are in relation to what is expected of them. Parents/guardians will use the data to learn more about their children's learning strengths and areas in need of improvement, and increase their level of involvement in their children's education. School counselors, other professional support staff and teachers will use the data to determine the most appropriate learning plan for each student, and the activities and interventions needed to support student achievement and well-being.

Other constituent groups such as building and central administrators, school boards, state departments of education are also important users of student assessment data, but they do not have the same type of direct interaction with students as the four primary groups we have identified. These groups focus more on planning, program design, management and evaluation, and policy issues.

Three Types of Student Assessment Outcomes

Student assessments are an ongoing process, occurring at pre-defined intervals (e.g., end of activity, end of grade) or on an as-needed basis when data is required to address an emerging issue or unanticipated problem.

It is helpful to differentiate three types of student outcomes that occur along the PreK-12 learning continuum: immediate, proximal and distal. These three types of outcomes signify when certain types of results can be expected, beginning with the delivery of the interventions to students and ending when students are expected to have achieved the long-term results. Data are generated all along the PreK-12 learning continuum in order to determine immediate impact (short-interval of time following the intervention), mid-range results (to determine the extent to which students are successfully applying their learning) and long-term results (students' thinking and behavior reflect expected changes over time within the targeted population). The three types are displayed in the graphic below.

See Dimmitt, C., Carey, J. C. & Hatch, T. A. (2007). Evidence-based
school counseling: Making a difference with data-driven practices. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin for more information on this and other data-related topics.

It is important to remember that student learning occurs over time and at varying rates. Assessments, therefore, are not a simple one-time snapshot, but an ongoing monitoring of what students have learned and how well they are applying their learning. Preparations need to be made to ensure that immediate, proximal and distal outcomes are identified and for which meaningful data are gathered, analyzed and used to guide student learning and improve the counseling program and counselor practice.

Three Major Uses of Student Assessments in a CBA

Student assessments have three major uses in a CBA. The first has to do with data we gather to determine students' needs and status in relation to expected CBA student results. The other two have to do with accurately determining which school counseling activities and interventions to deliver to students, and evaluating the efficacy and impact of those activities and interventions. The graphic below identifies the primary function of each usage type.

Assess Student Needs and Status

As noted above, the results we want students to achieve are articulated as standard and competency statements. These statements and associated criteria for knowing when students have achieved them, define where students are expected to end up as a result of their learning experiences. In order to measure their progress and improvement, it is necessary to first determine each student's current status in relation to the results they are expected to achieve.

For example, in a CBA curriculum activity designed to teach students anti-bullying strategies, a pre-survey can be given to determine whether a student has already acquired relevant knowledge (e.g., roles assumed by individuals in a bullying situation) and whether the student is knowledgeable about and has applied various strategies that can be used to diffuse or resolve a bullying situation. The gap between what students know and are able to do in relation to what we expect them to know and do constitutes "student need."

Three terms that are useful in describing student needs and status are progress, proficiency and achievement. Each characterizes a level or degree of knowledge and competence (skill) in relation to relevant CBA standards and competencies. These determinations are important in helping to make informed decisions in the planning and evaluation uses of assessment data.

The notion of "progress" in a CBA signifies students' level or degree of attainment or completion in relation to specified results they are expected to achieve (standards and competencies). Progress can be measured in many ways, but all measurement results are intended to provide key personnel (e.g., students, parents/guardians, counselors, teachers, administrators) with vital information all along the PreK-12 learning continuum, especially at scheduled assessment intervals. This is necessary so that important educational decisions can be made to support students' learning, both individual and collective.

Gathering data on progress, or the extent to which a student has improved since beginning the specific learning process, is very important. Equally important is the reporting of data. This also can take many forms. Most critical from the perspective of students' learning is the immediate feedback given to students and their parents/guardians regarding their status, strengths and areas in need of improvement in terms of their immediate, proximal and distal goals. This information, provided in a timely fashion, is invaluable in keeping each student's individual learning plans up to date and accurately reflecting their actual current status and needs.

Student report cards are another commonly used way to provide students and adults concerned with students' achievement and well-being. Report cards distribute vital information on student progress at specified intervals (e.g., end of each reporting period). A CBA Report Card that can be incorporated into or accompany a school report card is discussed later in this section. In addition, a teacher-rated scale for assessing metacognitive awareness/skills and social-emotional development is provided for your use.

Individual student assessment data are aggregated and reported to establish group, whole class, whole grade and whole school data profiles based on student assessment data. These data are critical to the second and third major uses of student assessment data.

Proficiency]

The notion of "proficiency" indicates the acquisition of relevant knowledge and mastery of appropriate skills (the ability to perform at specified levels of competence within reasonable timeframes). Proficiency specifies how well students are performing specific tasks and performing in the program as a whole. There are a variety of terms used to distinguish among levels of proficiency (e.g., not proficient, proficient, above proficient). A goal for the school counseling program is that students will demonstrate their proficiency in terms of knowledge acquisition and skill development associated with the CBA standards and competencies.

Achievement

The notion of "achievement" indicates that students have reached a certain milestone, benchmark or learning target along the PreK-12 learning continuum. Students are expected to achieve standards and competencies, meet required learning objectives and educational milestones, and demonstrate that positive learning processes and outcomes are evident in their thinking and behavior.

Achievement can occur at a variety of levels. Students can be said to have achieved the learning targets of an individual CBA school counseling curriculum activity. They can be said to have achieved a result by demonstrating their mastery of relevant knowledge or proficiency in demonstrating their ability to perform a specific skill or task. Achievement can be attained in short time spans or time spans that stretch over days or months or multiple school years. In these cases, full achievement (e.g., a CBA standard) will have many smaller accomplishments (competencies) that all contribute to finally achieving the standard.

This helps answer the question as to when it can be said that a student has achieved the CBA student standards. Students have achieved the CBA standards when they demonstrate their proficiency (show their ability to do it) in terms of all twelve CBA standards. This ability is demonstrated primarily in terms of achieving the learning targets (competency statements) in the learning opportunities in which they have participated.

A CBA combines high standards for student excellence with high expectations for student performance. It provides a delivery system for engaging students in meaningful learning opportunities, primarily through the CBA curriculum. The curriculum provides students with opportunities to learn what we are teaching them, successfully apply their learning in authentic contexts, and demonstrate their proficiency and achievement to others. Student assessments are needed to generate information about student progress and challenges. The focus of CBA student assessments is to determine the extent of students' learning in order to guide students along their path to continuously improving their learning outcomes.

Plan Activities and Interventions

School counseling activities and interventions need to be planned. Planning involves the identification of a) activities and interventions that are needed most and b) students who most need specific activities and interventions. This involves data related to individual performance, sub-population performance and total student population performance. Collecting planning data is used to decide and plan for a) where school counseling activities and interventions need to be focused and b) which students need which type(s) of help.

There are many types of planned activities and interventions that are needed to address students' individual and collective needs. The "CBA School Counseling Curriculum Scope and Sequence," is one example of a comprehensive plan for delivering curriculum activities (planned interventions) to students throughout the PreK-12 learning continuum.

Evaluate Activities and Interventions

Evaluation data is collected to determine whether a targeted specific school counseling activity or intervention had its desired effect on students. Targeted activities and interventions are designed to focus on a set of sub-constructs. Evaluation requires the measurement of changes in students' thinking and behavior as they relate to these sub-constructs. Evaluation results are used to make decisions about whether to continue, modify or discontinue the activity or intervention and to inform stakeholders of the impact of the work of school counselors.

This use of student assessments is tied directly to the constructs and sub-constructs which form the foundation of a CBA. Evaluation data, therefore, needs to reflect the impact of these on student achievement and well-being.

The CBA core curriculum, as delineated in the CBA scope and sequence, provides the primary learning opportunities for students' to learn about and demonstrate proficiency in the CBA constructs and sub-constructs. Student assessments embedded in the CBA curriculum activities generate data about how well students are learning about the constructs and sub-constructs and are able to successfully apply their learning in their lives.

Managing Student Assessment Data

As we have seen, student assessment data are generated on an on-going basis and are distributed in a timely fashion to various constituencies that need the information to make informed decisions. Students and their parents/guardians, school counselors and teachers are the primary beneficiaries of CBA student assessment data as they have the greatest potential for using the data to improve students' learning processes and learner outcomes on a consistent basis.

The management of student assessment data is a complex and demanding process. To effectively manage all this data requires a school counseling data management system (SCDMS) that identifies critical data to be collected, and efficiently produces and organizes the data in formats that are easy to access, analyze and apply. Well-management data processes are required for effective data-based decision making.

A SCDMS needs to be planned for and effectively operationalized in order to ensure an efficient delivery of a comprehensive CBA school counseling program. Both student assessment data and CBA program evaluation data are used to generate the level of data needed to monitor and improve specific activities and interventions in particular, and the school counseling program as a whole.

Student assessment focuses on both individual student performance and aggregated data that reveals patterns and trends in groups, classes, grades, levels, schools and the district. Three important types of student assessments used in a CBA are: a) assessments embedded in CBA curriculum activities that determine student progress, proficiency and achievement of activity-specific results, b) students' metacognitive awareness and skill development that determine how students understand their learning and regulatory processes and act to improve them, and c) students' social-emotional learning (as measured by the Protective Factor Index discussed later in this document).

All this data needs to be viewed as an integrated whole consisting of critical information about various aspects of student learning and performance over time. A well-constructed technology platform, including a comprehensive student information system into which a variety of data elements are input frequently and consistently, is required. Such a system allows for the efficient gathering, processing, analysis and distribution of meaningful data in a timely fashion to those who need it to make informed decisions.

A defining characteristic of a SCDMS is that it makes critical information accessible in a timely fashion in easy to understand formats that can be immediately used to make decisions and take action. Accurate and timely data are the key to making effective educational decisions that are capable of having the greatest positive impact on students' development and learning. It is important in a CBA, therefore, that critical data be available to school counselors, and to the data teams on which they serve ,in a timely fashion. This aspect of student information systems is especially important in using the PFI discussed below to collect ongoing data on students' social-emotional and behavioral development.

Reporting Student Assessment Data

Data gathered by schools related to student progress and achievement are generally focused on cognitive development and confined to indicators of academic achievement in content area courses, and measurement by standardized tests. Little or no attention is paid to two other factors that research is now demonstrating are equally as important as cognition-focused learning and assessments: metacognitive awareness/skill and social-emotional learning. This lack of focus on results in an incomplete understanding of the learning processes. Subsequently, it restrains our ability to figure out how to improve student learning outcomes.

The CBA helps to rectify this situation by focusing on the four research-based constructs of motivation, self-direction, self-knowledge and relationship, all of which address students' metacognitive and social-emotional developmental needs. A CBA helps to understand student motivation and how it influences students' thinking and behavior patterns. It helps understand how students become self-directed and self-regulating learners.

A CBA provides students with the knowledge and strategies needed to control and manage their executive functions and how to engage in meaningful interactions that support their learning and productive lives. The CBA is designed to help students learn how to learn, plan for their future success and cope with the challenges of growing up, achieving at their highest potential, and being prepared to enter and benefit from educational and career opportunities in the postsecondary world.

School counseling programs focus on both prevention and intervention. By participating in a CBA school counseling program, students are provided with relevant knowledge they need to acquire, appropriate skills they need to develop and attitudes, behaviors and habits of mind they need to embrace to be successful in school and in life. These learning opportunities are preventive in that they prepare students in advance to deal with problems and issues that they will encounter in school and throughout life.

School counseling programs also provide interventions which are responses to current and/or emerging needs of students. Using these definitions, a school counseling curriculum is preventive in nature whereas a special program to address an emerging problem with bullying is an example of an intervention. Programs such as RTI and PBIS can be viewed as both prevention and an intervention in nature.

Accurately data that is reported in a timely fashion is essential to determining counseling opportunities that are both prevention-focused and intervention-focused. Student information systems that incorporate meaningful data elements and ensure data availability and accessibility to school counselors and other members of the school community are critical to the successful delivery of a CBA school counseling program.

CBA-Based Protective Factors Index (PFI)

A CBA school counseling program focuses on students' metacognitive, social-emotional and behavioral needs through a variety of prevention and intervention activities. An important contribution school counselors can make to the collection, reporting and analysis of these types of data is through the use of a CBA-based Protective Factors Index (PFI) and the reporting of PFI indicators on the school's student report card.

Researchers at the Ronald H. Fredrickson Center for School Counseling Outcome Research and Evaluation (CSCORE) at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst have developed a "Protective Factors Index" which focuses on metacognitive and social-emotional factors that are strongly related to students' academic performance and well-being. Protective factor indicators reflect social-emotional and behavioral competencies characteristic of proficient and engaged learners. Students are assessed using a teacher-rated scale that is completed at the end of each reporting period and issued as part of, or along with, the school's student report card.

A CBA Report Card is based on the CBA constructs and sub-constructs. A behaviorally-anchored teacher-rated rubric is used to make reliable ratings. It provides students and their parents/guardians with accurate and timely information on educational progress related to students' motivation, self-direction, self-knowledge and relationships. The results of each reporting period can be compared with the results of previous reports to determine a student's progress and/or identify areas of continuing concern that require additional support and interventions.

Aggregated student results can be used to establish patterns among the student population and sub-populations and guide the counseling department in targeting specific areas related to metacognitive and social-emotion functions that need to be addressed. This allows the CBA to be data-rich and data-decisive in increasing students' capacity to learn and improve their learning outcomes.

The PFI is a major step in developing a systematic approach to collecting and reporting social-emotional data over time so the data can be used by school counselors, teachers, school data teams and parents to more deeply understand students' development in these critical aspects of whole child education. It helps to establish a more comprehensive data repository that allows for the storage, retrieval and analyses of students' needs and achievement by collectively reviewing academic, metacognitive, social-emotional and behavioral data and how they relate to each other.

The PFI enables school counselors to more effectively plan and deliver preventive learning opportunities, and more focused interventions, to students as part of the counseling program. It helps parents/guardians become more involved in their children's education. It provides teachers and data-teams a way to understand academic achievement in terms of metacognitive and social-emotional development.

The reporting of PFI data on the school's student report card at the end of each grading period helps ensure a snap-shot and a longitudinal view of student development in these important non-academic areas. The continuous availability of PFI data throughout the year and across school years enhances the school's student support system of which school counseling is a vital component.

Links to Student Assessment Templates

The intent of the CBA Website is to help you get started in developing a CBA, integrating it into your current school counseling program, and delivering CBA learning opportunities to your students. This "Develop a CBA" module thus far has provided information on "Defining student Excellence" as standard and competency statements, and "Developing Meaningful Learning "Opportunities" that help students achieve the standards through participation in a CBA school counseling curriculum. This section has focused on "Assessing Student Progress, the third building block required to develop a CBA. The following templates will help you begin to develop your CBA student assessments. Instructions for each template are provided as "pdf" files. The templates are provided as MS Word "docx" files into which you can input and organize your data. Descriptions of the assessment instruments are provided below, along with links to the Instructions and Templates.

Developing Curriculum Embedded Assessments

All CBA curriculum activities have embedded assessments to help determine student progress, proficiency and achievement in relation to the specified results students are expected to achieve through participation in the curriculum activity.
Develop Curriculum Embedded Assessments Instructions Develop Curriculum Embedded Assessments Template
High School Student Needs Assessment

This template enables high school students to specify the extent to which they agree or disagree with statements related to their learning.
High School Student Needs Assessment Instructions High School Student Needs Assessment Template
Elementary Parents' Student Needs Assessment

This template enables parents of elementary school students to specify the extent to which they agree or disagree with statements related to their children's social-emotional and metacognitive development.
Elementary Parents' Student Needs Assessment Instructions Elementary Parents' Student Needs Assessmentt Template
Protective Factors Index/CBA Report Card

Reporting student assessment data is an essential component of the assessment process. This template uses a teacher-rated scale to record and report student levels of metacognitive awareness/skills and social-emotional development.

Elementary Teacher PFI Rubric and Report Card Instructions
Elementary Teacher PFI Worksheet Template

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Click on a topic below to go directly to that section. Introduction to "Develop Student Assessments" Three Types of Student Assessment Outcomes Three Major Uses of Student Assessments in a CBA Managing Student Assessment Data Reporting Student Assessment Data CBA-Based Protective Factors Index (PFI) Links to Student Assessment Templates Click HERE for a "pdf" version of this Webpage6 The graphic below displays the primary components of a learner-centered CBA.

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School Counselor Resources

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Click on the images below to try out some of my counseling resources! If you like what I'm all about, you can find more on my School Counselor Stephanie store or on my Products Page.

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Teach students to manage their stress through practicing mindfulness and adopting a growth mindset! This freebie comes with various activities that you can use in a whole class lesson or even in a group session! Click on the stress management image above to download it.

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Group Discussion Activity-Healthy Coping Skills

This is a great handout to give in a group session or a guidance lesson! Teach your students all the ways to cope with life's difficulties in a healthful way! This freebie comes with discussion questions to.! Click on the healthy coping skills image to download it.

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Crisis Intervention Steps and Resources

Dealing with student crises is a sad, but important part of our job as counselors. At my school, we have a set protocol for dealing with student crises, or "3 Hurts Emergencies". Click on the yoga girl picture for my detailed crisis intervention steps and resources.

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Group Guidance and Lesson Data Tools

These handy products show you how to make pre and posttests for your counseling groups and/or guidance lessons and then turn them into hard and fast data graphs to show the awesome progress your students are making!

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College & Career Guidance Lesson

Click on the bulletin board picture to check out this lesson! It uses the amazing and FREE publications from the student.gov website of the US Department of Education! Your students of any age will be captivated by these college and career brochures. Guide your students to learn lots of crucial info about planning for their future. Celebrate their future with activities and discussion about what "college" actually means! With this lesson, teach them how to start on the path to get there. Happy Learning!

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Yearly School Counseling Curriculum & Weekly Schedule!

There's a lot of interest these days in templates for school counselor curriculum/calendars as well as templates for a weekly/daily schedule that is based on the American School Counselors Association model. So,I'd like to offer ours up! Click on the red image to download both a counseling curricular calendar and a weekly/daily schedule template. Happy Planning!

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Counseling Needs Assessment- For Students

Do you work with upper elementary, middle or high school students? If so, they can fill out their own needs assessment to tell you exactly what topics they need and want in their counseling classroom lessons! Use this assessment with students and plan your lessons accordingly!

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Counseling Program Presentation to Staff

Each year during Back-to-School Season, my co-counselors and I spend time and effort putting together a presentation for staff about our counseling program. This is such an important part of what we do- it is crucial to present to staff about your program and what your job entails. If colleagues and administrators don't know what we do, they might think we need things to do. Or worse, they might feel resentful if they think our job has less duties than their job. Click on the purple picture to download a free template that you can use to create a presentation that lets you explain your dynamic program to your staff!

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Counseling Resources: Stephanie Talks School Counseling!

In this video below, I briefly explain how to use the American School Counselor Association and Texas School Counseling Association Models to enhance and advocate for your school counseling program! Take a look and learn how to work with your principal to lessen your non-counseling duties so that you can implement best-practice counseling strategies at your school!
School Counselor Stephanie Video
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Counseling Resources: Helpful Links

Below is a collection of some of the great websites I've been collecting over the years. Read over the brief description of each link below to see which ones will best serve your needs and then just click on them. I hope they serve you as well as they have served me!

Edutopia - What a great, great site with articles on the latest and most cutting edge topics in the education field. This is the site I use for sending articles to my principal to convince him to support a best practice counseling program!

The Great State of Texas School Counselors - Super helpful group for counselors (especially those working in Texas schools) to exchange ideas, ask questions, share resources, and support each other.

The Mental Health Marketplace - Fabulous Facebook storefront for counselors, therapists, SEL specialists, and any other mental health professionals to share, exchange, buy, or sell their counseling resources!

Watch Wellcast - Amazing Youtube site with tons of fun, animated mental health and school success videos!

Youth Suicide Prevention - Helpful info and incredible resources for students struggling with suicide and depression.

Big Future - My absolute favorite college readiness website! Check out the college student videos and show them to your kiddos in guidance lessons- they will be entranced!

Student Aid.Gov - The US Department of Education's website with tons of free downloadables in English and Spanish related to college and career readiness.

Kids Health - A wonderful site for info, videos, and resources on every health topic you can imagine. They have especially good mental health resources.

School Counselor.com - Russell Sabella, the former Prez of ASCA, has a great site featuring the latest in technology for school counselors and the newest media about counseling

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Resources and Links for School Counseling Best Practice!

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Click on the images below to try out some of my counseling resources! If you like what I'm all about, you can find more on my School Counselor Stephanie store or on my Products Page. *** *** Teach students to manage their stress through practicing mindfulness and adopting a growth mindset!

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SMART goals Podcast - CSCP with Dr. Heron

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SMART goals Podcast - CSCP with Dr. Heron

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Vocaroo is a quick and easy way to share voice messages over the interwebs.

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A compilation of credible career assessments and career planning websites.

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The Internet offers a huge variety of career resources. Many of these resources can be used for self-help career planning (see links below), although we recommend searching for a credentialed career services provider. For the benefit of career development professionals, we have undertaken a time-consuming effort to collect, organize, curate, and publish online, a listing of free, current, and credible Internet resources.

In addition to the professional judgment of the volunteers from the NCDA Technology Committee, NCDA has set the following guidelines for inclusion of the resources linked on this page:

1. Follow the mission of NCDA which is "to inspire and empower individuals to achieve their career and life goals" and may not violate the NCDA non-discrimination policy.

2. Be viewable by anyone with Internet access without any major or substantial services requiring payment (in other words the critical information is free and the site does not try to entice users into paying for fee-based services)

3. Contain accurate, factual, unbiased, and current information

4. Have strong and obvious relevance to career development

5. Be easy and clear to navigate

6. Provide information of use to the client

7. Be professionally prepared and executed (embedded links work, presentation is professional, grammar correct, appropriate use of images, no typos, extra resources and assistance provided when appropriate).

8. Display content that is appropriate and fair to all cultures and genders

9. Use professional email addresses for contact purposes.

If a new site fits the above guidelines, submit the title of the resource, the link, a 2-3 sentence description of what the site contains, and additional information for the reviewers. Submit the request now using our form- do not email NCDA. Lengthy "sales pitches" about a new site will not be considered. Updates (typically quarterly) will be made at the editor's and reviewers' discretion.

Looking for a resource to help with your career planning?

Click on the category below to find the Internet resources you wish to review and use. Before using the links, please review the NCDA Legal Notice and Disclaimer.

[Note: New links were added in April 2023 after a review of the request forms. Reviews are conducted by the NCDA Technology Committee.]

Career Service Centers are granted permission to link to this Resources webpage - please give credit to NCDA!

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NCDA | Internet Sites for Career Planning

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The Internet offers a huge variety of career resources. Many of these resources can be used for self-help career planning (see links below), although we recommend searching for a credentialed career services provider. For the benefit of career development professionals, we have undertaken a time-con…

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Information about careers in Texas: job outlook, etc.

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The U.S. Department of Labor has developed an automated occupational information database, O*NET, that identifies and describes work content, work skills, and training requirements for all jobs across the country in all sectors of the economy.

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Information about graduation requirements, CTE lesson plans, course sequences, and endorsements info.

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Resources and helpful links for counselors

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The Student Interest Survey for Career Clusters is a career guidance tool that allows students to respond to questions and identify the top three Career Clusters of interest based on their responses. This pencil/paper survey takes about fifteen minutes to complete and can be used in the classroom or for presentations with audiences who have an interest in career exploration. The survey is available in English and Spanish-and can be viewed and printed out by clicking on the files below.

The Student Interest Survey for Career Clusters may be used for educational purposes only.

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Student Interest Survey for Career Clusters | Advance CTE

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The Student Interest Survey for Career Clusters is a career guidance tool that allows students to respond to questions and identify the top three Career Clusters of interest based on their responses. This pencil/paper survey takes about fifteen minutes to complete and can be used in the classroom or…

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Includes professional development and an array of risk assessments

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Interested in completing a research survey about the treatment needs and priorities of individuals who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)? The confidential survey will take about 20 minutes to complete. Participants will have the chance to enter a raffle to win a $100 gift card.

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Center for Practice Innovations > Resources > SCORM > CSSRS

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Interested in completing a research survey about the treatment needs and priorities of individuals who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)? The confidential survey will take about 20 minutes to complete. Participants will have the chance to enter a raffle to win a $100 gift card.

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Suicide Risk Assessments and Prevention

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If you are using the C-SSRS for research and clinical trials please see our distinct requirements for training.

Training is not required and you do not need any mental health experience to use the Columbia Protocol, however, training is helpful and some options to access training follow.

Options for Training on the Columbia tools

The Columbia Lighthouse Project offers numerous free training options in more than 20 languages. The shortest training takes about 20 minutes, and almost all of them can be completed within an hour. Trainings are not setting specific. Choose the method that works best for you.

Online Options

Tailor Your Training With an Interactive Training Module

The Project collaborated with the Center for Practice Innovations (CPI) Learning Community to develop a new, interactive C-SSRS training module. It can be completed in about 30 minutes but also offers options to access additional resources for more in-depth information.
This module does not work with some releases of Firefox and Internet Explorer; please try Google Chrome if you encounter difficulties. Notice for New York State behavioral healthcare providers: If you would like to receive credit for this training and have a username and password for the Center for Practice Innovations (CPI) Learning Community please log in here and click on the "Suicide Prevention" icon to get started. If you have any questions, please contact CPI's help desk (cpihelp@nyspi.columbia.edu).
Watch a Prerecorded Webinar

Watch a webinar on your own schedule by going to the Project's YouTube channel and selecting an archived webinar. They are available in 30 languages, and are less than an hour long.

Learn and Earn a Certificate on Training Campus

Use Training Campus to access a self-paced tutorial in more than 30 languages. First-time users must register. Training for the full C-SSRS includes a video presentation and eight case studies, and users who complete the case study questions receive a certificate. A separate training for the condensed C-SSRS Screener consists of a 20-minute video only and uses the title ZZ- NOT FOR CLINICAL RESEARCH - Administration Training for 6 - question C-SSRS Screener.

Training Campus does not work with some releases of Internet Explorer; please try Firefox or Google Chrome if you encounter difficulties.

If difficulties persist, please call support at 512-302-3113 or email support@bluecloud.net

Participate in a Live Webinar

Participate in a training in real time to get the latest information and immediate answers to your questions. The Project also may offer webinars on using the C-SSRS in specific settings, such as schools. Return to this page for webinar dates, or contact us to schedule one.

Video Downloads

Download training videos to view on your computer and to copy or burn onto flash drives or CD-ROMs for sharing and group training. There is no limit on the number of downloads and you may embed them in your current training system. The Project provides videos for training in more than 30 languages. For English language training on the full and screener scales click on this link, and then click on the "download" button in the upper-right corner to download it to your desktop (do not try to watch the vido within the dropbox it will end early). A video training on just the shorter C-SSRS screener is also available if you Click on this link. For training in foreign languages look in this folder, select the language you desire and download the training by clicking on the "download" button in the upper right hand corner.
If you encounter difficulties playing media files, please download the VLC media player.
CD-ROMs

Online training and video downloads are the preferred options, but the Project is happy to mail you a training CD-ROM if necessary. We can provide one per language. Please contact us with your name, mailing address and country, phone number, and desired training language. The Project uses FedEx to provide timely shipments, but please allow for time to process your request.

In-person Training

In certain circumstances it may be possible to provide a training in your location. These usually run 90 min and are not limited in terms of the number of people who can attend. Travel reimbursement is not required but welcomed. Please contact us for more details.

Certificates

Training certificates are generated automatically only when users register and complete the case study questions on Training Campus. For all other training options, trainees can document completion by printing this Project-signed certificate and filling in their name and completion date.

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FREE Training for Communities and Healthcare The Columbia Lighthouse Project

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If you are using the C-SSRS for research and clinical trials please see our distinct requirements for training. Training is not required and you do not need any mental health experience to use the Columbia Protocol, however, training is helpful and some options to access training follow.

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The Student Interest Survey for Career Clusters® is a career guidance tool that allows students to respond to questions and identify the top three Career Clusters of interest based on their responses. This pencil/paper survey takes about fifteen minutes to complete and can be used in the classroom or for presentations with audiences who have an interest in career exploration.