| Teachers and Counselors: Does it seem to
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| | ready to assist the student, family,
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| you that you are seeing more and more
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| | teacher, counselor or anyone involved in
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| seriously emotionally disturbed kids than
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| | the child's life to help that child
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| ever before? The problem may not be with
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| | succeed in school, community, family and
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| your perceptions. The problem may be that
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| | life.
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| in fact, you are seeing more disturbed
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| | Sadly, most of us lack a Family Resource
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| children and youth than at any time
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| | Center worker or an IYI to turn to. Your
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| before.
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| | challenge becomes, how do I provide my
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| This article covers some of the updated
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| | service to a child with serious emotional
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| mental health information we give out in
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| | problems? Here are a few key do's and
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| our popular Problem-Kid Problem-Solver
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| | don't's, but be sure to also upgrade your
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| Workshop ( It's data that all teachers
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| | basic mental health skills if needed.
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| and counselors can use.
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| | ** Strike the Balance
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| There are a few explanations for what you
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| | Especially in this age of widespread,
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| may already have noticed. First, many
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| | mandated education performance testing,
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| settings such as schools and Job Corps,
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| | teachers can feel pressured to get
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| are accepting youth with increasingly
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| | students to perform and produce. But
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| serious emotional problems. Second,
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| | tests don't "understand" that a child has
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| mainstreaming has shifted many kids from
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| | a serious emotional disturbance and make
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| sheltered or specialized settings, into
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| | allowances, but you can. Strive to
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| mainstream classrooms, sports teams and
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| | balance your school or agency's mission
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| scouting troops. Third, and perhaps most
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| | with the child's special needs. Keep the
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| important, there may be, in fact, more
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| | goals, but don't accomplish them at any
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| and earlier serious emotional
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| | cost.
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| disturbances developing in children. Or,
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| | ** When I'm Not Sure What to Do
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| perhaps we are just getting better at
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| | A good general guideline for anytime that
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| identifying these problems.
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| | you just don't know for sure how to work
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| Late last year, you may have read in your
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| | with a child, is ro ask the child. That
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| local newspaper a summary of the US
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| | child is the expert on that child. If you
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| Surgeon General's report that noted that
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| | get no useful response, a fall-back plan
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| an amazing 1 in 10 children may have a
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| | is to consider what would work or not
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| serious mental health disorder. This
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| | work with you if you were in that
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| report noted that the typical wait for
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| | situation.
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| troubled children to gain an appointment
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| | ** But I Have to Be Fair
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| with a mental health professional was 3
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| | You may worry that if you give a troubled
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| to 4 months. Some communities lack
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| | child extra time to complete a task, for
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| children's mental health services
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| | example, that the other kids will
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| entirely, the report also noted. This
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| | complain that it is unfair. In the work
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| report quotes a study that indicated that
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| | world, bosses are required to accommodate
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| many children with severe emotional
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| | employees' special needs from providing a
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| problems don't gain proper school
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| | ramp for a wheel chair to a sign language
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| services until age 10. The report
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| | interpreter. The ultimate mission of most
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| emphasizes that many of these troubled
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| | youth-serving sites is to prepare the
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| children will wind up in jail, in part
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| | child for the real world. In the real
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| because their problems went unnoticed, or
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| | world, providing some accommodation is
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| were addressed way too late. The report
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| | either legally mandated or a common
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| advocates for more mental health
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| | courtesy. Most schools even attempt to
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| resources for children, and better
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| | give a bigger desk to a bigger student.
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| training in children's mental health for
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| | Simple human courtesy and common sense
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| everyone who works with youth.
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| | should never be viewed as unfair.
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| The Bottom Line: If you are not a mental
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| | ** They Can Take It
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| health professional, but you work with
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| | Some youth professionals will tell you
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| kids, you may need to acquire a basic
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| | that the child can "take it." The truth
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| mental health background in order to
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| | is that you have no way of looking into a
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| fully understand your changing
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| | child and accurately gauging their
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| population, and to best serve their
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| | resilience. Since kids do not generally
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| changing needs.
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| | announce that they were beaten last
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| This background will also help you know
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| | night, or that they haven't eaten for two
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| when to access help from a mental health
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| | days, you don't know how fragile or
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| professional. There is no substitute for
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| | strong a child actually is. You don't
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| the expertise of a mental health worker,
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| | know whether or not a child can "take
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| and if budget cuts have reduced this
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| | it." There is a risk that a harsh,
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| option at your site, that is quite
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| | embarrassing, aggressive act could harm
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| serious. A class like our Breakthrough
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| | or undermine a child. While it is never
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| Strategies Workshop ( can help you get
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| | okay to yell, demean or humiliate any
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| the basics, but with the incidence of
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| | child for any reason, it is especially
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| severe childhood emotional problems
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| | true with children who are severely
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| apparently on the rise, it makes relying
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| | troubled.
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| on that counselor, social worker, or
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| | ** These Children Are Manipulating the
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| psychologist perhaps more important than
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| | Adults
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| ever before.
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| | While some emotionally disturbed children
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| If you are a mental health professional
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| | are very adept at manipulation, many
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| you may also want to check your skills
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| | emotionally disturbed children do not
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| too. We are always surprised at our
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| | manipulate at all. There are many types
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| workshop how many mental health
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| | of emotional disturbances, and each has
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| professionals confuse conduct disorders
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| | its own unique dynamics. Because an adult
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| and thought disorders, for example, two
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| | works differently with different types of
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| basic and essential mental health
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| | students, tailoring their methods to fit
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| concepts.
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| | each child and that child's unique
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| We also need more groups like IYI in
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| | circumstances, does not mean the adult
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| Indiana, and the Family Resource Centers
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| | has been manipulated. It means that the
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| in Kentucky IYI, the Indiana Youth
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| | adult has a sophisticated understanding
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| Institute, brings hands- on training to
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| | of different types of youth and they
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| everyone involved with youth including
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| | choose the correct tools for each type.
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| scout troop leaders, faith-based
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| | For more specific techniques to use with
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| professionals, after school workers and
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| | troubled youth, consider our "Child's
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| everyone else involved with kids.
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| | Guide to Surviving in a Troubled Family."
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| Kentucky's Family Resource Centers are in
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| | Find out more about it via our web site
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| just about every school in the state,
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| | (link below).
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