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