The success of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in typical schools has led to interest in PBIS for alternative programs, including residential programs. In this brief, we describe PBIS as implemented in a therapeutic treatment home for adolescents with mental health needs. The PBIS framework enabled the program to add Tier 1…

At the outset of a clinical relationship, boundaries are created in order to define the therapeutic relationship, outline the treatment process, and explain the limits of confidentiality. Although clients initially agree to these conditions, there are instances when clients violate these boundaries by engaging in stalking behaviors against their…

Childhood psychopathology is a large and concerning problem within the school setting. High prevalence rates of childhood psychopathology and resulting poor student outcomes reiterates the need for school service personnel to possess a basic understanding of the major therapeutic approaches to mollifying the difficulties presented by students.…

Second Substitute Senate Bill 5903 (2019) directed the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) to contract with an organization providing coaching services to early achievers program participants, i.e., Child Care Aware of Washington (CCA WA), to provide statewide Infant-Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMH-C) to Early…

There is increasing evidence to support the biological basis of mental disorders. Subsequently, understanding the neurobiological context from which mental distress arises can help counselors appropriately apply cognitive behavioral therapy and other well-researched cognitive interventions. The purpose of this article is to describe the…

Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses affecting a significant proportion of women and a smaller number of men. Approximately half of those with an eating disorder (ED) will not meet the criteria for anorexia or bulimia nervosa, and will be diagnosed with an eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS). Until recently, there were no…

The school nurse plays a pivotal role in the assessment and treatment of selective mutism (SM), a rare disorder found in elementary school children. Due to anxiety, children with SM do not speak in uncomfortable situations, primarily the school setting. Diagnosis of SM is often missed in the formative years because the child does speak at home.…

Evidence suggests that schools have, by default, become the primary mental health system for students in Canada. The goal of the present study was to design, implement, and evaluate the Psychology School Mental Health Initiative (PSMHI). The PSMHI is an innovative attempt to increase the capacity of school-based psychology staff to deliver…

This paper describes the FAB (Functionally Alert Behavior) Strategies approach to improve behavior in children and adolescents with complex behavioral challenges. FAB Strategies include evidence-based environmental adaptations, sensory modulation, positive behavioral support, and physical self-regulation strategies. FAB Strategies can be used by…

In the United States, research directed specifically at improving our understanding of the psychiatric assessment and treatment of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) has grown, yet lags far behind efforts for typically developing children and adults. In the United States, a lack of a national approach to the mental health problems of…

Worry is a component of many psychological disorders. Worry exposure is a technique that is useful in the treatment of excessive worry. However, there is little in the psychological literature on worry exposure. This leads to the impression that clinicians do not make much use of worry exposure. This paper offers a step-by-step description of the…

The primary purpose of Del Giacco's Neuro-Art Therapy is to help the client regenerate the sensory system at a decoding/encoding (for our purposes we use the two words interchangeably) levels in the brain while using developmental visual spatial exercises or the Therapeutic Drawing Series (TDS). The specialty of Del Giacco Neuro Art Therapy (DAT)…

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remains one of the most prevalent mental health diagnoses identified in school-age children. Affected children show an increased risk for school failure, social difficulties, and the development of psychiatric comorbidities. Despite the availability of evidence-based behavioral protocols for managing…

This manuscript is one in a series of invited papers to this journal. The purpose of the series is to highlight and discuss the similarities and differences between various behavioral and cognitive-behavioral approaches to the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The first article in this series (Twohig & Whittal) describes the case…

There is increased use of medications with troubled youth and a corresponding increase in research about these drugs. However, even the most exhaustive efforts to demonstrate the effectiveness of medication strategies have resulted in less than robust outcomes. A critical review of the most prominent studies highlights this questionable trend in…