Out-of-school time (OST) programs offer a unique opportunity to provide educational supports to high-risk children and youths. The authors describe the utility of applying principles of risk and resilience to the development and evaluation of an OST program. Academic outcomes among participants at the Bridge Project, an OST program located in…

This manual provides counselors in schools and agency settings with a hands-on, concrete set of materials to use in group work with children of divorce. The materials help counselors develop a comprehensive psychoeducational group work program that allows them to assess the specific needs of children of divorce, provide a psychoeducational group…

In spite of the most adverse circumstances, some children manage to survive and even thrive, academically and socially, into adulthood. A complex array of individual, family, and community factors has been identified that best explains resilience and lays the foundation for programs and interventions targeted at fostering the development and…

This report surveys writings by National Institute of Mental Health grant recipients who have investigated this first five years of life. The authors attempted to identify and correlate ideas, themes, perspectives and issues which can be useful in the formulation and evaluation of social policies related to infant and child development. Major…

Programs serving children in trouble have been shifting from a pathological perspective towards supporting and reinforcing children and family functioning. This strength-based perspective is described and the practices found to be effective with challenging children are outlined. Some practices include: building authentic relationships with…

This article considers the implications of suicide and violent deaths (including suicide, homicide, and accidents) for the development of interventions for parentally bereaved children. Analyses of data from the Family Bereavement Program find minimal differences in children's mental health problems, grief or risk and protective factors based on…

A social worker and a psychologist, working with troubled youth in a day treatment setting, describe unique ways to use the concepts of Positive Peer Culture (PPC) to facilitate groups from the elementary to high school levels. The authors have adapted the well-known PPC concepts and incorporated them into their strength-based program, SPLASH, to…

This guideline summarizes state-of-the-art approaches and interventions designed to strengthen the role of families in substance abuse prevention. Topics discussed are: (1) "Why Use Family-Centered Approaches? Aren't Our School and Community Efforts Sufficient?"; (2) "How Big a Problem Is Substance Abuse Among Youth?"; (3)…

Intended for use on national, state, and local levels, the ideas and data in this reference are organized by means of the Prevention Enhancement Protocols System (PEPS). This is a systematic process for evaluating evidence from prevention research and practice, which can then be developed into recommendations for practice. Chapter topics are: (1)…

This paper and community guide is based on the recommendations of a panel of nongovernmental experts who systematically reviewed the current research on the family's role in reducing substance abuse among youth. This booklet answers questions such as: (1) "Why focus on families?"; (2) "How big is the problem? What are the…

Recent studies have suggested that anxiety disorders in childhood may be prevented and treated with early intervention programs. It is essential that guidelines are available for health professionals to use in the development of these programs. Following an introductory chapter, chapter 2 explains the rationale for early intervention. Chapter 3…

The design and implementation of a broad-based intervention program for students at risk of school failure are described, and implications are drawn for efforts to improve the education of at risk children. The Learning City Program uses state-of-the-art research to create a facilitating environment in which the continuous development of children…

Noting that helping war-affected children cope with the impact of conflict is a vital part of the post-war recovery of an entire society, this report details a qualitative study that used a series of focus group discussions with 7- to 18-year-olds and their families and participatory activities with children in Kabul, Afghanistan to gather…

This chapter moves toward defining high-risk youth as young persons with low probabilities of gaining an education, getting a job, parenting effectively, or being able to participate in the political process. Five snapshots are presented of the latest information on the prevalence of the five categorical behaviors of interest: (1) substance abuse,…