Background: Campus behavioral intervention teams (BITs) provide early identification of students and/or situations that may be a risk to the community, as well as determine and implement intervention plans for a safe resolution. Methods: An evaluation of 529 faculty and staff was conducted at a large urban, southeastern research university to…

Teachers are at the forefront of identifying internalizing and externalizing behavioral symptoms in children; however, there are disparities in how these behaviors are addressed in the classroom, particularly in relation to disciplinary disparities. This study examined whether teacher education students, when presented with differing behaviors,…

Introduction: Leadership support has been identified as a key facilitator to successful implementation of school-based initiatives. School leadership contributions to student academic success and school reform have been documented, but less work has focused on the effects of leadership on school mental health initiatives such as social, emotional,…

Identifying youth with mental health concerns and connecting them to effective intervention is important because poor mental health is related to lower educational achievements, substance abuse, violence, compromised health, and reduced life satisfaction. This study examined the ability of teachers (n = 153) to accurately identify mental health…

Positive behaviors are essential for individual student success as well as an overall positive school climate. Students with problem behaviors are at risk for lower academic achievement and poor social skills. Schools with high incidents of problem behaviors are at risk for a negative school climate. School-wide positive behavior interventions and…

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among college students, and it is estimated that 1,088 college students die by suicide each year (National Mental Health Association and the Jed Foundation, 2002). This chapter presents the context of college student mental health within which the problem of college student suicide is situated. Because…

Early alert systems offer institutions systematic approaches to identifying and intervening with students exhibiting at-risk behaviors. Many of these systems rely on a common format for student referral to central receiving point. Systems at larger institutions often use web-based technology to allow for a scalable (available campus wide) approach…

The current study investigated the methods that school counselors utilize to identify children of substance abusing parents (COSAPs), the support services being offered in the school, and the potential barriers to providing support to COSAPs in the school. This study revealed the most used methods of identifying COSAPs in the schools, for instance…

A teacher's intention to refer students to mental health professionals is important to the early identification of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and prevention of further problems. The theory of planned behavior (TPB) was used to determine the strongest belief-related predictors of a teacher's intentions to refer students with…

The purpose of this study was to analyze how school psychologists engage racial/cultural diversity when conceptualizing problems during consultation in a multiracial context. Four school psychologists were recruited to engage in computer-simulated problem-solving consultation. Each school psychologist was presented with three fictional…

Describes the relationship between school behaviors and youth characteristics in school, and referrals to juvenile authorities. Describes a strategy of using teacher nominations, school discipline referrals, and community arrest data to predict delinquent and violent behavior in youth. Outlines data from a group of socially maladjusted youth to…

Student Assistance Programs (SAPs) are considered an effective intervention for at-risk students. School faculty and staff are trained to identify and refer students whose personal and/or academic behaviors change in a problematic way. Once identified, the students are provided special services which include referral to community agencies for…

Summarized are results of a validation study of the Observational Checklists for Referral (OCR), developed to assist classroom teachers to identify problems that interfere with learning, to make appropriate referrals to other professionals, and to communicate with parents and professionals. Results of the study involving more than 25 teachers and…

This digest summarizes information on incidence in and identification and intervention of potentially suicidal children and youth with disabilities. Estimates suggesting that some categories of exceptional youth have higher suicide rates than the general population are cited. Suicide risk factors and signs that a student is potentially suicidal…

The disproportionate representation of minority students in special education programs has been a persistent problem in American education. Being labeled as disabled often has a negative impact on social relationships and self-concept and long-term outcomes such as graduation and employment. Disproportionate identification of students from certain…