Expanding mental health services for the elderly are increasing the demand for trained paraprofessionals. Skills are identified which are needed by paraprofessionals providing psycho-social support services in a variety of gerontological settings in order to clarify appropriate paraprofessional functions and develop a model for competency-based…

A volunteer experience in abnormal psychology is described. The program has been operating for 18 years, and student reactions have been quite positive. The program augments the traditional course offerings and provides reciprocal service for the University of Alabama and mental health facilities. Guidelines for implementing a volunteer program…

This curriculum guide contains an outline of training programs for child mental health specialists at three educational levels--Associate of Arts, Bachelor of Arts, and Masters of Arts. These programs focus on the acquisition of skills and knowledge through academic subjects, clinical activities, clinical rotation services, and field experiences.…

This consumer education module is designed to provide consumers of mental health services with the skills necessary to participate in the development and delivery of services. The module is intended for use by both the mental health practitioner or consumer advocate and the mentally disabled individual. One preliminary unit and seven activities,…

A review of European, Canadian, and United States child-care models is presented as the rationale for the implementation of a training program for child care professionals. The training model is described in terms of: (1) the child mental health specialist's role; (2) curricula and teaching activities; (3) internship and field experiences; (4)…

This guide provides curriculum lessons for the upper elementary school student that put a human face on mental illness and confront myths passed on from one generation to the next. One in five children will be affected by mental illness at some point in their lives. The goal of these lessons is help students understand that severe mental illnesses…

This course, adapted from military curriculum materials for use in vocational and technical education, is designed to train students to perform as assistants to professional personnel in the care and treatment of patients in mental health units. It includes basic concepts of human behavior, the aspects of atypical adjustive reactions, the…

Articles by social work educators on some of the critical issues in community mental health are presented. Examined are some conceptual and program developments related to coordination, continuity of care, and the use of teams in planning and service delivery for community mental health (Lawrence K. Berg). The issue of civil commitment to and…

As part of a campaign to end discrimination against mentally ill persons, this educational packet is designed to provide health educators with the material necessary to teach the facts about mental illness. The objectives of the lesson plans are for middle school students to: (1) identify the stigmatizing words associated with mental illness and…

This educational packet is designed to provide health educators with materials necessary to teach high school students about the facts concerning mental illness. The objectives of the lesson plans are to (1) identify common fears and misconceptions about people who have mental illness; (2) discuss how stereotypes about mental illness are formed;…

This guidebook is designed to assist educators in becoming more effective child guidance leaders within the school system. Sections discuss the following areas: (1) indicators of current emotional problems; (2) children's common emotional problems, including fears, separation and loss, misbehavior motivations, aggressiveness, stealing, lying,…

More and more teachers report the increasing incidence of crises in children's lives, crises that interfere with the child's ability to learn. Noting that developmentally appropriate curricula must respond to the issues of immediate concern and interest to children, this source book assists teachers in facing difficult issues in the classroom and…