This digest describes the uniqueness of one of the youngest service provider professions in existence, mental health counseling (MHC). A history is given of how the founders of this profession were able to establish a professional organization and identity. The identity of the mental health counselor is described as an aggregate of educational,…

Self-mutilation has been most commonly seen as a diagnostic indicator for borderline personality disorder. However, practitioners have more recently observed self-harming behavior among those individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, multiple personality disorder, borderline personality disorder,…

Concerns about enhancing availability and access to mental health services in schools range from sparse resources to the proliferation of piecemeal and overspecialized interventions arising from categorical funding. This paper discusses such concerns and stresses that they must be addressed from a perspective that fully appreciates the degree to…

With the enactment of the "Education for All Handicapped Children Act" of 1975, all children are entitled to appropriate free education and related services regardless of disabilities. As a result, major strides have been made toward providing services for developmentally delayed children. To gain access to these services, children who…

The "Education for All Handicapped Children Act" (1975) requires that all children with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education. Determining who has a disability and who is eligible for special services, however, is not an exact science. While practices differ greatly both across and within states, screening is an…