Objective: Interview data collected from 275 clients with severe mental illnesses are used to test the construct and criterion validity of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Scale (PSS). Method: First, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses are used to test whether the scale reflects the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom…

Adolescent substance abuse is a major public health concern. It is associated with an increased incidence of various psychiatric disorders like depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and conduct disorders and the relationship between mental and behavioral disorders and the substance use problems seems…

Significant mental health problems can and do occur in young children. In some cases, these problems can have serious consequences for early learning, social competence, and lifelong health. Furthermore, the foundations of many mental health problems that endure through adulthood are established early in life through the interaction of genetic…

This paper reports on an ongoing 3-year project which has worked with three school sites to identify program and staff needs and then develop a tailored intervention to improve program services for adolescent students with severe emotional disturbances (SED). Necessary characteristics of effective transition programs for this population are…

This manual, developed by the Families in Action Project, is intended to provide parents and other family members of children with emotional disorders some practical ideas and tools with which they can become effective partners with professionals in the policy-making process. The first section, "Understanding the Board Process," describes…

This monograph offers an introduction to providing an interagency "system of care" for meeting the needs of children and youth with emotional/behavioral disorders (E/BD). This approach focuses on meeting the individual needs of children with E/BD in their home communities and supporting family members as allies in the treatment process. Strategies…

This annotated bibliography lists resource materials related to the use of adventure programming with special populations. Materials were written between 1980 and 1992 and include journal articles, books, and documents cited in Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC). Dissertation Abstracts International, and Psychlit. The 108 entries…

This collection of six papers focuses on students with serious emotional disturbances and/or behavior disorders in the Georgia Psychoeducational Network Program. "A Five Year Longitudinal Study of Severely Emotionally Disturbed/Severely Behaviorally Disordered (SED/SBD) Preschool Students" (Juanda Ponsell and others) reports the…

This paper describes the planning and implementation of an instructional unit to teach the basics of American Sign Language to a class of nine elementary-aged male students with serious emotional disturbances (including one with a severe hearing impairment) in a laboratory school. The systematic instructional approach, direct instruction, was…

A nine-state survey determined fiscal policies regarding educating children with disabilities residing in state institutions of mental health or mental retardation. States included California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin. It was found that predominantly state-appropriated dollars…

This collection of 19 papers offers an Australian perspective on behavior management and behavior change of children and youth with emotional and/or behavior problems. Papers are presented in two sections: national and regional perspectives, and programs and strategies for different contexts. Titles and authors include: "An Evaluation of…

In focus group interviews, 39 parents of children (ages birth to 21 years) with developmental disabilities, emotional disorders, and technology-supported needs shared their perspectives regarding special needs, crisis situations, and parent/professional relationships. The purpose of the study was to determine what is necessary to keep children…

This manual is intended to help educators and families address students' behavioral problems so that students with emotional and behavioral difficulties can be included in regular education. Chapter 1 is an introduction and uses vignettes to identify supports that students, educators, and families say they need. Chapter 2 offers case studies on…

This monograph was developed to assist states and communities in planning, designing, and implementing culturally competent systems of care for children with serious emotional disturbances. It highlights the culturally competent aspects of 11 programs serving people of color. Each program targets at least one of the four major ethnic minority…

This collection of papers presented at a 1996 conference on children's mental health focuses on early intervention approaches. Papers have the following titles and authors: (1) "Child Maltreatment and Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol and Other Drugs: Some Preliminary Findings" (Patrick A. Curtis and Mary Wood Schneider); (2) "Evaluation…