CHILDREN LIVING WITH SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS

Title: Attempting to meet Mental Health Needs in the School System
Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Presenter:  Henry McGoldrick - Clinical Administrator

The number of children and adolescents suffering from emotional/behavioral constitutes a public crisis in this country.  One in five children and adolescents suffers from a mental disorder of some kind and on in ten children has a serious emotional disorder that affects his or her ability to function daily.  When children with emotional/behavioral problems are neither identified in a timely way nor given appropriate education and treatment, their problems tend to worsen and be long lasting, requiring more intensive services and resources over time. 

Researchers from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)concluded that half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by the age of 14.  Unfortunately, four out of five children who need mental health services do not receive them and this increases their risk for truancy, school dropout, peer rejection, substance abuse, suicide and more severe adult mental health issues. 

Today's presentations seeks to help school counselor identify the manifestations of emotional/behavioral disorders common to childhood and adolescents.  The presenter will review with the counselor many of the psychiatric diagnoses from DSM-IV TR common tot his population as well as address problematic behaviours common to this group including bullying and self harm.  The presentation is designed to be both informative and interactive.

Resourceful link to follow:
Facts for Families

CYBERBULLYING

Topic: Recognition and Intervention

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

  

Presenters: Karen Romans, LMSW, Director of Care Coordination &

                    Rebecca Hoberman MSW ‘12

The focus on this workshop was to discuss the hot button issue of cyber bullying in schools.  The presentation opened dialogue of what cyber bullying is by meaning and how it is seen in schools.  The purpose was to become more aware of the issues that surround the compounded issues of cyber bullying. 

The presenters touched on the signs and symptoms of both the victims of cyber bullying and also the perpetrators.  To be prepared for the concerns, the participants were walked \through the definitions of the terms, shared new vocabulary and the types of cyber bullying were identified.  Statics were shared on the feelings and actions/reactions children have to being cyber bullied.  Assessment tools were shared for both the victims and the bullies. 

A strong point made was how important the parents are to be advocates for the students and for stopping the problem. New ideas of how to engage the parents were brainstormed and the group discussed the real harm and effects on the school system.  As well as the engagement of the parents resources were given for the educators and students to help stop cyber bullying. The presentation outlined red flags for different forms of cyber bullying and how to respond to these. 

Resource:

Online:

StandUp!  Guide to Cyberbullying

http://www.unicel.com/standup/pdf/StandUpGuide.pdf

National Crime Prevention Council:  Delete Cyberullying

http://www.ncpc.org/cyberbullying

McGruff’s Advice: Cyberbullying

http://www.mcgruff.org/Advice/cyberbullies.php

WiredSafety.org – the world’s largest Internet safety and help group

www.wiredsafety.org

Stop Cyberbullying

http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/

Other Online Supports:

http://www.stoptextbully.com/

http://www.tolerance.org

Books:

Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J.W. (2008). Bullying: Beyond the schoolyard. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Trolley, B.C., Hanel, C., & Shields, L. (2006). Demystifying & deescalating cyber bullying in the schools: A resource guide for counselors, educators, and parents. Booklocker.com, Inc.

BE TRUE TO YOURSELF

Topic:  Building Confidence and Self-Esteem in Children

January 11, 2012

Presenter:  Emily Rentas LMHC

This workshop focused on helping school professionals develop the opportunities to foster self-esteem in students within the school setting, in order to assist in achievements and their overall feelings toward education and their emotional development. Because self-esteem is critical in a child and adolescents view of themselves emotionally and physically, it is important to pay attention to how a child responds to others and internalizes the messages received.

Children are in school almost 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and 10 months out of the year. Therefore, school professionals are adults and authority figures who are in contact the most during this time. Because of the large amount of time spent, they play a critical role in the emotional development of children. School professionals involved in a child’s life are one of the representations of how adults respond to them outside their home. Sometimes adults are quick to show frustration or disappointment towards children. Unfortunately they might be less engaging to express appreciation and praise towards them. Fostering self-confidence in children means school professionals should be aware their style of relating towards children, making any changes and improvements in order to help aid children to grow up feeling loved, appreciated and wanted.

What one thinks about oneself determines how he feels about them.

We have control over our own thoughts feelings and behaviors even if some they don’t know it or believe it.

Thoughts ~ Feelings ~ Behaviors

Feelings emulate directly from ones thoughts. Behaviors and actions reflect those feelings, whether positive or negative.

Creating a safe, accepting, validating, and comfortable environment where each student is free to experiment and take risks in order to grow and change, can aid in the development of a healthy and adaptable sense of self. This can include some of the following

• Focus on the positive.

• Give children the opportunity to tell you 3 things they like about themselves.

• Avoiding criticism.

• Expectations should be realistic.

• Allow learning in errors or mistakes.

• Understanding exactly where the student is academically as well as emotionally.

• Praise and recognize efforts and attempts at improving.

• Provide opportunities for peer contact to aid social skill development

• Encourage independence and provide positive feedback when the student is working well independently.

• Focus on the student's abilities not their disabilities.

• Provide opportunities for the child to take risks in new learning situations

​

UNDERSTANDING LEARNING PROBLEMS

Title:  How Children are affected in the School
Thursday, December 15, 2011

Presenter:  Dinorah Otero  LCSW R

      There exist diverse perspectives that provide explanations about the topic of learning disabilities. The workshop aimed at considering the child and adolescent in his/her singularity. In some occasions, a parent who perceives that a child presents difficulties to learn at school may get worried about it and request for help. The child before his/her birth occupies a place in the discourse and the fantasies of his/her parents. Which is the place of this child? We may also question how a learning problem is signified by them. Other times, it is a teacher or a guidance counselor at school who may identify that a child has a problem to learn.  Then, parents, teachers, and therapists would consider that a child presents a learning disability and attempt to solve it. What about the child? What does he/she have say about it?

     The discussion in the workshop mainly revolved around approaching a learning problem as a symptom that implies an enigma. A child/adolescent through his/her problem to learn at school is saying and showing something. It depends on each parent as well as each of us, workers of schools and clinics, what to do with it. Instead of applying interventions for making the subject and his/her symptom to shut up, we can offer a space in which his/her suffering would be listened, thus, opening the possibility of finding a different solution.

Resourceful links to follow:

Book in Spanish:
Problemas de Apredizaje Psicoanalisis 

Movie:

My Left Foot

Links offered by a participant at our workshop:

Quality Services for the Autistic Community 

New York Families for the Autistic Community 

Autism Awareness - Westchester Convention Center 

THE BULLY

Topic:  Putting an End to Kids Bullying Behavior

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Presenter:  Emily Rentas  LMHC

This workshop focused on the increasing awareness and events as a result of bullying.  This can be present from the early developmental stages of children into adulthood.  Recent news headlines and incidents have sparked a campaign across the nation shedding light onto this serious growing trend.

Discussion emphasized the understanding and definition of bullying is as well as commonly held beliefs and ideas school professionals may have when dealing with this problem.  In addition, relational aggression, which is the most difficult form of bullying to spot because of the subtle covert bullying, was touched upon in order to further educate professionals in increasing awareness of potential situations. This form threatens social status and acceptance, which is a important in a child’s emotional and social development. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. have become a technological form of relational aggression as it can damage relationships, reputations, and bring other serious consequences, even in physical tragedies.

Most importantly, the workshop and discussion focused on several empowerment tools and aids professionals can use during times of crisis as well as further education for children for a healthy development of self. Although school professionals are asked to deal with these situations, empowering children to increase their own awareness and awareness of the situation can lead to more effective problem solving skills. This also included the signs of more serious issues or complications where a school professional can consider outside referral for mental health and family treatment.

Resourceful links to follow:

Pacer Center 

Highmark Bullying Prevention Institute 

Chancellor Regulations: Student to Student Bias-Based Harassment, Intimidation, and/or Bullying 

Video-How to Unmake A Bully 

UNDERSTANDING GENERATIONAL AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

Topic: Social Changes and School

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Presenter:  Dinorah Otero LCSW R

The discussion on the workshop went beyond the topic of migration and focused on the impact of social changes in the school and within the family. There is a predominance of “new symptoms”, such as substance abuse, bulimia, anorexia, and cutting which would be associated to the hypermodern society. The “society of the market”, better known by the spread of new technological items, appears to be invasive. The person then seems to turn into an object which can soon become disposable.  The rupture of social bond and the transformation within the family may be thought of as an effect of the hypermodern society. 

Our civilization may be characterized by the fallen of ideals and the promotion of consumer objects such as cell phones, computers, and the use of internet. These objects are also offered to children and adolescents who appear to be pushed to achieve an immediate and unlimited satisfaction.  Through excessive use, technology would create the illusion of fulfilling a satisfaction, commanding their life. Many children and adolescents nowadays appear to turn away from the traditional values, exiling these values from history. One may question if this is applicable only for children or adolescents; wouldn’t it be possible to generalize it?

These changes would also be accompanied by a devaluation of knowledge. The school transmits values that now may appear to the child as obsolete. The workshop concluded with a debate on the challenges that these changes imply to parents as well as workers of education and mental health. It also led to reflecting upon new ways to approaching to this matter.

Resouceful Links to Follow:

The Culture of Hypermodern Civilizations and Contemporary Symptoms

Cross-Cultural Barriers to Mental Health Services in the United States

World Psychiatric Association

WHEN CHILDREN ARE CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE- A closer look at verbal and physical abuse in cases of family domestic violence

Topic: Domestic Violence

            Thursday, November 3, 2011

Presenter- Yaberci Perez-Cubillan  LCSW-R

The primary goal of this workshop was to increase awareness and education in regards to the different therapeutic tools used to assess and treat victims of domestic violence. We discussed how to use genograms, ecomaps and time lines to gather information and to create a clinical formulation.  In addition, we discussed how these therapeutic tools can help to normalize, validate and engage our patients in a more organic way.

This workshop covered the signs of abusive behaviors; the stages of development in children and the criteria use to diagnose Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Lastly, common trauma symptoms among children and adolescents were identified.

Although, it was clear that school officials encounter a lot of limitations providing clinical interventions, we cannot minimize the great effort made to connect these families with appropriate services. 

Resourceful Link to Follow:

SAFE HORIZON