Mental health challenges are on the rise among today's youth. Recent reports have noted an acute and significant need for school-based mental health education and supportive interventions for children and adolescents. Among these approaches, a growing focus has centered on improving students' mental health literacy (MHL) as a foundational…

A K-12 public school district in the northeastern United States implemented its own clinical in-school counseling program (CISCP) to help at-risk students in Grades 7-12 who were experiencing a crisis. The problem was that the district was unaware of whether the CISCP is helping its students through their crises. The study was important as it…

This systematic review synthesizes research on school-based crisis intervention protocols, descriptions, and evaluations. We performed a comprehensive literature search, and 60 studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. We found an overwhelming lack of evaluation studies (n = 3), suggesting that interventions are being administered…

Suicide is a leading cause of death of school-aged youth, with adolescent and young adult populations considered to be most at risk for suicide clusters and contagion effects. Suicide clusters have been documented in school districts across the United States, though the degree to which schools are prepared to provide postvention services in the…

School counselors have an ethical and professional responsibility to offer counseling services during crises such as a school shooting. Limited research has explored the lived experiences and practices of school counselors who have experienced a school shooting. This article discusses a qualitative case study investigating school counselors'…

School resource officers (SROs) are being increasingly employed in schools to respond to incidents of school violence and to help address safety concerns among students and staff. While previous research on school safety and crisis teams has examined the role of school mental health professionals' and administrators, fewer studies have evaluated…

Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI) is a technique that interrupts the conflict cycle and empowers students by helping them recognize their own patterns of difficult behaviors and develop more productive responses to emotional turmoil (Long, Wood, & Fecser, 2001). Focusing on the here and now, an adult using LSCI can help transform a crisis into…

Background: The literature regarding the use of restraint and seclusion in schools is scant, perhaps due to the controversial nature of the topic. With few exceptions, schools have not published policies or data regarding these procedures even when doing so would further the discussion about standards for staff training, student safety, and…

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine what research-based and federally recommended practices in the area of school crisis response planning and management were being implemented in K-8 school districts in Northern California, as well as the degree with which the recommended practices were being implemented. Finally, the study…

In this book, David Capuzzi, a renowned expert on suicide, encourages suicide prevention in schools through the use of a clear and effective crisis management plan designed to identify and serve at-risk youth. His concise, step-by-step framework provides essential information for school counselors, administrators, and faculty on suicide…

Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI) is a competency-based approach to intervening with adolescents, particularly within the schools, who are experiencing emotional pain, psychological distress, or behavioral disruption in their personal lives. LSCI is used to help classroom teachers, guidance counselors, administrators, and other school staff to…

"Lessons Learned" is a series of publications that are a brief recounting of actual school emergencies and crises. This "Lessons Learned" issue addresses the experience of a school district where three middle school students hung themselves within a three-week timeframe. Although deaths were apparently unconnected, the school district is part of a…

This article outlines the development of a level system for a self-contained middle school program serving students with emotional and behavioral disorders. This level system is a real alternative to traditional control and coercion models. The Turning Point Middle School's level system incorporates aspects of the Circle of Courage, Choice Theory,…

This study explores the effects of Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI) training on school personnel and the students they serve. The goal of the study was to evaluate how LSCI was being used by staff and whether interventions reduced school-wide disciplinary referrals. Results showed that LSCI was used frequently by trained school personnel from…

This second edition of the best-selling book offers school counselors an expanded, practical, professional resource that is packed with hundreds of ready-to-use ideas, strategies, and tools. This "Survival Guide" will help readers plan and implement an effective counseling program tailored to the remedial, preventative, and developmental needs of…