As babies, toddlers, and preschoolers spend more and more time in child care programs, those programs have an increasingly significant effect on their healthy social and emotional development. The impact and quality of caregivers' relationships with children contribute to the quality of young children's mental health. A mental health consultant…

Competition for mental health funding among advocates for treatment, prevention, and research often produces more tension than productivity. Competition is fueled by dependency on varied streams of funding and lack of coherent connections and coordination among the host of public and private agents involved in addressing child and adolescent…

Supportive relationships, especially those with primary caregivers, are crucial for both the physical survival and the healthy social-emotional development of infants and toddlers. This guide, the first in a series on infant mental health from the Center for Program Excellence, describes how supportive relationships promote the social-emotional…

Since the 1960s, when the research community, grassroots organizations, mental health professionals, and lawmakers became involved in the treatment of child maltreatment, progress in the field has been rapid. This book draws together research literature that describes the magnitude and consequences of child maltreatment. It is designed to provide…

Identifies the criteria for legally safe programs. Lists ways to assess the status of one's own program relative to those criteria and discusses strategies to improve the organization's performance. (Author/BH)

Exercise can significantly benefit breast cancer survivors during and after treatment. Moderate intensity aerobic exercise as well as resistance training are important. Psychological health is optimized by enjoyable exercise that develops new skills, incorporates social interaction, and occurs in a stimulating environment. Several conditions…

Provides a guide for developing, evaluating, and reviewing proposed and existing practice guidelines, explaining the difference between guidelines and standards and between practice and treatment. Describes the process of developing the 1995 American Psychological Association practice guidelines document, then focuses on practice guideline…

Presents a set of criteria for use in evaluating treatment guidelines promulgated by health care associations, government agencies, professional associations, or other entities, explaining that treatment guidelines are designed to educate health care professionals and the health care system as a whole about the most effective treatments available.…

This state-of-the-art practitioner resource and course text provides a comprehensive view of adolescent development and spells out effective ways to help teens who are having difficulties. The book illuminates protective and risk factors in the many contexts of adolescents' lives, from individual attributes to family, school, neighborhood, and…

Now in a revised and updated second edition, this highly practical guide provides innovative strategies for resolving academic and behavioral difficulties by enlisting the strengths and resources of students, parents, and teachers. Extensive new case material illustrates the authors' creative approach to building solutions and "busting problems"…

This factsheet discusses the goals and principles that govern the development of culturally competent mental health programs for children and adolescents and their families. Principles include: (1) the family is the consumer and usually the focus of treatment and services; (2) Americans with diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds may have a unique set…

Discusses how expanding one's knowledge of depression can help in supporting Head Start families. Defines depression and lists symptoms of depression for adults and children of various ages, describes how parent's depression can affect child development and the family, and considers how Head Start and support agencies can support children and…

This article shares a personal perspective on school mental health through a discussion of the ways that schools currently address mental health, an example of advancing such work through a school district mental health unit, and reflection on some important lessons learned. The article's appendix lists five sample delivery mechanisms and formats.…

A broad selection of topics representing important aspects of mental health counseling are presented in 56 brief articles. Part 1, "Overview: The Evolution of Mental Health Counseling," provides definition and a discussion of training and certification. Other chapters address the history, development, and future of the field, freedom of…

This book about anorexia and bulimia is written for patients and the people who care about them. It describes the symptoms and warning signs of eating disorders, explains their presumed causes and complexities, and suggests effective treatments. The book emphasizes the critical role of psychotherapy and family therapy in recovery, explains how…