Presents a response to "School Psychologists as Health-Care Providers in the 21st Century: Conceptual Framework, Professional Identity, and Professional Practice" (this issue). The author highlights some of the reforms required of the profession to respond to these challenges and describes implications for the training of practitioners.…

Primary prevention interventions used to reduce the incidence of new cases of a disorder occurring in the general population are discussed, as are the means by which such services can be provided in schools. Examples of the types of programs that can be implemented are provided. (SLD)

Outlines a conceptualization of schools that offer medical, mental-health, and social services, giving special attention to three specific roles that school psychologists can fill in these schools: team member of an interdisciplinary group, coordinator of the group, or university-based consultant. Discusses implications for the training of school…

The expansion of early childhood services has brought increasing recognition of the need to address mental health disorders in young children. The transactional perspective of developmental psychopathology is the basis for review of diagnostic frameworks for young children. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) is…

Problems in identification, placement, and treatment of emotionally disturbed (ED) students in rural school districts are discussed. The obstacles to the provision of psychological services to ED cases, the related ethical concerns and issues, and recommendations concerning programmatic and institutional changes appropriate for rural settings are…

Reviews the DSM-IV criteria for conduct disorder (CD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), comparing their counterparts in DSM-III-R. Results from DSM-IV field trials indicate interrater and test-retest reliability were only marginally improved compared to prior criteria. Although overlooked in DSM-IV, community factors, gender differences,…

Describes application of participatory model for creating school-based mental health services in a developing country. Describes process of identifying individual and cultural factors relevant to mental health. Discusses importance of formative research and collaboration with stakeholders to ensure cultural specificity of interventions, and the…

Schools can play an important role in preventing psychological maltreatment of children in the home and community. They can monitor the mental health of students, provide a psychologically positive climate, and act as therapeutic/rehabilitative agents. School-based programming for prevention and intervention is illustrated using case studies. (JAZ)

Paraprofessional program development in school psychology is discussed with a focus on student paraprofessional models. Presented is a rationale for the paraprofessional helper concept, an overview of key issues in using paraprofessionals and descriptions of situations for using student paraprofessionals in school psychology service delivery…

Ten articles discuss school psychology (SP) outside the realm of public schools. Eight settings are described in which psychologists trained in SP function well--higher education, family medicine, pediatrics, neurology, residential and day treatment centers, private practice, community mental health centers, and business and industry. (SLD)

Sections of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) that concern education and children's mental health in educational settings are reviewed. Comparison of the existing status of children with the convention mandates and literature on children's rights indicates that society falls short in protecting children. (SLD)

Psychological assessment traditionally entails assessment processes and measures to address questions about children. In school settings, these questions usually center on why children experience difficulty learning, engage in inappropriate classroom deportment, and fail to develop adaptive peer relationships. The mini-series in this issue…

Reforms that have been undertaken in the mental health system have significant implications for psychologists working in and with schools. This article introduces the special series in "School Psychology Review" on "Emerging models for promoting children's mental health: Linking systems for prevention and intervention." This article describes…

Elias, Zins, Graczyk, and Weissberg (2003) have written a concise summary of the daunting challenges and possible solutions to improve outcomes for students with mental health needs. As a special educator, the author wants to focus his comments on the potential benefits of school-wide approaches for students with the greatest psychosocial needs.…