A survey of 236 medical residency program directors concerning the extent of training in emergency psychiatric intervention (EPI) provided found that, although certain specialties provided the most EPI training, in general it was very limited. More training, and the content of that training, are recommended. (Author/MSE)

The role of psychologists in helping families of the one in five Americans suffering from mental illness is described. The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill has been active in bridge building between psychologists and families through enhanced communication and improvements in support systems. An agenda of 15 recommendations for further…

Evaluation strategies for focused educational programs in suicide prevention are explored. Additionally, a broad, systematic approach is called for that increases student participation; such an approach appears to have been effective with a variety of youth deviant behavior. A combination of these broad and narrow foci may be necessary to address…

Based on a records analysis, the rural youth at increased risk for reentering emergency shelters were adolescent females living in a step-family or female-headed household. Older children reentering care were unlikely to return home. Community-based services are needed to prevent the ongoing cycle of children in emergency shelters and subsequent…

An enrichment program developed for sixth-grade gifted students combined creative problem solving with future studies in a way that would simulate real life crisis problem solving. The program involved forecasting problems of the future requiring evacuation of Earth, assuming roles on a spaceship, and simulating crises as the spaceship traveled to…

Describes Youth Emergency Services (YES), an experimental project in Rochester, New York, which coordinates county agencies and resources to treat children and their families in mental crises. Several case vignettes illustrate the enhanced coordination which results from the YES system. (MM)

Expands understanding of social support by addressing the communicative use of support in a community program for troubled teens. Presents the ways in which the organization accomplishes and constructs support. Identifies and explores two novel aspects of supportive communication: supportive communication that may be perceived as uncomfortable and…

After the Great Flood of 1993, crisis outreach services included casefinding, information and referral, community education, screening, counseling, mental health training, consultation, community organization, and advocacy. In two surveys, survivors rated their satisfaction with service appropriateness, clarity, timeliness, impact, and…

Surveys college students (N=119) to examine psychosocial predictors of interventions to prevent drunk driving. Results show that the level of comparative impairment between the intervenor and the drunk driver, the sense of moral/social obligation to intervene, and the number of people consulted about the intervention significantly predicted…

This article explains skills and abilities that teachers require to effectively manage a classroom that includes students with emotional and behavior disorders and to develop a curriculum of behavior management. Discussed are techniques for preventing student misbehavior, teaching new behaviors, handling crises, and managing conflict. (DB)

Psychiatric inpatients admitted for suicidal danger were surveyed regarding their views on the benefits/limitations of written no-suicide agreements. These inpatients, for the most part, rated written no-suicide agreements in a positive manner and in ways consistent with clinical opinion expressed in a number of qualitative/expert opinion…

Surveyed 186 high school counselors to assess their perceived self-efficacy in recognizing students at risk for suicide. Most counselors believed it was their role to recognize students at risk, however, only one in three believed they could recognize a student at risk. High efficacy-expectations significantly related to working at a high school…

One of the first steps psychologists can take toward making themselves indispensable in the schools is to actively participate in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of crisis intervention teams. Unless effective crisis intervention strategies are instituted, the educational process comes to a standstill. School psychologists need to play…

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that for every high school of 2,000 or more students in the United States, there is at least one successful suicide and thirty to fifty attempts each year. This report offers one state's examination of suicide and presents some effective responses to this problem. Discussed are those…

Recent statistics indicate that a high school of 2000 students will experience an average of one student suicide every four years. This paper reviews and synthesizes relevant information on issues in school response to student suicide and sudden death. Highlighted are risk factors that school personnel can identify in suicide-prone students,…