The University at Buffalo School of Social Work established the VISA Center (the acronym stands for "vision, integrity, service, and accountability") in collaboration with the school district of Buffalo, New York. With funding from the New York State Education Department, a university on-campus center was set up to serve 30 students at a…

In this article, we tackle the disadvantaging conditions of zero tolerance policies in school settings and advocate using an alternative approach--critical restorative justice through peacemaking circles--to nurture resilience and open opportunity at the school level. In the process, this article builds on theory and qualitative research and…

A growing literature supports cognitive therapy (CT) as an efficacious treatment for youth struggling with emotional or behavioral problems. Recently, work in this area has extended the dissemination of CT to school-based settings. The current study has two aims: 1) to examine the development of therapists' knowledge and skills in CT, an…

Psychologists have been studying resilience since the 1970s to understand what enables individual to meet developmental milestones despite serious risk factors. Although early research used terms like "invincible" and "invulnerable" to describe youth who showed resilience, the current understanding is that resilience is enabled through ordinary…

Overviews a counseling approach designed to help parents shift from focusing on negative aspects of their lives and children to a more positive focus. Discusses the counseling theory system which is based on social learning theory. Presents counseling strategies and describes a typical counseling series using this approach. (RC)

An intervention strategy called comprehensive counseling is presented as a new approach to dealing with adolescents who have major problems in traditional schools and at home. Components of this approach include: (1) a learning environment in which instructional and counseling procedures are closely related through joint planning by a staff of…

The Committee on Referral and Evaluation (CORE) was the second phase of a two-phased practicum designed to improve the behavior of students identified as hard-core discipline problems. The first phase was a computer discipline record-keeping system used to identify problem students. The CORE Program combined school, community, and state agencies…

The author describes his "Target Approach" to counseling depressed and/or suicidal patients. By tailoring a technique to selected characteristics ("targets") of the depression as well as to the personality of the patient, more effective counseling is achieved. This target approach involves 3 steps: (1) breaking the problem of…

Describes the self-imposed research system (SIR), which focuses on a student's ability to understand and manage his/her own behavior, as a practical approach for counseling students with behavior problems. Describes data gathering techniques including observation, questionnaires, and interviews and provides suggestions for facilitating SIR,…

Discusses the issue of scapegoating in the classroom and describes a problem-solving method for use with the whole class as well as the problem child, illustrated with a case study. The model is designed so that cognitive and affective concerns can be expressed and transformed into positive actions. (JAC)

Suggests that behavioral problems that frequently occur in pediatric cancer treatment settings, such as food refusal and the resistance to treatment, can be successfully treated utilizing family therapy techniques. Presents the theoretical background that supports this mode of intervention and several case studies. (Author/WAS)

Described is development and content of the Peer Counseling Program which trained 175 students to help other students with personal problems or situational stress in the Palo Alto (California) secondary schools. (Author/MC)

Examined the usefulness of a daily report system for improving school behavior and motivation of an eighth-grade student. The system improved communication between the school and parents and resulted in improved behavior, effort, and grades, as well as increased responsibility and self-confidence. (JAC)

Examined the effects of the Disruptive Child's Play Group (DCPG) on the self-concept of children with disruptive behavior problems. Results indicated that counselors using structured play can have positive effects on the attitudes of disruptive children. The DCPG significantly increased self-concept scores of disruptive children. (RC)

Expansion training is a modeling technique for counseling withdrawn children, using behavioral and humanistic principles. The child in the case study learned assertive behavior to cope with frustration and mistakes. Good rapport between child and counselor are necessary for success. (JAC)