Interdisciplinary team collaboration is a foundational value of early intervention (EI) services; however, preservice education programs and continued education or professional development opportunities for EI providers rarely focus on how to effectively navigate team dynamics. Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety…

In California, the passage of Proposition 63 set aside funds for prevention and early intervention (PEI) and allowed for local and statewide activities. Recognizing the importance of including evidence-based PEI approaches into a comprehensive spectrum of care for mental disorders, the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA)--a…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of an Australian health promoting schools (HPS) project to identify key features of the concept of resilience and how it can be used in a school setting to develop and strengthen protective factors in young people, as a mechanism for improving social functioning and reducing involvement in…

In January 2007, The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services was commissioned to assess operations of school mental health programs in Washington, D.C. and recommend future directions in practices, policies and systems development. While this guidance is directed…

This article focuses on the formal evaluation of large-scale preventive interventions promoting positive mental health in children and adolescents, using examples of conduct problems. The state of the art in program evaluation is discussed based on quantitative evaluations of mental illness prevention programs. The article reviews current thinking…

Research seeks to determine key elements in sustainability of projects to reorient an aspect of their service to an early intervention approach in mental health. Findings confirm literature on capacity building which suggests several crucial predictors of success in changing the ways agencies run. These include the development of interagency…

From mid 1998 to mid 1999, The Australian Network for Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention for Mental Health (Auseinet) provided funding and intensive support for eight agencies that provide services to young people to reorient an aspect of their service to an early intervention approach. The agencies developed a range of tailored,…

This project consists of three interrelated streams which aim to: (1) develop and maintain a national network of mental health service providers, and an easily accessible clearinghouse of relevant information, to facilitate the development of innovative early intervention services across Australia; (2) address challenges in reorienting service…

The School-Based Mental Health Program's goals are to identify at-risk children, reduce ineffective functioning of at-risk children, provide social service interventions, increase effective parenting skills, help families access community resources, and support mental health education. The program was designed to develop a comprehensive,…

This paper evaluates two locally driven, school-based programs in Illinois that use a system of care approach to provide services for children and adolescents with, or who are at risk for, developing emotional or behavioral disturbances. These sites included a mental health early intervention pilot program in an elementary school setting, and a…

Starting Early Starting Smart (SESS) is a knowledge development initiative designed to: (1) create and test a new model for providing mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment for young children (birth to 7 years) and their families; and (2) inform practitioners and policymakers of successful interventions and promising practices…

The goal of the Early Childhood Mental Health (ECMH) Best Practices Project in Multnomah County, Oregon, is to improve the ability of early childhood professionals and partners to support and strengthen the emotional and relational development of young children with their families and communities. This report presents the activities for Year 2 of…

This directory offers a sampling of 74 programs that offer alternatives to traditional special education models for children with disabilities and at-risk children. The programs are classified into nine broad categories of program designs and emphases: (1) alternative curriculum/instructional strategies; (2) instructional management systems; (3)…

This report offers task force recommendations to provide greater support and understanding for adolescents and young adults. The Commission report and recommendations focus on the issues of teenage pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, juvenile delinquency, dropping out of school, and suicide. Part 1, "Growing Up in Texas," begins with an…

Reform efforts to improve educational quality and outcomes in public schools in the last decade have focused on improving curricula and teaching methods, with outcomes being gauged by demonstration of improved math and reading scores. This article suggests that outcomes must be assessed for improved outcomes in mental health and classroom…