MENTAL HEALTH FACILITATION SKILLS FOR EDUCATORS Dr. Lindsey Nichols, LCPC, NCC
Session Overview Introductions Understanding connection between mental health needs and academic success Common types of mental health problems among youth Evidence-based practices in mental health support Relational Intervention: Mental Health Facilitation Example and application example Questions
When one of your students or a child in the school is showing emotional distress or acting out, what do you do? How do you make the decision when and who to go to for support? What questions do you have regarding interventions to support the mental health needs of students?
Mental Health & Education Recent tragedies propelled school mental health into the forefront Teachers viewed as increasingly responsible for students emotional well-being Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study and ongoing research has led to increased focus on the role of trauma in development and health outcomes Model of Trauma Informed Schools is gaining support Emotional and behavioral problems represent significant barriers to student academic success (Adelman & Taylor, 2000; Kramer, et al., 1997)
COMMON MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AMONG U.S. YOUTH
Mental Health Statistics 13-20% of children and adolescents in the United States experience some sort of mental disorder (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011) Up to a 30% overlap between anxiety and depression problems and externalizing, oppositional behavior problems
Mental Health Statistics ~25% of American children will experience at least one traumatic event by 16 th birthday (Costello, Erkanli, Fairbank, & Angold, 2002) Stress Trauma Consequences: Academic failure Social Difficulties Health Problems (Felitti, Anda, Nordenberg, Williamson, Spitz, Edwards, et al., 1998; Saigh, Yasik, Oberfield, Halamandaris, & Bremner, 2006; Warner & Weist, 1996)
Mental Health Statistics Children aged 8 to 15, 13% had a diagnosable mental disorder within the previous year (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) ADHD is the most common disorder, affecting 8.5% of children annually Of 13 to 18 year-olds: 46% have had a mental disorder at some point during their life
Mental Health Statistics More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza and chronic lung disease COMBINED!
Mental Health & Academics Effects of poor mental health on learning: Lower GPAs More absences Memory & concentration Poorer reading ability Attention Potential effects on intellectual abilities Externalizing behaviors Disruptive in class Substance abuse Sexually acting out Adolescents exposed to trauma will drop out of school at 3 times the rate of the general population (Focal Point, 2007)
Good News! Timely receipt of mental health supports in schools has demonstrated improvements in academic performance (e.g., Kataoka et al., 2011; Walker et al., 2010)
Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) for Mental Health What does this mean? Academic EBPs + Emotional/Behavioral EBPs Learning theory at work for both of these! Based on positive reinforcement for behaviors we want to see Response to Intervention (RTI) Progress monitoring and intervention Montana Behavioral Initiative (MBI)/Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Progress monitoring and intervention
MH Services at Different Tiers Tier 3 (counselors, school psych, CSCT, clinical psych) Individual therapy/counseling One-on-One aid (para-educators) Assessment/Evaluation/Screening Tier 2 (para-educators, counselors, school psych) Check in-check out Group therapy leader Assessment/Evaluation/Screening Tier 1 (counselors, school psych) Social-emotional learning curriculum (e.g., Strong Kids, Olweus, Kelso s choice) Grief counseling & support Career counseling Assessment/Evaluation/Screening
Key MH Support Personnel In Schools Counselor, therapist, clinician, provider. Terms used interchangeably Roles are different based on undergraduate and graduate training, licensing, and titles Psychologist is a legally protected term Common Roles (though not present in every school): School counselor School psychologist (Clinical) social worker Comprehensive School and Community Treatment (CSCT) teams Therapist (social worker or counselor) + behavioral specialist Clinical psychologist Special Education staff
Who do you go to for support? Please move into small groups of 3 or 4 and discuss your responses to the initial question below: How do you make the decision when and who to go to for support? Each person will take about 5 minutes and we ll regroup in 15 minutes
SUPPORTING STUDENTS: MENTAL HEALTH FACILITATION A training to support your school in the day-to-day. *Presentation slides adapted from NBCC INTERNATIONAL activities taken from MHF/MHF-EE Training
One Resource: Mental Health Facilitation Ø First developed by NBCC-I, a division of the National Board for Certified Counselors in 2006 Ø MHF is a transdisciplinary process that cares for individuals and families with emotional needs, assisting them and their communities in achieving self-determined goals Ø The MHF process is based on developing relationships that promote a state of well-being enabling people to: Realize their abilities Cope with the normal stress of less-than-normal circumstances Work productively Make a contribution to their communities Ø Originally created for community settings it has been adapted for the school context. This process results in the overall improvement of the quality of life
Basic Steps to Mental Health Facilitation (MHF) Send friendly nonverbal signals Give a warm and sincere greeting Listen to what is being said Listen to what is not being said Listen to what can t be said Listen with your ears, eyes and your body Don t make a judgment about helping too quickly Ask quality questions to better learn the situation Utilize fundamental mental health information (stress, distress, disorder) Use SNAP, AISR, STPC Referral and Follow-up
Mental Health Facilitation Ø Is NOT a new profession Ø Teaches basic skills & concepts in first-responder mental health care, including making appropriate referrals Ø Trains lay persons, paraprofessionals and professionals from outside of mental health that may encounter individuals in need of mental health assistance Ø An effective link between the underserved and more advanced mental health care
What Do MHFs Do? MHFs can provide care when other systems are limited or nonexistent MHFs can dedicate more time than formal care system providers (psychiatrists, social workers, counselors, etc.) to prevention and mental health promotion MHFs increase mental health service access for at-risk groups (e.g., refugees) MHFs are especially effective in rural areas
The Essence of MHF-EE (Educator s Edition) Ø MHF training is communication Talking things over Searching for solutions (STPC) Ø A sensitive process for dealing with thoughts, feelings and behaviors Ø Learning to live and cope with situations Ø Making referrals Ø Following up
Take 1-2 minutes to think about people who: Cope well with normal stress. Recognize their own abilities. Make a contribution to their communities. Treat other people with compassion and respect.
On a piece of paper, rate yourself:
And
Finally:
Communication can be simple With a partner: Sit facing each other. Take turns discussing your activities over the past week for about 2 minutes. The person who is listening, close your eyes. How did this feel?
Basic Steps to Mental Health Facilitation Send friendly non-verbal signals Give a warm and sincere greeting Listen to what is being said Listen to what is not being said Listen to what can t be said Listen with your ears, eyes and your body Don t make a judgment about helping too quickly Ask quality questions to better learn the situation Utilize fundamental mental health information (stress, distress, disorder) Use SNAP, AISR, STPC Referral and Follow-up
STPC, what?
Explore Knowing the importance of listening and asking open questions we have an activity: Form groups of three Person one describes a troubling situation (a 3 or less on a scale from 1-10, 10 being the most serious issue) Person two acts as the helper, listening to the story, moving through the STPC process. Person three acts as an observer and provides feedback.
Reactions to the practice How does this build on what you already do in your communication? How can this intentional process support your work as an educator? Others? What was uncomfortable? Describe what was comfortable? What else would be helpful to know?
Questions?
Contact Dr. Lindsey Nichols, Assistant Professor of Counselor Education lindsey.nichols@umontana.edu Thanks for coming and have a great conference J