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The social distancing mandate, implemented in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic, has guided many schools to deliver instruction via distance learning. Among the many challenges generated by this delivery system is the need for school mental health services, including school suicide prevention and intervention, to be conducted remotely. After briefly discussing the magnitude of the problem of youth suicide and how the COVID-19 pandemic has likely increased risk for youth suicidal ideation and behaviors, this article provides guidance on how school systems can prepare for and conduct suicide risk assessments in distance learning environments.

Despite data indicating that schools are safe, and safer today than they were 20 years ago, it is not uncommon for both the general public and school policymakers to exaggerate safety threats following high-fatality school shootings such as the attack on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Often this leads to reactionary policies not supported by science. This paper reviews current school safety policy making efforts, with special attention directed to a policy analysis conducted by the Education Commission of the States, reviews the literature surrounding school safety approaches, and draws contrasts between the two. Implications for school psychology practice and for school safety advocacy are discussed.

As a professional consequence of listening and striving to understand clients’ traumatic circumstances, a variety of professionals are at risk for burnout and trauma-related employment stress (TRES) conditions. In the words of van der Merwe and Hunt (Psychol Trauma Theor Res Pract Pol, 11(1):10–18, 2019), as professionals empathize with clients, their minds can be flooded with traumatic images resulting “in a diminishing of their capacity to contain, and not collapse under, the weight of another’s trauma” (p. 16). This chapter serves as an introduction to these job stress injuries and the concepts of burnout, vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue. It begins with our attempt to define these constructs and report their risk factors. Next, it examines the prevalence of these challenges within various disciplines and then explores their physical, psychological, and organizational consequences. Finally, the purpose of this book is overviewed, focusing on the technique of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) as an intervention for burnout and TRES.

This chapter reviews the use of commitment practices as they relate to prevention and intervention in burnout and TRES, specifically how clarifying our values influences our personal and professional goals, thereby assisting us in our commitment to living a values-based life. To best identify our values, it is important to understand how we conceptualize ourselves (self-as-context) and how our self-concept can play a role in our professional health and well-being. Heartfulness, gratitude, and compassion satisfaction are explored in this idea of self-as-context as buffers against burnout and TRES, along with temporary and enduring self-care strategies. Identifying personal and professional values to set values-based goals is a focus, which can realign us in a healthy way with our helper identity.

Over the last three decades, a number of multifaceted therapies, categorized as “third-wave behavior therapies” (O’Brien KM, Larson CM, Murrell AR, Third-wave behavior therapies for children and adolescents: progress, challenges and future directions. In: Greco LS, Hayes SC (eds), Acceptance & mindfulness treatments for children and adolescents: a practitioner’s guide. New Harbinger, p. 15, 2008), have been developed for use with a variety of presenting concerns. These therapies have integrated behavioral, cognitive, and mindfulness techniques to work together under a single model. One such third-wave therapy is called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is an approach based on cognitive-behavioral therapy that incorporates mindfulness and acceptance practices designed to help participants move toward values-oriented goals. Whereas more traditional cognitive-behavioral modalities suggest that change occurs through cognitively reinterpreting the meaning of the stimulus, ACT employs an acceptance approach combined with mindful awareness that helps to increase psychological flexibility (Hayes SC, Strosahl KD, Wilson KG, Acceptance and commitment therapy: an experiential approach to behavior change, 2nd ed. Guilford Press, 2012). Psychological flexibility is achieved by having contact with the present moment and changing or persisting in behaviors when doing so serves to achieve goals that are valued by the individual (Hayes SC, Luoma JB, Bond FW, Masuda A, Lillis J, Behav Res Ther, 44(1):1–25, 2006). As is introduced in this chapter, ACT is an effective intervention for a variety of presenting concerns, including burnout and trauma-related employment stress (TRES). The research backing for the use of ACT for these presenting concerns is overviewed.

This chapter reviews mindfulness and acceptance practices, associated with acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), as preventative measures and interventions for burnout and trauma-related employment stress (TRES). An overview of well-being as it relates to stress in the helping professions is discussed. Specific mindfulness and acceptance techniques, including practical tools, are offered.

In this chapter, we provide an examination of how workplace environments and employers can address professional burnout and trauma-related employment stress. We examine the organizational variables (i.e., work and caseload, organizational bureaucracy, and availability of external supports) associated with these work-related injuries. From this discussion, we conclude the chapter with recommendations for the workplace environment that we judge will help to address the challenges of burnout and TRES.

This chapter provides both informal and formal assessment tools for well-being and current symptoms of burnout and TRES, along with helping resources. A summary of the book and our recommendations for future directions are also given.

This chapter examines the role of school psychology professional organizations in promoting and protecting the rights of the child. Although individual school psychologists have continuous opportunities to advocate for child rights within practice, research, training, and local policy, professional organizations have a critical role in advocacy and policy making on a broader level and are uniquely positioned to influence the regulation of school psychology and treatment of children at structural levels (local, national, regional, international). To illustrate the potential role of professional organizations that represent school psychologists, we asked leaders of the International School Psychology Association (ISPA), the School Psychology Division (Division 16) of the American Psychological Association (APA), and the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) (We selected APA-Division 16 & NASP to illustrate work by national organizations, recognizing that they only represent efforts in one country. We encourage readers across the world to ask these same questions from the leaders of their respective national organizations) to address the following questions about their respective organizations: What is your organization’s vision as it relates to promoting and protecting child rights? Currently, how is your vision for child rights integrated and respected in the following aspects of your organization’s initiatives: Ethics; Research; Professional Development & Practice; Policy; and Training, Certification & Licensure? For the future, how do you envision strengthening your organization’s commitment and support for advancing child rights within your organization’s initiatives? Is there a strategy, condition or orientation worthy of consideration for advancing child rights in the profession through organizational approaches that you consider to be of catalytic or game-changing nature? How can your organization collaborate with other professional organizations, particularly those represented in this chapter, to advance child rights through school psychology?

While schools are safer today than in years past, one act of school violence is one too many. Recent reports have conveyed the importance of schools developing and implementing protocols and procedures to prevent or mitigate school violence. To assist with this task, this article addresses behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) in the K-12 school setting and the school psychologist’s role in risk and threat assessment. Best practices in establishing a K-12 behavioral threat assessment and management process, including the assessment of risk factors and warning signs, identification of concerns, and follow-up interventions and monitoring are discussed. Ethical and legal considerations are also reviewed.

Suicide is a leading cause of death among youth ages 10 years and older. Further, recent federal surveillance data suggest the rates of suicidal ideation and behaviors to be increasing. With these facts in mind, in this paper, we examine the school psychologist’s role in suicide risk assessment; which assesses the degree to which students, who have conscious thoughts of suicide, are at risk for engaging in a suicidal behavior. After acknowledging the limitations of school-employed mental health professionals when it comes to these activities, we begin by reviewing suicide risk factors and warning signs. Next, we discuss an approach to the identification of suicidal thinking. Finally, we provide guidance on a school-based suicide risk assessment protocol, which guides actions necessary to stop suicidal behavior and place students in a position from which suicidal ideation can be addressed.

This study details a program evaluation of the PREPaRE School Crisis Prevention and Intervention Training Curriculum (PREPaRE), conducted in the United States and Canada between 2009 and 2011. Significant improvements in crisis prevention and intervention attitudes and knowledge were shown among 875 Crisis Prevention and Preparedness workshop (Workshop 1) participants and 1,422 Crisis Intervention and Recovery workshop (Workshop 2) participants on matched pre-tests and post-tests. Results indicated high participant satisfaction for both Workshop 1 and Workshop 2. A qualitative analysis of workshop evaluation comments indicated strengths regarding workshop aims, materials, and activities, as well as suggestions for improvement, such as utilizing more active learning components. The use of these findings in the PREPaRE curriculum revision is discussed.

This article describes the development, program evaluation, and future directions of the PREPaRE School Crisis Prevention and Intervention Training Curriculum (PREPaRE). Satisfaction ratings were analyzed for 1,073 participants who attended the Crisis Prevention and Preparedness workshop (Workshop 1) and 1,008 participants who attended the Crisis Intervention and Recovery workshop (Workshop 2). Results suggested high participant satisfaction. To assess the extent to which the curriculum achieved its objectives, analyses of pre- and posttest data were conducted for 1,212 Workshop 1 participants and 1,008 Workshop 2 participants. Results revealed significant improvements in crisis prevention and intervention attitudes and knowledge. A qualitative analysis of workshop evaluation comments indicated strengths regarding the content, workshop materials, and active learning components as well as areas to improve, such as reducing the quantity of information presented. Study limitations, as well as future directio...

The field of school crisis prevention and intervention, particularly in the area of violence, has made notable advances in the past decade. This introduction to the special issue of Journal of School Violence first reviews some of the advances in understanding violence within a prevention science framework. Second, the translation of this knowledge into action through developing interventions and examining efficacy and effectiveness is discussed. Third, issues relevant for implementing, disseminating, and monitoring interventions are reviewed. Finally, the articles in the special issue are introduced. Each of the articles, written by experts from diverse fields, includes empirical findings using a variety of methodologies, implications for schools, and an outline of the direction for future research in the area.

This article examines recent literature related to the diagnosis of Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) in childhood. First, the article discusses diagnostic criteria presented in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Next, it explores the diagnostic procedures for AD/HD recommended in current publications. Results of this comprehensive literature review indicate that rating scales, interviews, laboratory/psychological testing, and observations are the most frequently recommended AD/HD diagnostic techniques. The implications of these findings for school psychologists are discussed.

Because victimization results from the dynamic interplay between the victim and his or her parents, peers, and teachers, responding to this problem should involve both direct and indirect interventions. This paper describes and reviews empirically supported direct interventions with victims, as well as indirect interventions with parents, peers, and school staff. Although the primary focus is on bullying, research on related forms of peer victimization, such as rejection, are included, as these have been subject to more empirical study. The review concludes that there is empirical support for direct and indirect interventions for specific problems associated with rejection, though research studies on interventions for victims of bullying are lacking. In addition, comprehensive primary prevention approaches for reducing bullying have shown promise, but there is a lack of empirically supported secondary prevention efforts that focus on increasing social support for children who, despite primary pre...

Because children who are bullied by their peers are at risk for a variety of psychosocial challenges, it is critical to better understand the nature and dynamics of peer victimization. This paper defines peer victimization, examines forms of victimization, classifies types of victims, and proposes a model to better understand the dynamic interplay among the variables that serve to develop and maintain peer victimization. Findings from this review highlight the cyclical nature of this problem and the prominent role of peers, parents, and school staff in victimization.

Despite the increasing attention given to the need for schools to be prepared to respond in a variety of crisis situations, there is a lack of information about how to coordinate with multiple agencies following a crisis. This article describes the U. S. Department of Homeland Security’s (2004) National Incident Management System and its Incident Command System (ICS), which provides a common set of concepts, principles, terminology, and organizational processes to facilitate crisis response activities. The traditional school crisis team structure is compared to the ICS structure and the overlap and integration of the two are highlighted. Two case scenarios are presented to illustrate how the school crisis team may operate in compliance with the ICS in different crisis situations.

Using U.S. Department of Education data, the current study examined changes in the rates of special education eligibility classifications. This was done to determine if classification substitution might be an explanation for increases in the number of students being found eligible for special education using the Autism criteria. Results reveal that as the rates of Autism have gone up, the rates of mental retardation (MR), emotional disturbance (ED), and specific learning disability (SLD) have gone down. From these data it was concluded that it is possible that the increased numbers of students found eligible for special education using Autism criteria, is at least in part a function of IEP teams being increasingly more willing and able to use autism criteria instead of MR, ED, and SLD criteria.

In an effort to promote the social and cognitive competence of youth, school psychologists must be prepared to address a multitude of contextual factors and life events that impact children’s performance and adjustment in school and subsequent developmental trajectories. The domain of crisis preparedness and intervention has received increased attention during the past decade (as evidenced by a growing school crisis intervention literature) and is currently a training standard for school psychologists in some parts of the world. Crisis situations may emerge following natural disasters such as floods, fires, tornadoes or earthquakes and also from human generated situations such as bombings and school shootings. Each of these events is likely to affect the children and families in schools and communities by presenting them with problems that will be challenging to cope with. There are a variety of crisis preparedness and intervention models and strategies available to address crisis situations. Without a shared foundation for crisis intervention, responding to crisis situations may be further complicated, especially in situations where international colleagues are collaborating. Therefore, a shared foundation that includes both preparedness and intervention while emphasizing both developmental and school considerations will be invaluable in our efforts to facilitate collaboration among diverse colleagues across multiple contexts. The purpose of this article is to incorporate several models and frameworks in order to provide a shared foundation for school psychologists and other educational and mental health professionals regarding crisis preparedness and intervention. To establish a shared foundation for international crisis collaboration, it is also necessary to review the original works discussed in this brief overview and participate in relevant workshops.

This study compared the Digit Naming Speed Test (DNS) performance of 20 children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to 20 carefully matched peers without ADHD. Matching variables included age, grade, gender, and word reading ability. Sample construction included procedures that allowed for the identification and removal from the sample those children with reading disabilities (RD) and those children with ADHD who had predominantly hyperactive symptoms. Despite similar word identification and word attack test scores, contrary to previous research, and contrary to the researchers’ expectations, children with ADHD were significantly slower at naming numbers than were children without ADHD. Explanations for these findings, theoretical and practical implications, and limitations and future study are discussed.

From a survey of the recent literature this article discusses the process of diagnosing Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children. First, the article discusses diagnostic issues generated by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Then it presents procedures recommended by a sample of publications that discuss ADHD diagnosis. Results of this literature review found rating scales, interviews, observations and laboratory/psycho-educational testing to be the most frequently recommended diagnostic techniques. Other less frequently recommended procedures were medical evaluations, peer assessments, and reviews of school records.

The growing interest in the diagnosis of bipolar disorder in youth has sparked subsequent interest and controversy related to the appropriate treatment of the disorder in this population. As such, authoritative bodies like the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) have recently published practice parameters regarding the treatment of early-onset bipolar disorder. These guidelines advocate for first-line, primary psychopharmacological treatment with adjunct psychosocial therapy (McClellan et al., 2007).

Despite the best of school crisis prevention efforts, it needs to be recognized that crisis events and their consequences cannot be completely avoided. For example, it is impossible to prevent natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and floods. Also, whereas much can be done to prevent school violence, it seems unlikely that we can protect our schools from all acts of random violence. Thus, it is critical for schools to be prepared to respond to crisis situations (Brock, Sandoval, & Lewis, 2001).

This study compared the reading comprehension abilities of 21 children with Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), to 21 carefully matched peers who did not have ADHD. To focus on the effect of ADHD on reading comprehension, variables known to affect this skill were controlled (word identification) or measured (word attack, reading speed, vocabulary, background knowledge). Children with ADHD obtained lower reading comprehension test scores than did peers without this disorder. However, results failed to support the hypotheses that there would be an interaction between group membership (ADHD and non- ADHD) and level of reading comprehension (macroprocessing versus microprocessing), and that children with ADHD would have difficulty monitoring the accuracy of their comprehension. Instructional, assessment, and theoretical implications of these findings were discussed.

Over the past 30 years, the role of school psychologists in school-based crisis intervention has increased significantly. In fact, it has reached a point where following a crisis these interventions are expected by the public (Brock, Sandoval, & Lewis, 2001). In addition, they have become a school psychology training standard (National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), 2000).