[mentalhealth-l] ENEWS: October, 2008 (Vol. 13 #1)

[SMHP]

[]

October, 2008 (Vol. 13 #1)

ENEWS is one of the many resources provided by 
the School Mental Health Project/ Center for 
Mental Health in Schools at UCLA.  This 
electronic newsletter is sent to those concerned 
with enhancing policies, programs, and practices 
related to addressing barriers to student 
learning and to promoting mental health in 
schools.  For more on what our federally 
supported national Center offers, see http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu

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We encourage you to forward this to others.
If you have been forwarded this ENEWS
and want to sign up to receive it directly,
please let us know.  Contact smhp at ucla.edu
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WHAT'S HERE THIS MONTH

**Emerging Issue
 >Are Student/Learning Supports Being 
Disproportionately Cut in the Current Budget Crunch?
**News from around the country

**Recent publications relevant to
 >Children's mental and physical health

 >Family, school & community

 >Policy, systems, law, ethics, finances & statistics
**This month's focus for school to address barriers to learning
 >October – Ensuring All Students Make a Good 
Adjustment to the New School Year
**Other helpful Internet resources

**Links to
 >Upcoming initiatives, conferences & workshops

 >Calls for grant proposals, presentations & papers

 >Training and job opportunities
**UCLA Center update

**Comments, requests, information, questions from the field

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**EMERGING ISSUE

 >Are Student/Learning Supports Being 
Disproportionately Cut in the Current Budget Crunch?

Even before the current budget crisis, 
student/learning supports often were among the 
first to go when budgets were tight. Currently, 
school boards and district administrators are 
making hard decisions about what to cut and who 
to lay off. The re-emerging issue is: Is there a 
tendency to cut-back on student/learning supports 
disproportionately? If so, is this tendency 
exacerbated by the belief that community agencies 
can be used in place of the programs and services that are cut?

The issue isn't about the cuts, per se. When 
budgets are tight, tough decisions have to be made.

The issues are (1) whether the cuts are 
disproportionate and, if so, (2) whether the 
rationale underlying the decisions is sound.

Some thoughts related to this matter have been 
offered in connection with the Center's latest 
Hot Topic online at http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/hottopic.htm

We look forward to hearing from you about this 
matter which has major implications for 
addressing psychosocial and mental health 
concerns that affect the well-being of all 
students and all school stakeholders. Send your comments to ltaylor at ucla.edu

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**NEWS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY

Financial Cutbacks for Schools; Financial Crisis for Families and Students

While budgets cutting is inevitable, it must be 
acknowledged that every cut in resources to a 
school exacerbates harm to children. And, this is 
especially the case for schools serving 
low-income families and for every student who is not doing well at school.

 >SCHOOLS BRACING FOR HUGE CUTBACKS
With the state facing a projected $900 million 
budget shortfall by 2011, education officials are 
considering some of the most severe cuts to 
public schools in Hawaii in recent memory. The 
department was notified of about $5.7 million 
that has been removed from its budget by the 
state Department of Budget and Finance.  9/22/08. 
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008809220331
 >FUNDING CUTS PUT SCHOOLS ON DEFENSIVE AGAIN
After erasing the money for innovation and 
improvement, the state [Nevada] cut another 14% 
statewide. Cuts were made to programs for gifted 
and talented student, career and technical 
education and other programs that have helped 
students graduate and find success in life. Many 
schools now say their first priority is making 
sure a child has food, shelter and medical care, 
necessary precursors to academic success. 
8/28/08. 
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/aug/28/funding-cuts-put-schools-defensive-again/ 

 >HARD TIMES HITTING STUDENTS AND SCHOOLS
With mortgage foreclosures throwing hundreds of 
families out of their homes each month, dismayed 
school officials say they are feeling the 
upheaval: record numbers of students turning up 
for classes this fall are homeless or poor enough 
to quality for free meals. In interviews, 
educators in many states said they were seeing 
more needy families than at any time in 
memory.  The problems in many districts can be 
traced to battered state budgets. Nationally, 
about 15 million (of 50 million) students qualify 
for free lunches (family of four with include 
under $27,560). 
9/1/08. 
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/01/education/01school.html?_r=5&scp=1&sq=HARD%2520TIMES%2520HITTING%2520STUDENTS%2520AND%2520SCHOOLS&st&oref=login 

 >A PLACE TO LEARN, NO PLACE TO LIVE
In Minneapolis, teachers have recently been 
trained to watch for students who hoard food or 
wear the same outfit for several days, both signs 
of homelessness. Minneapolis estimates that about 
5,500 of its 35,000 students – about one out of 
six – are homeless or lack permanent housing at 
some point during the school year. That's up 18% 
over the year before. Roughly 80 % of 
Minneapolis' homeless kids spend at least part of 
the year in local shelters, while others jump 
between motels, homes of friends or relatives and 
other temporary homes. Recent achievement data 
indicate that homeless students are more likely 
to fall behind than other low-income students. 
9/8/08. 
http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/27979749.html?elr=KArks:DCiUnP::DE8c7PiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiU 

 >A TEACHABLE MOMENT
Diane Ravitch, a historian of education who has 
spent decades studying and writing about the 
often dispiriting process of school reform 
said... "The fundamental issue in American 
education  ­ I say this after 40 years of having 
read and studied and written about the 
problems  ­ is one that is demographic"  Poor 
children, Ravitch said, simply face too many 
problems outside the classroom. "If you don't 
buttress whatever happens in school with social 
and economic changes that give kids a better 
chance in life and put their families on a more 
stable footing, then schools alone are not going 
to solve the problems of poor student 
performance. There has to be a range of social 
and economic strategies to support and enhance 
whatever happens in school." 8/14/08 
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/magazine/17NewOrleans-t.html?_r=5&scp=1&sq=%2522A%2520TEACHABLE%2520MOMENT%2522%2520%2522diane%2520ravitc&oref=login

Increasing Focus on Dropout Prevention

 >DROPOUT PERSUASION
While students are legally permitted to drop out 
of school once they turn 16, Baltimore schools 
chief Andres Alonso says it's unacceptable that 
they're allowed to go without a fight. The system 
will host two daylong resource fairs with a 
variety of social service providers on hand to 
address the obstacles preventing them from 
finishing high school, from drug addiction to 
lack of transportation to lack of child 
care.  The system will work with over-age 
students to find an appropriate placement. Any 
dropouts who return will be provided with an 
individualized re-entry plan outlining the 
support the student is to receive. 9/19/08. 
<http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/k12/bal-dropout0918,0,4455392.story>http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/k12/bal-dropout0918,0,4455392.story

 >SOME CALIFORNIA DROPOUTS FINISH HIGH SCHOOL BUT DON'T SUCCEED BEYOND
One in five California students who dropped out 
of 10th grade in 2004 returned to school and 
earned their diploma within four years.  A 
slightly smaller percentage earned a high school 
equivalency degree. In all, 54% received some 
sort of high school degree or were still in 
school working toward that goal. But few were 
progressing past that. 90% had either never 
enrolled in college or had enrolled and dropped 
out. 9/12/08. 
<http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-dropout12-2008sep12,0,4878394.story>http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-dropout12-2008sep12,0,4878394.story 


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"Dropping out is more of a process than an 
event...and there are a lot of telltale signs 
along the way. It means there are a lot of places 
in a child's school career where we could 
intervene to help.  It really is going to take 
some systemic change.  Anything short of that is 
not going to be that successful ultimately."
                                                                 Russell 
Rumberger

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Note: Each week the Center highlights newsworthy 
stories online at http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/whatsnew/newsitems.htm

Also access other news stories relevant to 
improving mental health in schools through links 
at http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/whatsnew/linkstolatest.htm

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**RECENT PUBLICATIONS (IN PRINT AND ON THE WEB)

Children's Mental and Physical Health

 >School-based mental health checkups: Ready for 
practical action? (2008) S. Shirk & N. Jungbluth. 
Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 15(3) 217-223.

 >Violent adolescents and their educational 
environment: A multilevel analysis (2008) J. 
Thurnherr, J., et al., Journal of Developmental 
and Behavioral Pediatrics. Epub. Http://www.jrnldbp.com

 >Adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury: Who is 
doing it and why? (2008) E. 
Lloyd-Richardson.  Journal of Developmental and 
Behavioral Pediatrics, 29, 216-218.  Http://www.jrnldbp.com

 >Social skills training for secondary students 
with emotional and/or behavioral disorders: A 
review and analysis of the meta-analytic 
literature. (2008) R. Clayton, et al., Journal of 
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 16(3) 131-144. Http://ebx.sagepub.com

 >Children's stigmatization of childhood 
depression and ADHD: Magnitude and demographic 
variation in a national sample (2008) J. Walker, 
et al., Journal of the American Academy of Child 
& Adolescent Psychiatry, 47(8) 912-920. Http://www.Jaacap.com

 >Examining ethnic, gender, and developmental 
differences in the way children report being a 
victim of "bullying" on self-report measures 
(2008). A. Sawyer, et al., Journal of Adolescent 
Health, 43(2) 106-114. Http://www.sciencedirect.com

Family, School and Community

 >Coping with youth suicide and overdose: One 
community's efforts to investigate, intervene, 
and prevent suicide contagion.  (2008) K. Hacker, 
et al. Crisis, 29(2) 86-95. Http://www.hhpub.com/journals/crisis/

 >Strengthening parents' ability to provide the 
guidance and support that matter most in high 
school (2008) T. Taylor & J. Dounay. Educational 
Commission of the States.  Http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/78/48/7848.pdf

 >Family partnerships that count (2008) J. Allen. 
Educational Leadership, 66(1) p. 22-27. Http://www.ascd.org

 >Children and terrorism-related news: Training 
parents in coping and media literacy. (2008) J. 
Comer, et al., Journal of Consulting and Clinical 
Psychology, 76(4) 568-578. Http://www.apa.org/journals/ccp.html

 >School violence assessment: A conceptual 
framework, instruments, and methods. (2008) R. 
Benbenishty, et al., Children & Schools, 30(2) 71-81.

Policy, Systems, Law, Ethics, Finances & Statistics

 >Present, engaged, and accounted for: The 
critical importance of addressing chronic absence 
in the early grades (2008) H. Chang & M. Romero, 
National Center for Children in Poverty, http://www.nccp.org

 >Recommendations to reduce psychological harm 
from traumatic events among children and 
adolescents. (2008) Task Force on Community 
Preventive Services.  American Journal of 
Preventive Medicine. 35(3) 314-316. Http://www.sciencedirect.com

 >Service-learning policies and practices: A research-based advocacy paper
http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/78/58/7858.pdf

 >Impacts of early childhood programs (2008) E. 
Issacs & E. Roessel, Brookings. Http://www.brookings.edu

 >Reversal of Fortune: A New Look at Concentrated 
Poverty in the 2000s. (8/8/08) E. Kinesbone & A. 
Berube. Brookings. Http://www.brookings.edu
 >An interdisciplinary model of school 
absenteeism in youth to inform professional 
practice and public policy (2008) C. Kearney. 
Educational Psychology Review, 20(3) 257-282.  Http://www.metapress.com

 >Use of mental health services in the past 12 
months by children aged 4-17 years: United 
States, 2005-2006.  (2008) G. Simpson, et al., 
National Center for Health Statistics, Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/

 >Disseminating evidence-based practice for 
children and adolescents: A systems approach to 
enhancing care. American Psychological 
Association, Task Force on Evidence-based 
Practice with Children and Adolescents (2008) 
http://www.apa.org/pi/cyf/evidence.html


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"Now a larger number of low income people live 
amid the circumstances that we need to be 
concerned about...that high poverty brings, which 
includes lack of investment, lack of local job 
opportunities, poorer performing schools, higher 
crime rates, and the poor physical and mental 
health that goes along with all of those problems."
                                                                         Alan 
Berube
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Note: The Quick Find online clearinghouse at 
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu is updated regularly 
with new reports and publications such as those 
listed above. Currently there are over 130 
alphabetized topic pages with direct links to 
Center materials and to other online resources 
and related centers.  Let us know about 
publications and reports that should be included 
in this dedicated online clearinghouse.  Ltaylor at ucla.edu

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**THIS MONTH'S FOCUS FOR SCHOOLS TO ADDRESS BARRIERS TO LEARNING

October –  Ensuring All Students Make a Good Adjustment to the New School Year

While some students greet each new year and 
changes in teachers and classmates with 
excitement, others are not so optimistic.  The 
initial weeks of getting used to changes works 
well enough for some, for others much more is needed.

The first months of each school years present 
opportunities/challenges to school staff.

Teachers, administrators, and support staff 
meeting  students for the first time can pay 
special attention to which students are not doing 
well.  The challenge is not to add the student's 
name to a list of "cases."  Anticipating that 
some students will need extra support, especially 
in the transition from elementary to middle 
school and from middle to high school, calls for 
proactive planning. The welcoming/orientation 
programs we put in place to support these 
students can make the new school year is something special.

To support both students and teachers, student 
support staff are moving into classrooms to 
provide interventions.  In some cases this 
involves planning with the teacher on how to 
address times when problems frequently occur.  In 
elementary schools, this often means plans for 
moving students from the playground into a 
learning mode after lunch.  For middle school 
students, this may involve plans with student 
leaders on how to provide options during 
nutrition and lunch to promote cooperative social 
exchanges.  For high school students, this often 
involves streamlining the check-in process 
following an absence or tardy so the student 
returns to class as quickly as possible with a positive attitude for learning.

As the school year starts, assessing the 
"business as usual" practices of a school is 
crucial.  Rather than ignore procedures that are 
not part of an environment that nurtures 
students, families, and staff, it is time to make 
changes.  A Welcoming Program in the front 
office?  Support for afterschool homework 
clubs?  Support groups for new teachers and staff?

In thinking about Response to Intervention, it is 
important to consider first changes in the 
environment that would allow more students to be 
successful. If more is needed, it is time to look 
at the interactions of groups of students who are 
having difficulty adjusting and then ensure 
programs fit their needs.  Finally, if there are 
some students who need specific individual 
interventions, accommodations must be made so they can succeed.

For ideas to share with others about creating a 
supportive environment that engages students, families, and staff, see
 >What Schools Can Do to Welcome and Meet the 
Needs of All Students and Families
Contents include: Schools as Caring, Learning 
Communities, Welcoming and Involving New Students 
and Families, Volunteers to Help Teachers and 
Schools Address Barriers to Learning, Parent and 
Home Involvement in Schools, and mush more. 
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/welcomeguide.htm

 >Addressing Barriers to Learning: A Set of 
Surveys to Map What a School Has and What It Needs.
This resource provides surveys for 6 program 
areas and related system needs that constitute a 
comprehensive, multifaceted, and integrated 
approach to address barriers and thus enable 
learning. The areas are (1) classroom-focused 
enabling, (2) crisis assistance and prevention, 
(3) support for transitions, (4) home involvement 
in schooling, (5) student and family assistance 
programs and services, and (6) community outreach 
for involvement and support (including 
volunteers). http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/Surveys/Set1.pdf
Note: In planning for the year, a major focus 
should be on anticipating major concerns that 
arise over the course of the school year.  Such 
concerns provide natural opportunities to address 
potential barriers to learning and teaching in 
ways that support the school's mission.  As a 
guide, see the "calendar" of monthly concerns and 
themes by clicking on "Ideas for Enhancing 
Support at Your School this Month" which is on 
the Center's home page at http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu

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@#@@#
Summer vacation was over and Little Johnny returned back to school.
Only two days later his teacher phoned his mother 
to tell her that he was misbehaving.
"Wait a minute," she said. "I had Johnny with me 
for three months and I never called you once when he misbehaved!"
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**OTHER HELPFUL INTERNET RESOURCES

 >Dropout Prevention Practice Guide. What Works 
Clearinghouse - http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/

 >Reducing Behavior Problems in the Elementary 
School Classroom. What Works Clearinghouse. - 
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/publications/practiceguides/

 >Increasing student attendance: Strategies from 
research and practice - http://www.nwrel.org/request/2004june/Attendance.pdf

 >Parents' Guide to Truancy - http://www.hamfish.org/

 >Electronic media and youth violence: A CDC 
issue brief for educators and caregivers.  - 
Http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/electronic_aggression.htm

 >Inhalant Use and major depressive episodes 
among youths aged 12 to 17:2004-2006 - 
http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k8/inhalantsdepress/inhalantsdepress.cfm

 >Homelessness Resource Center. - Http://www.homeless.samhsa.gov

 >Assessing what kids think about themselves: A 
guide to adolescent self-concept for out of school time program practitioners
http://www.childtrends.org/files//child_trends-2008_08_20_rb_selfconcept.pdf

 >Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools 
Technical Assistance Center - http://rems.ed.gov/

 >Preventing youth suicide in rural America: 
Recommendations to states - http://www.sprc.org/library/ruralyouth.pdf

 >Parents' reports of the school readiness of 
young children from the National Household 
Education Surveys Program of 2007. 
Http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2008051

 >Notices to Local Education Agencies and State 
Education Agencies regarding responsibilities 
under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act 
and Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment - 
http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/hottopics/

 >Best Evidence Encyclopedia, Data-driven reform 
in Education, Johns Hopkins University - http://www.bestevidence.org

 >Beyond the GED: State strategies to help former 
dropouts earn a high school diploma - 
http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/78/47/7847.pdf


Note: For a wide range of relevant websites, see 
our Gateway to a World of Resources at 
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/gateway/gateway_sites.htm

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                 Mom: How did you find school today?
                 Kid: I just hopped off the bus - and there it was!
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**LINKS TO

         >Upcoming Initiatives, Conferences & 
Workshops - http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/upconf.htm

         >Calls for Grant Proposals, 
Presentations & Papers - http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/upcall.htm

         >Training and Job Opportunities - http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/job.htm

Information on each of these is updated on an 
ongoing basis on our website.  Just click on the 
indicated URL or on What's New on our website at 
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu.  If you would like to 
add information on these, please send it to ltaylor at ucla.edu

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**UCLA CENTER – BRIEF UPDATE

The following highlights some of the products 
from this month's Center activity. 
We  continuously update our resources, so for 
other documents that were updated this month, see 
What's New at http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/review.htm

 >Moving Toward a Comprehensive System of 
Learning Supports: The Next Evolutionary Stage in 
School Improvement Policy and Practice – This 
policy brief stresses that a paradigm shift is 
underway. With growing concern about reducing 
dropouts, closing the achievement gap, and 
ensuring all students have an equal opportunity 
for success at school, pressure is increasing for 
expanding the nature and scope of school 
improvement efforts.  Prevailing school 
improvement policies, planning, and practices 
have not been effective in dealing with factors 
leading to and maintaining students' problems, 
especially in schools where large proportions of students are not doing well.

The complexity of factors interfering with 
learning, development, and teaching underscore 
the need not only to coalesce current efforts but 
to transform them by ensuring school improvement 
plans encompass the development of a 
comprehensive system of learning supports as 
primary and essential in addressing the variety 
of factors that interfere with a school accomplishing its mission.

Evidence from institutional indicators and 
pioneering work on moving in new directions to 
enhance student and learning supports all herald 
a paradigm shift supporting development of a 
comprehensive and systemic approach. See 
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/briefs/paradigmshift.pdf

 >Expanding the focus on dropouts to strengthen 
learning supports for all students at all grades
Our quarterly Journal/newsletter (Fall, 2008) 
focuses on "School Dropout Prevention: A Civil 
Rights and Public Health Imperative."  Related 
features include the recommendations from What 
Works Clearinghouse Practice Guide on Dropout 
Prevention and a feature on re-engaging students 
in learning. As with all Center resources, we 
hope you will share this widely as a stimulus for 
work in and with schools. See http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/news.htm

 >Focus on impact of economic crisis on schools and families
The new Hot Topic on our website is in response 
to a question we received from a student support 
staff who was concerned about staff reductions. 
Underlying the request is concern that at a time 
when many students and their families are facing 
hardships and need more support, school are 
cutting back on staff because of their own 
financial crises. See http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu 
and click on Hot Topic for our take on this 
concern and comments from a wide range of 
others.  This "discussion" was part of our weekly 
Mental Health in Schools Practitioner 
Listserv.  If you would like to be added to the 
weekly exchange, please send an email to smhp at ucla.edu

  >New Directions for Student Support: New Resources
Guide for Practice
Engaging and Re-engaging Student in Learning at School
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/engagingandre-engagingstudents.pdf

Policy and Practice Brief
Moving Toward a Comprehensive System of Learning 
Supports: The Next Evolutionary Stage in School 
Improvement Policy and Practice
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/briefs/paradigmshift.pdf
 >Powerpoint Slides and Handouts for Presentations

We have received many requests for copies of the 
various handouts we use in our presentations. So, 
we have organized a set of online modules in both 
powerpoint and PDF formats. The topics are:
Mental Health in Schools: Becoming an Integrated 
Part of the School mprovement Agenda
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/mhpresentation.htm

Enhancing School Improvement: Addressing Barriers 
to Learning and Reducing the Achievement Gap
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/presentations.htm

Addressing Barriers to Learning and Teaching to Enhance School Improvement
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/lppresentation.htm
If you find these helpful, feel free to use & 
adapt them in any way. Also, let us know about 
any other modules you would like us to develop.

Note: We continually update the resources on our 
website.  A convenient way to access information 
is through the Quick Find online 
clearinghouse.  Alphabetized by topic, you can 
access information on 130 topics relevant to 
addressing barriers to learning.  Each includes 
links to Center Resources, online reports, other 
centers focusing on the topic, and relevant 
publications. Go to http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu 
and click on Quick Find.  If you would like to 
add a resource, let us know. Ltaylor at ucla.edu

For more information on the UCLA Center for 
Mental Health in Schools, go to the website at 
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu or contact Howard 
Adelman and Linda Taylor, Co-directors at the 
School Mental Health Project/Center for Mental 
Health in Schools, UCLA, Department of 
Psychology, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563. Phone 
(310) 825-3634. Toll Free (866) 846-4843; Fax 
(310) 206-8716; Email: smhp at ucla.edu

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Check out our sister center, the Center for 
School Mental Health at http://csmh.umaryland.edu 
or contact Mark Weist, Director, CSMH, University 
of Maryland at Baltimore, Department of 
Psychiatry, 737 W. Lombard St. 4th Floor, 
Baltimore, MD 21202. Toll Free (888) 706-0980. Email: csmh at psych.umaryland.edu

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         "The average pencil is seven inches 
long, with just a half-inch eraser – in case you thought optimism was dead."
                                                                 Robert Brault
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**COMMENTS, REQUESTS, INFO, QUESTIONS FROM THE FIELD

(1) Announcement: We have been asked to share the 
following: "The What Works Clearinghouse [has 
released] a new "practice guide", Reducing 
Behavior Problems in the Elementary School 
Classroom. Staff of the Center for Education and 
Human Services here at SRI wrote the guide, 
working with a distinguished panel of behavior 
experts from education and mental health fields." 
Http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/publications/practiceguides

(2) About Our Focus on School Dropout Prevention 
in the Fall Quarterly: "While drop out prevention 
is rather important, shouldn't we also consider 
some type of "drop back in" programs for those 
purported half a million drop outs each year. 
These are real people that need support to get 
their diplomas so that have any chance in the 
future and to end the generational cycle. For 
example, just yesterday, I was working with a 7th 
grader regarding some discipline issues and after 
counseling the student the mother became involved 
in the process. She shared that she was from an 
innercity low income area and had her child in 
the 7th grade and she is now 25. She said that 
she moved to our rural community to escape the 
inner city and to provide a better life for her 
child. However, she is now 25 and after dropping 
out of school in the 7th grade to have her child 
was having difficulty finding work. We discussed 
for a while and indicated she wanted to enroll at 
our Adult school to get her high school diploma 
which I helped her get enrolled. Then, a few 
hours later, after counseling another 7th grader 
and parent regarding behavioral issues, I'm a 
School Psychologist and Director of Student 
Services by the way, the mother indicated that 
she also wanted to continue on and finish high 
school as she was currently working in a dead end 
job at Burger King and realizes now after having 
a child how important school is to your future. 
She dropped out of a comprehensive high school in 
the 11th grade and tried a continuation high 
school, then independent study before dropping 
out completed. She also eagerly enrolled in the 
adult school. However, I just can't help 
wondering how much support is available for them 
as they are going to need a lot of help to get 
through the program. And with the 500,000 
students a year dropping out, we literally have 
millions out in society with limited educational 
skills and virtually no resources. Can you 
imagine trying to raise a family on a budget 
supported by Burger King? The family I'm 
referring to had to take a bus as they didn't 
even own a car...They are getting by day-to-day 
and trying as best they can to raise their own 
families....Yes, the goal would be to keep them 
from dropping out in the first place, but the 
reality is they are dropping out, have been for 
many years, and we need to provide programs and 
support to help them ‘drop back in.'...thanks..."

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THIS IS THE END OF THIS ISSUE OF E-NEWS

See below for source identifying information
Who Are We? Under the auspices of the School 
Mental Health Project in the Department of 
Psychology at UCLA, the national Center for 
Mental Health in Schools was established in 1995. 
The Project and Center are co-directed by Howard 
Adelman and Linda Taylor. The UCLA Center is one 
of two national centers first funded in 
October,1995, by the Office of Adolescent Health, 
Maternal and Child Health Bureau(Title V, Social 
Security Act), Health Resources and Services 
Administration, U.S. Dept. of Health & Human 
Services (Project #U45MC00175). In open 
competition, both Centers were refunded in 2000 
for a second 5 year cycle with the Substance 
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's 
Center for Mental Health Services joining HRSA as 
a co-funder. In 2005 after open competition, both 
Centers were funded for a third five year cycle. 
(In this cycle, SAMHSA joined HRSA as a co-funder 
only for the first year.) As sister Centers, the 
Center at UCLA and the one at the University of 
Maryland focus on advancing efforts to enhance 
how schools address mental health and 
psychosocial concerns. A description and 
evaluation of the Center's work and impact is 
available at http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu

For more information about the Center or about 
ENEWS, contact Center Coordinator Perry Nelson or 
Center Co-Directors Howard Adelman and Linda Taylor at:
UCLA School Mental Health Project/Center for Mental Health in Schools
Box 951563, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563
Phone (310) 825-3634; Toll Free (866) 846-4843; 
Fax (310) 206-8716; email: smhp at ucla.edu
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