| ers and Counselors: Does it seem to you that you are | | | | counselor or anyone involved in the child's life to help |
| seeing more and more seriously emotionally disturbed | | | | that child succeed in school, community, family and life. |
| kids than ever before? The problem may not be with | | | | Sadly, most of us lack a Family Resource Center |
| your perceptions. The problem may be that in fact, you | | | | worker or an IYI to turn to. Your challenge becomes, |
| are seeing more disturbed children and youth than at | | | | how do I provide my service to a child with serious |
| any time before. | | | | emotional problems? Here are a few key do's and |
| This article covers some of the updated mental health | | | | don't's, but be sure to also upgrade your basic mental |
| information we give out in our popular Problem-Kid | | | | health skills if needed. |
| Problem-Solver Workshop ( It's data that all teachers | | | | ** Strike the Balance |
| and counselors can use. | | | | Especially in this age of widespread, mandated |
| There are a few explanations for what you may | | | | education performance testing, teachers can feel |
| already have noticed. First, many settings such as | | | | pressured to get students to perform and produce. But |
| schools and Job Corps, are accepting youth with | | | | tests don't "understand" that a child has a serious |
| increasingly serious emotional problems. Second, | | | | emotional disturbance and make allowances, but you |
| mainstreaming has shifted many kids from sheltered or | | | | can. Strive to balance your school or agency's mission |
| specialized settings, into mainstream classrooms, | | | | with the child's special needs. Keep the goals, but don't |
| sports teams and scouting troops. Third, and perhaps | | | | accomplish them at any cost. |
| most important, there may be, in fact, more and earlier | | | | ** When I'm Not Sure What to Do |
| serious emotional disturbances developing in children. | | | | A good general guideline for anytime that you just |
| Or, perhaps we are just getting better at identifying | | | | don't know for sure how to work with a child, is ro ask |
| these problems. | | | | the child. That child is the expert on that child. If you get |
| Late last year, you may have read in your local | | | | no useful response, a fall-back plan is to consider what |
| newspaper a summary of the US Surgeon General's | | | | would work or not work with you if you were in that |
| report that noted that an amazing 1 in 10 children may | | | | situation. |
| have a serious mental health disorder. This report | | | | ** But I Have to Be Fair |
| noted that the typical wait for troubled children to gain | | | | You may worry that if you give a troubled child extra |
| an appointment with a mental health professional was | | | | time to complete a task, for example, that the other |
| 3 to 4 months. Some communities lack children's | | | | kids will complain that it is unfair. In the work world, |
| mental health services entirely, the report also noted. | | | | bosses are required to accommodate employees' |
| This report quotes a study that indicated that many | | | | special needs from providing a ramp for a wheel chair |
| children with severe emotional problems don't gain | | | | to a sign language interpreter. The ultimate mission of |
| proper school services until age 10. The report | | | | most youth-serving sites is to prepare the child for the |
| emphasizes that many of these troubled children will | | | | real world. In the real world, providing some |
| wind up in jail, in part because their problems went | | | | accommodation is either legally mandated or a |
| unnoticed, or were addressed way too late. The | | | | common courtesy. Most schools even attempt to give |
| report advocates for more mental health resources | | | | a bigger desk to a bigger student. Simple human |
| for children, and better training in children's mental health | | | | courtesy and common sense should never be viewed |
| for everyone who works with youth. | | | | as unfair. |
| The Bottom Line: If you are not a mental health | | | | ** They Can Take It |
| professional, but you work with kids, you may need to | | | | Some youth professionals will tell you that the child can |
| acquire a basic mental health background in order to | | | | "take it." The truth is that you have no way of looking |
| fully understand your changing population, and to best | | | | into a child and accurately gauging their resilience. Since |
| serve their changing needs. | | | | kids do not generally announce that they were beaten |
| This background will also help you know when to | | | | last night, or that they haven't eaten for two days, you |
| access help from a mental health professional. There | | | | don't know how fragile or strong a child actually is. You |
| is no substitute for the expertise of a mental health | | | | don't know whether or not a child can "take it." There |
| worker, and if budget cuts have reduced this option at | | | | is a risk that a harsh, embarrassing, aggressive act |
| your site, that is quite serious. A class like our | | | | could harm or undermine a child. While it is never okay |
| Breakthrough Strategies Workshop ( can help you get | | | | to yell, demean or humiliate any child for any reason, it |
| the basics, but with the incidence of severe childhood | | | | is especially true with children who are severely |
| emotional problems apparently on the rise, it makes | | | | troubled. |
| relying on that counselor, social worker, or psychologist | | | | ** These Children Are Manipulating the Adults |
| perhaps more important than ever before. | | | | While some emotionally disturbed children are very |
| If you are a mental health professional you may also | | | | adept at manipulation, many emotionally disturbed |
| want to check your skills too. We are always | | | | children do not manipulate at all. There are many types |
| surprised at our workshop how many mental health | | | | of emotional disturbances, and each has its own |
| professionals confuse conduct disorders and thought | | | | unique dynamics. Because an adult works differently |
| disorders, for example, two basic and essential mental | | | | with different types of students, tailoring their methods |
| health concepts. | | | | to fit each child and that child's unique circumstances, |
| We also need more groups like IYI in Indiana, and the | | | | does not mean the adult has been manipulated. It |
| Family Resource Centers in Kentucky IYI, the Indiana | | | | means that the adult has a sophisticated understanding |
| Youth Institute, brings hands- on training to everyone | | | | of different types of youth and they choose the |
| involved with youth including scout troop leaders, | | | | correct tools for each type. |
| faith-based professionals, after school workers and | | | | For more specific techniques to use with troubled |
| everyone else involved with kids. Kentucky's Family | | | | youth, consider our "Child's Guide to Surviving in a |
| Resource Centers are in just about every school in | | | | Troubled Family." Find out more about it via our web |
| the state, ready to assist the student, family, teacher, | | | | site (link below). |