Mental Health Issues in the Classroom: Practical Strategies for Helping Children and Adolescents Succeed

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Cheryl Catron, M.Ed., LPCC-S, RPT-S Related seminars and products: 5

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Cheryl Catron, M.Ed., LPCC-S, RPT-S, is a long-time educator and mental health clinician who has over 19 years serving students with a wide variety of academic and mental health needs. In her most recent role as a school-based mental health clinician, she provided therapy and support services for K-5 students with differing clinical issues including depression, anxiety, social skills, ADHD, and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. In addition to this, Ms. Catron also served as a consultant for and collaborator with teachers, paraprofessionals and other school staff members. Drawing on her experience as a teacher, school counselor, and mental health clinician, Ms. Catron provided insightful guidance to develop and implement effective classroom-based strategies that facilitate improved behavioral and academic performance for students with a variety of needs including giftedness, learning disabilities, and emotional and behavioral disturbances.

 

Cheryl is licensed as both a Professional Clinical Counselor and Supervisor in the state of Ohio and a Registered Play Therapist and Supervisor through The Association for Play Therapy. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Secondary Education and her Master of Education degree in School Counseling & Professional Counseling from Ohio University. 

 

She and her husband have recently founded a nonprofit organization, Foothold International, that serves indigenous communities in Kenya, East Africa. Ms. Catron is collaborating with the local government to develop community mental health response systems as well as trauma sensitivity to their outreach programs. She provides mental health training to teachers, health workers, and law enforcement personnel.

 

Financial: Cheryl Catron has an employment relationship with Foothold International. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc.

 

Non-financial: Cheryl Catron has a family member who was diagnosed with juvenile bipolar disorder.

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Objectives

1. Articulate how behavioural-driven choices differ from mental health-driven behaviours and characterize how these differences inform your choice of intervention.
2. Communicate the effective uses of medications and potential side effects that can appear as misbehaviours.
3. Implement various school-based strategies, used in collaboration with community clinicians, to intervene when behavioural issues arise from mental health conditions.
4. Determine effective positive behaviour support strategies to successfully discipline the special needs child.
5. Discriminate how IDEA relates to mental health issues and discipline.
6. Apply communication techniques that create a climate for success inside and outside the classroom.

Outline

Students with Mental Health Issues

• Characteristics of at-risk students’ mental health problems
• Mental health issues vs. intentionally disruptive behaviours
• How skill deficits from mental health issues create behavioural difficulties

Strategies for ODD and Conduct Disorder Behaviours

• Choices everyone can live with
• What adults should never say, but usually do
• Arguments with defiant kids
• Getting to the core issues of ODD
• Kids who don’t feel bad
• School-wide management program

Strategies for ADHD

• Decrease impulsive behaviours with what YOU do
• Drawing out the behaviours you want
• Decrease disruption to other students
• Know the accompanying behaviours
• Techniques to self-regulate

Strategies for ASD

• It’s all about social skills growth
• Sensory solutions
• Self-regulation techniques for ASD
• Most misinterpreted behaviours
• Manage high interest areas
• Move them past “kid cop” behaviours

Strategies for Anxiety

• What to do about separation anxiety
• Help their panic attack pass quickly
• School phobia … not always a fear of school
• Compromises that work
• Deep breathing and relaxation techniques

Strategies for Depression

• School-wide program to promote compassions and a supportive culture
• Getting them past their sense of helplessness
• When they think they have nothing to live for
• Goal oriented plans for schoolwork and school day

Strategies for Other Challenging Behaviors

• Cutting and self-injury: What you really need to know to effectively intervene
• Electronic addiction: Which kids are most susceptible and why
• Psychotropic medication side-effects vs. behavioural issues
• Electronic bullying: What adults tell kids that fuels the problem

Disciplining the Special Needs Child/Adolescent

• How IDEA relates to discipline
• Rules for disciplining special education students
• Techniques for positive behaviour support
• ”Pro-social” punishments

Strategies for the IEP Team

• Functional behavioural assessment simplified
• Facts and data to make tactical decisions
• Effective collaboration among educators and clinicians
• What most administrators do that burn out their staff
• What to do about non cooperative/reluctant parents

Target Audience

• Speech-Language Pathologists
• Speech-Language Pathology Assistants
• Teachers & Paraprofessionals
• School Counselors
• School Psychologists
• School Administrators
• School Social Workers
• Marriage & Family Therapists
• Nurses
• Occupational Therapists
• Occupational Therapy Assistants