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

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Jay Berk, PhD Related seminars and products

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Jay Berk, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and an internationally recognized expert in the child/adolescent behavioral field who brings both a clinical and education perspective to his work with children, adolescents and their families. For over 25 years, Dr. Berk has been treating clients with ODD, ADHD, autism, anxiety and stress, depression, learning disabilities, Tourette’s Syndrome and individuals who have multiple impairments. He conducts 15 social skills/mental health groups for children and adolescents and works daily with school and community professionals, families and parents. Dr. Berk continually consults for several school districts. In his private practice, in Beachwood, Ohio, he provides therapy for children, adolescents, families, testing and evaluation, school consultation as well as an alternative educational program.

Dr. Berk presents nationally on the topics of autism, disruptive behavior disorders, mental health issues in the classroom, ODD and social skills competency. In his workshops, he teaches professionals who work with children and adolescents, practical treatment and intervention strategies. He has been invited to present at hundreds of schools and conferences including being a repeated consultant to the Department of Education in Hawaii. As a past consultant to the United Nations, Dr. Berk authored a manual for UNICEF that was used by teachers working with children throughout Bosnia during the war. He has also worked in London, England with defiant teenagers; Kristiansand, Norway with traumatized youth; and the American Red Cross with trauma response.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Jay Berk maintains a private practice and is the owner of Social Skills 360. He has an employment relationship with Intenta and is an international speaker and consultant and receives compensation. Dr. Berk receives royalties as a published author. He receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Jay Berk has no relevant non-financial relationships.

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Objectives

1. Articulate how behavioral-driven choices differ from mental health-driven behaviors 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 misbehaviors in clients.
3. Implement various school-based strategies, used in collaboration with community clinicians, to intervene when behavioral issues arise from mental health conditions.
4. Determine effective positive behavior support strategies as part of a multidisciplinary team to improve the level of functioning in the special needs child.
5. Analyze the efficacy of IDEA as it relates to discipline within the client.
6. Apply communication techniques to improve client engagement 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 behaviors
• How skill deficits from mental health issues create behavioral difficulties

Strategies for ODD and Conduct Disorder Behaviors

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

Strategies for ASD

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

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. behavioral 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 behavior support
• “Pro-social” punishments

Strategies for the IEP Team

• Functional behavioral 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

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