Thursday, April 23
A.M. Session: Keynote Address: Enhancing Student Success: Promoting Mental Health, Stephen Brock, PhD, President, National Association of School Psychologists; Professor & Program Coordinator, School Psychology Program, California State University, Sacramento
The morning address will focus on the critical link between positive mental health and student success and the School Psychologist’s unique role in promoting positive mental health practices in the school setting. In his presentation, Dr. Brock will examine: 1) the mental health challenges that impact youth and the effects of mental illness on learning; 2) examine effective identification of mental health needs of students and building the capacity of staff members to respond to these needs in a systematic way; 3) examine the NASP Continuum of Care model from universal, school-wide mental health prevention programming through direct and intensive interventions; and 4) to examine the major approaches and systemic strategies utilized across the country today to build positive school communities, connectedness, student resilience, and the prevention and mitigation of risk factors.
P.M. Session: Identifying Emotional Disturbance: Guidelines for School Psychologists, Stephen Brock
This session will focus more specifically and in more detail on the popular topic of identification of emotional disturbance (ED). Dr. Brock will explore the question “what is emotional disturbance?” by deconstructing the IDEA criteria, reviewing the in the new DSM-V criteria, the 5 critical characteristics of ED and how to assess each of them, and the 3 limiting conditions of identification.
Friday, April 24
All Day Session: Threat and Suicide Risk Assessment: Developing a Proactive and Consistent Approach to Evaluating Risk, Melissa Reeves, PhD, Independent Consultant & Trainer & Stephen Brock
This workshop will focus on the process and procedures needed to establish a consistent school/district-wide approach to threat and suicide risk assessment utilizing a multidisciplinary team. Critical factors discussed will include: current statistics and legal cases, early identification of warning signs, primary prevention strategies to "break the code of silence; an overview of risk assessment models and tools; assessment procedures; and strategies for interventions, postventions, and working with difficult parents. Case study examples and forms will be shared to illustrate the process.
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