Ethical and Contextual Issues when Collaborating with Educators and School Mental Health Professionals

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison K. Zoromski ◽  
Steven W. Evans ◽  
Heather Davis Gahagan ◽  
Verenea J. Serrano ◽  
Alex S. Holdaway
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Psychiatric Care ◽  
Interdisciplinary Communication ◽  
School Mental Health ◽  
Scoring Systems ◽  
Psychiatric Services ◽  
Risk Assessments ◽  
School Professionals

Ethical and contextual challenges that psychiatric professionals encounter when working with school professionals are discussed in an effort to maximize effective and ethical psychiatric care. Given the interdisciplinary environment and contextual issues inherent in providing psychiatric services to students; strategies for collaborative interdisciplinary communication are discussed. Several unique issues regarding confidentiality and informed consent when providing mental health services to patients are described. A variety of assessment issues are considered, including issues regarding special education classification, computerized scoring systems, risk assessments, communication of assessment results and recommendations to school professionals. Issues related to coordination and sequencing of treatments and communication about medication are also reviewed.

scholarly journals Architectural design and acute psychiatric care

1994 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 279-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rizwan Taj ◽  
John Sheehan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Psychiatric Care ◽  
Observation Station ◽  
Initial Stage ◽  
Psychiatric Units ◽  
Acute Psychiatric Care ◽  
Roof Garden

All staff based in a newly built acute psychiatric unit for more than six months were asked about the difficulties they encountered in the implementation of their duties and what changes they recommended. The problem areas identified included poor design and location of nursing observation station, lack of proper seclusion facilities, insufficient ventilation, unsafe position of the roof garden, exposed beams and supports, proximity to the lake and inadequate interview facilities for all staff. The urgent recommendations included alteration in the design and positioning of observation station, improving ventilation, making the roof garden safe, and covering all exposed beams and supports. The desirable changes included extra interviewing facilities and a spacious observable television room. Consultation by mental health professionals during the initial stage of designing of psychiatric units is essential.

Providing Primary Prevention and School Mental Health Services to LGBTQ+ Children and Youth

2021 ◽  
pp. 661-680
Author(s):  
Elizabeth K. Rhoades
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Psychosocial Development ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
School Mental Health ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
School Based ◽  
Healthy Growth

This chapter provides an overview of the difficulties facing LGBTQ+ youth in schools and their barriers to healthy psychosocial development. The risk and resiliency model is applied to these challenges, and specific risk factors and resiliency factors are explored. The focus is on means to foster healthy growth and development in sexual minority students through developing school-based programs and practices that have been proven to increase resiliency. The chapter provides specific strategies for school-based mental health professionals to use to increase resiliency in sexual minority youth through the application of school-wide policies and practices. Strategies for making such systemic changes and garnering support are also presented.

Students Responding to Natural Disasters and Terrorism

2012 ◽  
pp. 229-250
Author(s):  
Ryan P. Kilmer ◽  
Virginia Gil-Rivas ◽  
Steven J. Hardy
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
School Mental Health ◽  
School Setting ◽  
School Personnel ◽  
Emotional Needs ◽  
Cultural Considerations ◽  
School Based ◽  
The Impact

This chapter seeks to help teachers and school mental health professionals understand the needs of students who have faced a disaster or terrorism and identify strategies for school-based responses. The chapter provides an overview of the effects of these events on school children and youths, including relevant developmental and cultural considerations, and the impact on the school setting. Then, the discussion emphasizes recommendations for, and possible responses by, teachers, school-based mental health professionals, and administrators. Indeed, just as these traumas can affect multiple levels of school children’s lives, the needed response of school-based professionals can be framed as multi-level, ranging from curricular modification to interventions specifically targeting youngsters’ socio-emotional needs. The sections that follow seek to inform and guide responses for school personnel and provide clear, “actionable” recommendations.

Preferences of dress and address: views of attendees and mental health professionals of the psychiatric services

2012 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Sim ◽  
Brian Hallahan ◽  
Colm McDonald
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Service User ◽  
Psychiatric Services ◽  
Health Staff ◽  
Mental Health Staff ◽  
Medical Terms

AbstractObjectives: The aim of this study was to determine the views of both individuals attending the mental health services (attendees) and mental health professionals in relation to how attendees and staff should be addressed, how attendees should be described, and how staff should be attired.Methods: We surveyed 132 attendees of the West Galway Mental Health Services and 97 mental health professionals in relation to how they prefer to be addressed (first name/ title and surname/ no preference) the description of attendees (patient / client / service user / no preference) and the attire of mental health staff (casual / smart / no preference). We also ascertained how mental health professionals believed attendees would view these issues.Results: Attendees preferred to be described as patients rather than clients or service users by all mental health professionals, with 46-54% of attendees preferring this term “patient” compared to 14-17% preferring the term “client”, 11-13% preferring the term “service user” and 20-25% having no preference (p < 0.001). They preferred to address doctors by their title and surname (61%) but other mental health professionals by their first names (60-69%) (p < 0.001). Attendees had a strong preference for being addressed by their first names by all the mental health professionals (86-91%) (p < 0.001). Doctors preferred to be attired formally (88%), compared to nurses (50%) or other mental health professionals (42%) (p = 0.002). Attendees had no preference in relation to the attire of doctors but preferred other mental health professionals to be attired informally.Conclusions: The study demonstrates that despite the increased use of several non-medical terms to describe attendees of mental health services; the preferred term of attendees of the psychiatric services in both in-patient and out-patient settings remains ‘patient’. However, this is not universally the case, and the ascertainment of the preference of the attendee at the first encounter with the health professional should be ascertained. We also demonstrated that attendees preferences in relation to both “dress and address” of doctors is significantly different to their preference for nurses or other allied mental health professionals; which may reflect a wish for a less familiar and more formal interaction with doctors.

Ethical Decision-Making in School Mental Health

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
James C. Raines ◽  
Nic T. Dibble
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
School Psychologists ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
School Mental Health ◽  
Codes Of Ethics ◽  
National Association

Ethical decision making in school mental health provides mental health professionals with a seven-step approach to managing ethical predicaments. It combines guidance from four major codes of ethics, including the American School Counseling Association, National Association of School Nurses, National Association of School Psychologists, and National Association of Social Workers. Ethical issues are endemic for mental health professionals working with minors in a host setting like schools. New interventions, evolving technologies, and a patchwork of ethical and legal guidelines create a constant stream of new ethical dilemmas. Longstanding and complex questions rarely give way to quick and easy answers. The seven-step model presented here enables readers to apply a practical process that minimizes their liability and protects their students. Beginning with an introduction of the moral, legal, and clinical foundations that undergird ethical practice, the authors present an ethical decision-making model with seven steps: know yourself and your responsibilities, analyze the dilemma, seek consultation, identify courses of action, manage clinical concerns, enact the decision, and reflect on the process. The second edition includes meticulously updated chapters based on recent changes to all of the codes of ethics over the past 10 years. It also has a new chapter on the universal issue of ethical recordkeeping. This handy guide is written for multidisciplinary teams of mental health professionals, including school social workers, school psychologists, school nurses, and school counselors. It provides a trusty resource with the following elements: Clearly organized chapters that introduce a process approach to ethical decision-making; Interprofessional and collaborative approach to working with other stakeholders; Case examples and practice exercises illustrate real work application of ethical guidelines; and Glossary, web resources, and U.S. Supreme Court decisions on students’ civil rights.

Optimizing the Roles of School Mental Health Professionals

1998 ◽  
Vol 68 (10) ◽  
pp. 420-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lois T. Flaherty ◽  
Ellen G. Garrison ◽  
Robyn Waxman ◽  
Patricia F. Uris ◽  
Susan G. Keys ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
School Mental Health
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