Development and Implementation of Mental Health Court: Benefits, Barriers, and Bridges

The effective development and implementation of a specialty treatment court program such as a Mental Health Court is tedious, involved, and thorough; the impact of these comprehensive efforts is equally worthwhile, valuable, and substantial. The overall success of a mental health court program’s development and implementation derives from equal and intentional consideration of legal, ethical, and administrative factors. Considering these lenses collaboratively establishes the necessary groundwork for any new mental health court program in its infancy to build upon. This research expands on the ongoing statewide crisis involving individuals who are inadvertently left to slip through the cracks of the State’s mental health and criminal justice systems. A policy change is proposed that would aid in the resolution of this crisis, in addition to an action plan for leadership containing the necessary ethical principles that will need to be considered throughout various stages of development and implementation. The success of Mental Health Court will directly benefit the mental health community, court participants’ overall well-being, and associated entities, including areas of the criminal justice system, public safety, and issues of law and order. It is important to focus on these benefits while also being cognizant of the possible barriers and potential bridges to overcome them

Ineffective Parenting

Ineffective parenting can lead to long-term, severe, and lasting consequences for children. Children depend heavily on their primary caregivers for safety and to have their basic needs met. However, not all parents demonstrate positive parenting styles, whether due to a lack of knowledge, limited capacity, or simply a lack of interest. Parenting styles fall into four categories: authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and uninvolved. The type of parenting style a caregiver adopts can significantly influence the attachment style a child has with them. Four attachment styles that children have are insecure avoidant attachment, secure attachment, insecure resistant attachment, and disorganized attachment. Children who do not receive effective parenting can experience emotional dysregulation, difficulty with future relationships and friendships, problematic behaviors, criminal behavior, and mental illness. Furthermore, children exposed to harsh parenting styles, including abuse or neglect, are at risk of developing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which can impact their emotional, cognitive, and social development. To thrive, children need positive support and guidance to effectively live their lives

Strategies to Reduce Student Absenteeism in Private High Schools

According to recent research, chronic absenteeism is prevalent within schools and has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. School administrators for both public and private schools need to address student absenteeism within their schools to help reduce the number of students who are missing school. This qualitative study gained insights from seven practicing private school administrators to help reduce student absenteeism and to enhance students’ learning success through improved student attendance. Online semi-structured interviews took place with these private school administrators within the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Three themes were highlighted in this study. The first theme identified mental health, illness, and classroom environment as factors leading to chronic absenteeism. The second theme recognized contacting parents, regular meetings, and a tiered system as supports for addressing chronic absenteeism. The third theme acknowledged personal communication and a collaborative approach as strategies to help reduce absenteeism. The recommendations are that private high schools need to have personal communications, have regular support meetings, and have a tiered level approach to communications. School administrators need to call home to parents about absences to understand the nature of the absence and how absences can affect student success. Regular meetings by school personnel need to be frequent, using data to address the cause of the absence, and then come up with a plan to address student absenteeism. Schools need to have protocols to address student absenteeism as absences accumulate over time to help reduce student absenteeism within their school. Additionally, future research should include expanding grade levels and sample sizes

Correlation Between Shoulder Kinematics and Functional Outcomes After Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty

Purpose/Hypothesis: Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) has become an efficacious surgical procedure for people with massive rotator cuff tears and concurrent glenohumeral osteoarthritis. While shoulder biomechanics and functional outcomes after a RTSA have been studied extensively, there is limited research on the relationship between shoulder girdle osteokinematics and functional outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between shoulder girdle osteokinematics and functional outcomes, using the Penn Shoulder Score (PSS), in patients who underwent RTSA. It is hypothesized that there would be a significant correlation between osteokinematic variables and the PSS. Participants: 20 participants (10 male) who underwent RTSA between 2020 and 2023. The mean time elapsed between surgery and data collection was 23.17 (12-50) months. The average age of participants was 75.8 (63-89) years and all lived within a 45-minute drive of the university campus. Materials and Methods: IRB approval was obtained through both the university and the healthcare system at which participants underwent surgery. The Polhemus G4 three-dimensional electromagnetic motion capture system was used for collecting osteokinematic data for scapular external rotation, posterior tilt, and upward rotation during three repetitions of humeral elevation in each of three planes: abduction, flexion, and 45 degrees anterior to the frontal plane to approximate the plane of the scapula. SPSS was utilized to assess correlations between the PSS and all osteokinematic variables using a Pearson product-moment correlation. Results: No violations of normality were observed for any of the variables. There was a moderate positive correlation between the PSS and humeral abduction (r = 0.479, p = 0.032) and between the PSS and scapular upward rotation (r = 0.446, p = 0.049). The median score on the PSS was 86.8 (IQR = 22.3). Mean humeral abduction was 80.28 + 20.72 and mean of scapular upward rotation was 36.71 + 14.74. No other variables demonstrated correlations. Conclusion: The data analyzed from our study showed glenohumeral abduction and scapular upward rotation are positively correlated to long-term functional outcomes as measured with PSS, following a reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. Clinical Relevance: While flexion and scaption are considered more functional planes of motion, this study showed a positive correlation between abduction and PSS. This finding may inform a continued focus on humeral abduction ROM for optimal functional gains during the post-op rehabilitation of RTSA. The significant correlation between scapular upward rotation and PSS reinforces the appropriateness of addressing short-term scapular and glenohumeral mechanics during post-op RTSA physical therapy. These findings may contribute to more standardized RTSA protocols which have been highly variable up to this date

Coaching Burnout

The purpose of this study is to search and identify the leading causes of coaches\u27 burnout and identify the number of coaches who are experiencing these symptoms or are close to it. This study will also identify how many coaches have left the coaching profession and how many have stayed, whether because they wanted to or need the extra income. Coaches will complete the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) to assess if they are experiencing burnout and if so, what is creating this push. The three areas of burnout that will be investigated are exhaustion, depersonalization, and accomplishment. The decision to quit or keep coaching after burnout is a question that will be discussed throughout the study. Outside sources have talked explicitly to coaches who are still currently coaching. Studies conducted with coaches who have left the profession are lacking and not as available. Most of the studies and results from prior research have been done by coaches still in the profession. Further research should be conducted to find ways to help prevent burnout

The Sword, January 2025

Contents News: The Untold Stories Of The LA Fire The Classroom Revolution: How Technology is Transforming Education Trump Brings Back Manifest Destiny Opinion: Is Taking an Online Course Just as Beneficial as an In-Person Course? 2024 Year in Review 10 Tips to Survive a Minnesota Winter as a College Student Beth Smith: The Woman, The Myth, The Legend Another Whirlwind Romance Turned Beautiful Tear Jerker Catzen Coffee Brings Fluffy Joy to Saint Paul Arts & Variety: Book Review: Sorcery of Thorns Taylor Swift\u27s The Tortured Poets Department is Lackluster Concordia\u27s Next Show: These Shinning Lives Saint of the Month: St. Timothy - Pastor and Confessor The Minnesota Timberwolves: Fallen Western Conference Giants? Sports: Colorado Two-Way Superstar Travis Hunter Wins the 2024 Heisman Trophy Awar

Athlete Burnout Related to Sports Specialization and the Coach-Athlete Relationship

This project examined the complex challenge of athlete burnout symptoms in young athletes. Because of its complexity, the research focused on the cause-and-effect relationship of sport specialization and the coach-athlete relationship to cross-examine information and data collected in order to provide suggestions for supporting positive athlete development. Athletes completed three separate questionnaires: the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ), the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Questionnaire (SMBQ), and the Coach-Athlete Relationship Questionnaire (CART-Q) to assess how sport specialization contributed to athlete burnout. Furthermore, the study examined the coach-athlete relationship and highlighted coaching behaviors that positively diminished athlete burnout symptoms. Practical implications examined for athletes, parents, coaches, and sports organizations included promoting balanced training and sport participation, creating supportive athletic environments, and prioritizing long-term athlete development over short-term success. This project offered guidelines to athletes, parents, coaches, and others involved in athletics regarding athlete burnout, sport specialization, and coach-athlete relationships to support the optimal development of young athletes

Closing the Autism Employment Gap

This literature review explored how educators can better support transition-aged autistic youth in preparing for, obtaining, and sustaining meaningful employment to improve adult life outcomes. The purpose of this review was to synthesize current research on evidence-based practices that address the persistent employment gap faced by individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A total of 21 peer-reviewed studies were analyzed, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research. These studies examined critical factors such as student motivation, transition planning, social communication, executive functioning, self-advocacy, and collaboration with families and community agencies. Common themes highlighted the importance of student-centered planning and the use of a strength-based lens to develop employability skills. Preparing students for employment requires a balance between targeted, evidence-based direct instruction and opportunities to generalize skills in real-world settings. Findings emphasized the need for greater family involvement and stronger integration of external agencies within school-based transition services. Overall, the research suggests that a multifaceted, individualized approach grounded in self-determination theory is essential for improving employment outcomes. Conclusions indicated that transition planning must be reframed as an opportunity to empower students to lead self-determined adult lives, rather than merely fulfilling procedural requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Evaluating the Use of the Ottobock C-Brace® for Restoration of Gait in Adrenomyeloneuropathy

Adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN) is an X-linked neurodegenerative disorder that results in progressive axonal demyelination and disturbances to gait and mobility. This proposal aims to investigate the effectiveness of the Ottobock C-Brace as an intervention for improving mobility and restoring natural gait patterns in individuals with advanced AMN. A comprehensive methodology will be proposed involving the collection of kinematic gait data using the Vicon motion capture system, along with performance-based and patient-reported outcome measures. Proposed participants include individuals with confirmed AMN diagnosis and an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score of 4.0 to 6.5. The study will employ a pre-post intervention design, with participants undergoing a six-week training period followed by six weeks of independent use of bilateral C-Braces. Data analysis will compare pre- and post-intervention outcomes, with practical applications including refinement of treatment protocols, advancement of research, and advocacy for increased resources and insurance coverage. Regardless of the outcomes if this study were to be conducted, this proposal provides valuable insights into alternative interventions and highlights the need for further research to address the complex needs of AMN patients