Combining School and Family-Centered Interventions to Prevent Child Behavior Problems

This poster was presented at the American Psychological Association Conference in Boston, MA, in August 2008.Although school-wide PBS has been shown to reduce problem behaviors among students, approximately 15-20% of students are still in need of more selective interventions due to disruptive behavior problems. Given that both school (see Reinke & Herman, 2002) and family factors (Banks, et al., 1993) contribute to behavior problems in children, combining interventions that target both the school environment and family context is expected to further improve outcomes for those students. An ecological model combining PBS and the Family Check-up is proposed to prevent and reduce behavior problems in children

Using Prevention Science to Promote Children's Mental Health

This poster was presented at the International Counseling Psychology Conference in Chicago, IL, in March 2008.In a recent issue of The Counseling Psychologist, Hage et al. (2007) encouraged greater involvement of counseling psychologists in prevention related activities. To support these efforts, the authors described 15 principles of prevention science and provided aspirational guidelines to counseling psychologists. Although the call for counseling psychology participation in prevention activities is not new, the article was unique in connecting counseling psychology to the emerging field of prevention science and in offering suggestions for applying these principles. The present poster is intended to highlight the prevention science principles articulated by Hage et al. (2007) by describing the activities of the Missouri Prevention Center, a program that uses these principles of prevention science within counseling research to enhance children's mental health

Helping Schools Select and Implement Empirically Supported Practices in Prevention

This poster was presented at the American Psychological Association Conference, Boston, MA, in August 2008.School districts are inundated with innovation. Ongoing developments in academic and social-emotional curriculum, combined with external pressures to improve student outcomes, create challenges for districts to make informed decisions about programs to implement in their schools. In particular, efforts to identify and implement best practices in mental health programming and services are complicated by constantly evolving initiatives, strategies, and delivery systems. Our poster presents a rationale and model for helping school districts select and implement best practices in prevention and mental health promotion programming

The Role of Prevention Science in Promoting Children's Mental Health: A Model for School Psychologists

This poster was presented at the American Psychological Association Conference in Boston, MA, in August 2008.Research has shown that early and focused prevention efforts can greatly reduce the costs, economic, psychological and social, borne by families and societies afflicted by poor mental health. With the help of a model program, the poster highlights school psychologists' involvement in prevention science activities to enhance children's mental health. Specifically, the Missouri Prevention Center exemplifies such a model and it is described in detail

Social-Emotional Interventions for Young Children in Rural Areas: A Single-Case Design Meta-Analysis

For young children with early social-emotional difficulties, early intervention is imperative. A number of interventions are available for young children to promote social-emotional competencies. Yet, little is known regarding the impact of early childhood interventions among rural children. Rural communities have several barriers which impede access to early intervention, and rural children often are at increased risk for social-emotional difficulties. Thus, the purpose of this article is to conduct a meta-analysis of single case design studies of social-emotional interventions that have been implemented within rural settings with young children, in an effort to determine the effects and types of early interventions specific to young children in rural areas. A total of 7 studies with 26 participants and 53 effects comprised the final sample. Findings indicated that all interventions, representing three different component types (i.e., teacher/parent behavior management training, social-emotional competency training, parent involvement/enhancement), produced positive social-emotional outcomes (i.e., improved prosocial behavior and decreased disruptive behavior). Moderating variables (e.g., child characteristics, intervention implementer) that may impact intervention effectiveness were also studied and one variable was significant; specifically, studies published in journals had more impact on outcomes than those which were not published. Implications for future research and policy are provided

Meaningful Effect Sizes, Intraclass Correlations, and Proportions of Variance Explained by Covariates for Planning Two- and Three-Level Cluster Randomized Trials of Social and Behavioral Outcomes

BACKGROUND: There is a need for greater guidance regarding design parameters and empirical benchmarks for social and behavioral outcomes to inform assumptions in the design and interpretation of cluster randomized trials (CRTs). OBJECTIVES: We calculated the empirical reference values on critical research design parameters associated with statistical power for children's social and behavioral outcomes, including effect sizes, intraclass correlations (ICCs), and proportions of variance explained by a covariate at different levels (R 2). SUBJECTS: Children from kindergarten to Grade 5 in the samples from four large CRTs evaluating the effectiveness of two classroom- and two school-level preventive interventions. MEASURES: Teacher ratings of students' social and behavioral outcomes using the Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation-Checklist and the Social Competence Scale-Teacher. RESEARCH DESIGN: Two types of effect size benchmarks were calculated: (1) normative expectations for change and (2) policy-relevant demographic performance gaps. The ICCs and R 2 were calculated using two-level hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), where students are nested within schools, and three-level HLM, where students were nested within classrooms, and classrooms were nested within schools. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Comprehensive tables of benchmarks and ICC values are provided to inform prevention researchers in interpreting the effect size of interventions and conduct power analyses for designing CRTs of children's social and behavioral outcomes. The discussion also provides a demonstration for how to use the parameter reference values provided in this article to calculate the sample size for two- and three-level CRTs designs

The transition experience of rural older persons with advanced cancer and their families: a grounded theory study

BACKGROUND: Transitions often occur suddenly and can be traumatic to both patients with advanced disease and their families. The purpose of this study was to explore the transition experience of older rural persons with advanced cancer and their families from the perspective of palliative home care patients, bereaved family caregivers, and health care professionals. The specific aims were to: (1) describe the experience of significant transitions experienced by older rural persons who were receiving palliative home care and their families and (2) develop a substantive theory of transitions in this population. METHODS: Using a grounded theory approach, 27 open-ended individual audio-taped interviews were conducted with six older rural persons with advanced cancer and 10 bereaved family caregivers. Four focus group interviews were conducted with 12 palliative care health care professionals. All interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed using Charmaz\u27s constructivist grounded theory approach. RESULTS: Within a rural context of isolation, lack of information and limited accessibility to services, and values of individuality and community connectedness, older rural palliative patients and their families experienced multiple complex transitions in environment, roles/relationships, activities of daily living, and physical and mental health. Transitions disrupted the lives of palliative patients and their caregivers, resulting in distress and uncertainty. Rural palliative patients and their families adapted to transitions through the processes of Navigating Unknown Waters . This tentative theory includes processes of coming to terms with their situation, connecting, and redefining normal. Timely communication, provision of information and support networks facilitated the processes. CONCLUSION: The emerging theory provides a foundation for future research. Significant transitions identified in this study may serve as a focus for improving delivery of palliative and end of life care in rural areas. Improved understanding of the transitions experienced by advanced cancer palliative care patients and their families, as well as the psychological processes involved in adapting to the transitions, will help health care providers address the unique needs of this vulnerable population