The wealth of knowledge captured in each section exemplifies the significance of school-based mental health service and support. This guide should be a permanent reference in the public and personal libraries of practitioners and parents who seek an extensive review of evidence-based techniques to effectively address factors associated with school mental health... Highly recommended. Dr. Dikel's book is a unique and necessary tool for general and special education teachers, student support service providers, and school administrators. It is an easy-to-read, comprehensive resource that provides valuable information about identifying and responding to the mental health needs of students through a full continuum of school-based services. Guidelines for establishing school and district mental health plans offer a valuable contribution to the field. This is a must-read for educators and anyone else invested in promoting student mental health and academic success! -- Nancy Lever, PhD, & Sharon Stephan, PhD, Co-Directors, Center for School Mental Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine Educating children requires a complex skill set informed by an understanding of content, culture and ethnicity, psychological development, pedagogy, and of course a care for children and their well being. The Teacher's Guide to Student Mental Health is a complete reference that will assist teachers as they help students navigate their school career. The book provides comprehensive descriptions of mental health conditions and explains the educational system in the context of student mental health with the understanding that teachers are not clinicians who can diagnose. Most importantly, it offers a sensible paradigm through which educators can collaborate with administrators and other licensed and non-licensed staff to ensure that our students get what they need in order to be successful. I will definitely use this book. -- Kimberly Colbert, English Teacher, Central High School, St. Paul, Minnesota Dr. William Dikel draws on his extensive experience as a child and adolescent psychiatrist and school consultant in this highly readable book for educators. In addition to being a concise compendium of psychiatric disorders, the book presents a useful conceptualization to help teachers distinguish between 'behavioral' and 'clinical' manifestations. Dikel describes how disorders affect classroom function and outlines effective treatment approaches. The Teacher's Guide to Student Mental Health should be required reading for all teachers and mental health professionals working with schools. It will also be useful for therapists who work with children, adolescents, and their families, and for parents who wish to know more about school accommodations for emotional and behavioral disabilities. -- Lois T. Flaherty, MD, Lecturer on Psychiatry, Harvard University; President-elect, ISAPP; Editor-in-chief, Adolescent Psychiatry The Teacher's Guide to Student Mental Health addresses the challenges teachers face when behavior or mental health concerns impact learning. Educators play a significant role in promoting health and well-being in their students by facilitating a nurturing, learning environment in the classroom, but with the variety of concerns and issues that arrive with students daily, this may not be enough. By making the topic of mental health palatable for non-mental health professionals, William Dikel demystifies the most common student mental health concerns for educators, and presents practical interventions teachers can immediately implement. This book will pave the way for better school environments to help students thrive. Every school support staff should have this book for reference. -- Kelly A. Stern, State Educational Specialist for School Based Behavioral Health, Honolulu, Hawaii
