Examines the performance characteristics of 83 school-identified learning-disabled children on the Differential Ability Scales. Sixty percent showed a significant standard score discrepancy between the General Conceptual Ability and at least one achievement test. Implications regarding the educational diagnostic and intervention processes…

Argues that school guidance counselors today have many school-related duties in addition to counseling. Investigates ways to implement a program whereby the counselor's role is clearly defined, formally reviewed, and redefined as needed. Encourages school guidance counselors to validate their roles by defining them more accurately and seeking the…

Describes a vocational/technical career options program implemented in 1993 by Kansas State University. Covers five aspects of the program: (1) background and the need for the project; (2) the project's goals; (3) the strategies used in the project; (4) challenges met; and (5) the current status of the project. (KW)

Describes a study in which 97 high school seniors from urban and suburban settings commented on 100 occupations and their perceived prestige. Supports the idea that counselors should consider integrating prestige and social status information with traditional occupational data. Discusses occupational statuses and prestige values in regard to…

Describes a study to determine the extent of present and projected future levels of school counseling privatization and to determine if differences in privatization exist in reference to school district enrollment size. Of 300 Washington school districts surveyed, 20% contracted to outside counseling providers. Privatization was significantly more…

Discusses the incorporation of primary and secondary drug prevention programming into school curricula to teach children about the influence and effects of drugs and alcohol, and personal, social coping, and resisting skills. Describes a questionnaire sent to 216 public school counselors to assess student drug use and the legal implications of…

Reviews the history and prevalence of teenage pregnancy and parenthood in the United States. Focuses on a somatic reaction called the Couvade Syndrome (CS) whereby expectant fathers experience the physical symptoms of their pregnant partners as it relates to teenage fathers. Notes that the effects of CS can be mitigated by school counselors. (KW)

Focuses on the school counseling concerns of biracial children and the use of developmental school counseling programs as a means of promoting positive self-awareness in biracial students. Views developmental counseling programs as a viable vehicle for promoting awareness of and respect for the many factors that differentiate one person from…

Describes a study to explore and describe school-community agency collaboration to address the personal and social needs of students. Participating as a member of an interdisciplinary, collaborative counseling effort requires that school counselors rethink their professional role. Attitudes and beliefs must be examined and skills and knowledge in…

Emphasizes the importance of positive family influence in successful school education. Describes and applies family systems counseling, using the interactional game metaphor, to many of the problems common in school settings. Stresses that negative responses or physical punishment are not only ineffective but result in perpetuating unintended…

Provides a brief overview of events that have contributed to the development of what currently constitutes disaster-crisis mental health counseling, an area of counseling that has gained increased clinical attention and empirical focus within the field of mental health counseling. (Author)

A workable referral system, using resources within a school and within the community, becomes important when a sudden death or suicide occurs. When managing a crisis, helping professionals need to have the means for restoring a school and community to its precrisis equilibrium. Provides specific information pertinent to developing an effective…

Posttraumatic stress is an occupational hazard for certain high-risk groups such as personnel in emergency services, public safety, and disaster response. Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) represents a structured group intervention designed for the mitigation of posttraumatic stress. Provides an introduction to and an overview of the CISD…

The American Red Cross (ARC) Disaster Mental Health Services program uses a multidisciplinary approach to deliver crisis intervention to disaster workers and victims after hurricanes. Discusses the impetus for the ARC's development of the program, its early implementation, and ongoing challenges in the further development of this approach to…

Outlines the sequence of events in the Los Angeles civil unrest (riots) and summarizes several of the underlying causes that precipitated the event. Describes the psychological reactions of victims and emergency responders. Discusses crisis interventions used to minimize the emotional aftereffects. Discusses what mental health professionals and…