Behavioral Interventions in Schools: A Response-to-Intervention Guidebook

This book is a how-to manual for school mental health professionals, educators, and administrators that discusses a series of steps that can be used to proactively manage and prevent many different types of behavioral problems in a positive manner. It incorporates both the high structure and high behavioral expectations that are crucial for school success, but also describes following this structure in such a way that students feel included, important, and respected. Rather than requiring the mental health providers to investigate the research themselves and come up with a behavioral problem solving model, this book includes step-by-step guides on how to implement school-wide and classroom-wide interventions in a response-to-intervention format. For those students who demonstrate more behavior problems, more intensive interventions are included to help alleviate those problems.

The first section of the book discusses Tier I interventions and assessments designed to ensure that the school is effectively implementing a high quality, research-based behavioral management system. The next section covers Tier II interventions, those used for students who do not respond adequately to those of Tier I. These interventions are research-based, rigorous, and designed to address a broad range of behavior problems. Finally, the last section discusses Tier III interventions for students in need of highly individualized and intensive interventions to manage behavior problems.

David Hulac, PhD, NCSP, is an Associate Professor in School Psychology at the University of Northern Colorado.
Joy Terrell, PhD, NCSP, is a licensed psychologist currently working for the North Lake Supports and Services Center in Hammand, Louisiana.
Odell Vining, PhD, NCSP, is currently employed as a school psychologist in Georgia's Muscogee County School District.
Joshua Bernstein, PhD, NCSP, LPC, is an assistant professor in the Counseling Psychology Program at Chatham University and a psychotherapist in private practice.