A Guide to Psychiatric Services in Schools: Understanding Roles, Treatment, and Collaboration (School-Based Practice in Action)

In order to provide comprehensive care to students with a wide variety of social and emotional challenges, close collaboration between psychiatrists and school-based mental health professionals is vital. This book provides practical information about psychiatric diagnoses and medications, as well as effective ways to communicate with physicians, to ensure that the needs of all students and their families are met. Brent reviews the process and content of a psychiatric evaluation, the general principles of psychopharmacology, and the various classes of medications. Subsequent chapters then focus on different psychiatric diagnoses and treatment options. Characteristics, evaluation, and treatment methods are discussed for mood, anxiety, psychotic, pervasive developmental, and externalizing behavior disorders with case examples provided throughout for illustration. A brief overview of mental health crises, including suicidal statements, physical aggression, and self-harm behaviors, and how these can best be handled in the educational setting is also provided. School-based mental health professionals will find this book to be a clear, concise, and practical guide to facilitating strong communication and collaboration amongst themselves, educators, and physicians.

Shawna S. Brent, MD, is a Board Certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist who has been in practice for ten years. She completed medical school at Temple University School of Medicine and her psychiatric training at University Hospitals of Cleveland and Allegheny University Hospital. Her clinical work includes providing psychiatric evaluations, out patient therapy, and medication management. She has been working collaboratively with schools in Central Pennsylvania for most of her career. Over the past two years, she has been providing psychiatric consultation directly in a public school Therapeutic Emotional Support Classroom and in a local Intermediate Unit.