By Larke Huang and Paolo del Vecchio
Too often, children and youth with mental, emotional and behavioral disorders are subject to seclusion and restraint (SR) in settings that are intended to help children and promote their healthy development. 
Once thought to be “therapeutic” techniques, we now recognize these as non-therapeutic, often re-traumatizing for the youth, and disruptive of a therapeutic relationship.  Use of restraints can often result in injuries to both the child and the staff and even deaths. 
A front page article in today’s Washington Post reported on allegations of the repeated …

Addressing Cyberbullying
Guest Post By: Melyn Huntley, Project Director, Safe Schools/Healthy Students
“People bully me. I want to die.”  The words echoed in the mind of the parent who found the crumbled note in her daughter’s room.  Words of desperation cried out for help.  How do you help her?  How serious is the threat?
Protecting your child is critical.  Today with online communications, a bully can follow their victim home to the aloneness of their bedroom.  If your child should become a victim of bullying, there are several things you should do.

Believe …

Written By: Paolo Delvecchio, Director, Center for Mental Health Services
A recent column in the New York Times by David Brooks (“The Psych Approach,” Sept. 27, 2012) provides key insight on how children who experience serious difficulties in youth, such as experiencing trauma, often end up as adults challenged with major obstacles to success such as failure in school, substance abuse, mental illnesses, health risk behavior, chronic disease, and each of these ultimately contribute to early mortality.  Brooks cites the seminal CDC-funded Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study by Vince Felitti and Robert …

Written By: Frances M. Harding, Director, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
  October is Bullying Prevention Month and National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, a busy and important time for prevention efforts.  On the surface, bullying and youth substance use may seem like separate problems.  However, from research, we know that youth who use substances are at risk for other problem behaviors during their teen years.  In fact, new findings suggest that middle and high school students who bully their peers are more likely to use alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana.
Bullying and substance use …

Written By:   Ingrid Donato, Branch Chief, Mental Health Promotions Branch & James Wright, Public Health Advisor, Division of Prevention, Traumatic Stress and Special Programs
Bystanders have the power to play a key role in preventing or stopping bullying. Their actions make a critical difference. Every day, kids and adults witness bullying. They want to help, but don’t know how. Fortunately, there are a few simple, safe ways that those who witness bullying can help:
Be a friend to the person being bullied.
Being friendly can go a long way toward letting a child who …