Center for the Advancement of Mental Health Practices in Schools

Historically, traditional approaches to the identification and treatment of mental illness in children and youth have focused on medical models of pathology, eg., what is wrong with the child. In so doing, client deficits or functional limitations are identified and compared to a standard rubric like the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) to establish eligibility for services. If eligible, the resultant assistance might include the diagnosis of a disability, provision of therapy and/or placement in school services for individuals with special needs.

However, in the fall of 1998 the American Psychiatric Association, in concert with participating state departments of mental health, met with representatives of university based training programs to advocate for more prevention driven efforts toward mental health promotion. As a result of this challenge, in a paradigmatic shift, the Missouri Department of Mental Health made the decision to...