Elysia V. Clemens

Elements of Successful School Reentry After Psychiatric Hospitalization

Psychiatric hospitalization is an intensive intervention designed to stabilize adolescents who are experiencing an acute mental health crisis. Reintegrating to school after discharge from psychiatric hospitalization can be overwhelming for many adolescents (E. V. Clemens, L. E. Welfare, & A. M. Williams, 2010). The authors used a consensual qualitative research approach (C. E. Hill et al., 2005; C. E. Hill, B. J. Thompson, & E. N. Williams, 1997) to explore 14 mental health professionals’ perceptions regarding assets and barriers to adolescents’ successful school reintegration after psychiatric hospitalization. The authors describe the implications for educators and parents derived from participant interviews.

Seeking help for non-suicidal self-injury: A social network analysis approach

Individuals who self-injure have consistently reported less perceived social support; yet, little is actually known about the support they seek out from others specifically for non-suicidal self-injury. The goal of this study was to explore characteristics of support networks of those who self-injure. Twenty-three percent reported not seeking support for self-injury, while the remaining reported smaller social networks than typical. Most participants sought help infrequently, and when they did, found supporters to be only moderately helpful. Network characteristics were found to relate to self-injury behavior and patterns emerged regarding supporters in the networks. Implications for advocacy and education are provided.

Pre-professional Suicide Training for Counselors: Results of a Readiness Assessment

Change is needed in mental health pre-professional suicide training (PPST) to address updates in practice, ethical/legal, and accreditation guidelines. Assessing readiness for change can inform successful, lasting change. The Community Readiness Model offered an established structure for research team analysis of interviews with educators, administrators, and supervisors representing diverse, accredited counselor training programs. An overall score of 4.9 out of 9 indicates the counselor education and supervision (CES) profession is in the preplanning stage of readiness to address PPST. Readiness dimensional subscores ranged from 3.6 to 6.6, which align with readiness stages from vague awareness to initiation . CES needs to increase readiness to improve PPST regarding logistical support, knowledge of existing training, active leadership support, and the attitudinal environment toward suicide and PPST. This assessment informs the work of training program administrators, state and national policymakers, educators, and supervisors to improve PPST for future counselors.

Hidden Abuse within the Home: Recognizing and Responding to Sibling Abuse.

Sibling abuse is a serious phenomenon in our society that often goes unaddressed. Victims of sibling abuse experience psychological effects similar to those of child abuse (Caspi, 2012; Wiehe, 2002). The purpose of this article is to provide school counselors with a definition of sibling abuse and a five-step model to recognize and respond. A decision-making tree for working with students and families serves as a framework for preventative and comprehensive services.