School-based prevention programs are initiatives implemented into school settings that aim to increase children's academic success and reduce high-risk problem behaviors.   Approaches A number of school-based programs have been developed to target specific outcomes, including problems such as bullying, substance use, and antisocial behavior. Others have been developed to foster positive youth development and academic performance. While each of these programs focuses on distinct issues and outcomes, research suggests that in adolescent-focused initiatives, many utilize the same practice elements, including communication skills, problem solving, insight building, and assertiveness training. These results suggest that certain core skills may be critical to seemingly disparate desired outcomes, which may have implications for clinical decision making as well as policy. A meta-analysis of 213 school-based prevention programs promoting social and emotional learning (SEL) looked at outcomes in six different domains: social and emotional skills, attitudes toward self and others, positive social behaviors, conduct problems, emotional distress, and academic performance. Findings suggested that SEL programs had positive effects across all six domains, demonstrating the broad impact of universal school-based prevention programs   Challenges While 59\% of schools in the U.S. report having programs that foster children’s social and emotional needs, evidence-based initiatives have not been widely implemented. Schools may be unaware of the evidence base, reflecting the gap between research and practice. Schools that are aware of effective programs may lack  funding necessary to implement the program. Should schools receive funding for implementation, research shows that programs are often poorly implemented, resulting in low fidelity and weak outcomes. Additionally, some prevention programs may not be a good fit with the local context and may require tailoring. Finally, schools may struggle to sustain programs due to limited resources.
School-based prevention programs are initiatives implemented into school settings that aim to increase children's academic success and reduce high-risk problem behaviors. These preventative interventions are going to decrease the incidence (number of new cases) or prevalence (number of current cases) of some clearly defined, undesired outcome. Need for prevention programs The need for prevention programs in schools is based on four rationales: (a) the development of numerous evidence-based prevention programs, (b) promotion of the well-being of youth, (c) resource limitations stemming from a reliance on treatment-oriented <u>models, and (d) cost-effectiveness. The first and most important reason is the exponentially grown of evidence-based prevention programs over the last few years. The number of evidence-based prevention programs for children and youth went from 10 on the 1988 American Psychological Association seminal publication to hundreds of prevention programs that are identified as evidence-based now. Secondly, the potential to enhance the well-being of children and youth by preventing academic, social, and behavioral problems has an appeal to all school psychologists. This would mean that if a large quantity of children can receive high-quality early education experiences and mental health support, the need for remedial intervention should decline. This idea of reducing the incidence of academic and behavioral problems is the center of the current school psychology practice. The third reason assumes to the fact that there will never be an adequate number of direct-service mental health providers to treat all individuals in need of service, and the only feasible way to reach all individuals in need is through prevention services, as stated by George Albee (1968). Finally, prevention programs can be cost-effective because they can reduce outcomes (such as school dropouts rates) which may return the financial benefits of implementing the prevention programs. Approaches A number of school-based programs have been developed to target specific outcomes, including problems such as bullying, substance use, and antisocial behavior. Others have been developed to foster positive youth development and academic performance. While each of these programs focuses on distinct issues and outcomes, research suggests that in adolescent-focused initiatives, many utilize the same practice elements, including communication skills, problem solving, insight building, and assertiveness training. These results suggest that certain core skills may be critical to seemingly disparate desired outcomes, which may have implications for clinical decision making as well as policy. A meta-analysis of 213 school-based prevention programs promoting social and emotional learning (SEL) looked at outcomes in six different domains: social and emotional skills, attitudes toward self and others, positive social behaviors, conduct problems, emotional distress, and academic performance. Findings suggested that SEL programs had positive effects across all six domains, demonstrating the broad impact of universal school-based prevention programs . Types of prevention programs <u>Prevention programs can be categorized by scope or by targeted domain. A program can be focused on the individual person, ecologically focused or focused on multiple levels and they can primarily target either academic, or social-emotional domains, or adopt an integrative approach and target both domains at the same time. School psychologists are more familiar with person-focused programs due to this being the most commonly used type of prevention program. This program can either be used individually or as group interventions that are focused on changing an aspect of the individual student. On these programs individuals are targeted for change with little focus on changing anything on a bigger scale. Ecologically focused programs are known to emphasize the need to have an impact on different layers of the student environment to prevent or treat any difficulties (learning, social, emotional and/or behavioral). The ecological programs assume that all layers of the environment have a different effect on the individual. Challenges While 59\% of schools in the U.S. report having programs that foster children’s social and emotional needs, evidence-based initiatives have not been widely implemented. Schools may be unaware of the evidence base, reflecting the gap between research and practice. Schools that are aware of effective programs may lack the funding necessary to implement the program. Should schools receive funding for implementation, research shows that programs are often poorly implemented, resulting in low fidelity and weak outcomes. Additionally, some prevention programs may not be a good fit with the local context and may require tailoring. Finally, schools may struggle to sustain programs due to limited resources.
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These preventative interventions are going to decrease the incidence (number of new cases) or prevalence (number of current cases) of some clearly defined, undesired outcome.
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Need for prevention programs The need for prevention programs in schools is based on four rationales: (a) the development of numerous evidence-based prevention programs, (b) promotion of the well-being of youth, (c) resource limitations stemming from a reliance on treatment-oriented <u>models, and (d) cost-effectiveness. The first and most important reason is the exponentially grown of evidence-based prevention programs over the last few years. The number of evidence-based prevention programs for children and youth went from 10 on the 1988 American Psychological Association seminal publication to hundreds of prevention programs that are identified as evidence-based now. Secondly, the potential to enhance the well-being of children and youth by preventing academic, social, and behavioral problems has an appeal to all school psychologists. This would mean that if a large quantity of children can receive high-quality early education experiences and mental health support, the need for remedial intervention should decline. This idea of reducing the incidence of academic and behavioral problems is the center of the current school psychology practice. The third reason assumes to the fact that there will never be an adequate number of direct-service mental health providers to treat all individuals in need of service, and the only feasible way to reach all individuals in need is through prevention services, as stated by George Albee (1968). Finally, prevention programs can be cost-effective because they can reduce outcomes (such as school dropouts rates) which may return the financial benefits of implementing the prevention programs.
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Types of prevention programs <u>Prevention programs can be categorized by scope or by targeted domain. A program can be focused on the individual person, ecologically focused or focused on multiple levels and they can primarily target either academic, or social-emotional domains, or adopt an integrative approach and target both domains at the same time. School psychologists are more familiar with person-focused programs due to this being the most commonly used type of prevention program. This program can either be used individually or as group interventions that are focused on changing an aspect of the individual student. On these programs individuals are targeted for change with little focus on changing anything on a bigger scale. Ecologically focused programs are known to emphasize the need to have an impact on different layers of the student environment to prevent or treat any difficulties (learning, social, emotional and/or behavioral). The ecological programs assume that all layers of the environment have a different effect on the individual.
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