PRNewswise: Hurricane season may be almost over but the mental health storm of repercussions is not. Besides destruction, hurricanes have brought a lot of fear to the people that live in storm prone areas. The shock of a powerful storm targeting and rampaging through your once safe home and neighborhood is unimaginable to most. And when it does hit, it can wipe away everything a family has built over a lifetime, leaving them homeless and sometimes emotionally unstable. Disasters like Hurricane Katrina can be traumatic. Traumatic events not only affect survivors and rescue workers but also their friends and relatives. According to the CDC, fear, grief, anxiety and depression may set in. Physical and behavioral responses can include nausea, dizziness, changes in appetite, disturbed sleep patterns and social withdrawal. Responses to trauma can last for weeks to months before victims start to feel normal again. Most people report feeling better within twelve weeks after a traumatic event. But sometimes the problem can become worse or last longer than one month. If this occurs then the person may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Milwaukee, WI): Many feel the effect of the change of seasons as early as August or September. They dread the shorter days and coming winter -- they eat more, sleep more and suffer from a form of depression called seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. Traditional approaches to treat the disorder include using anti-depressant drugs, light therapy, or a combination. New research indicates that adding cognitive behavior therapy, or "talk therapy," to the mix might be more effective treatment. The symptoms of SAD go way beyond the winter blues and subtle changes in eating and sleeping. It can include cravings for sweets and starches, fatigue, irritability, social withdrawal and depression. These changes disappear in the spring and summer. Shorter days seem to trigger symptoms. There is some evidence that light intensity and temperature also may play a role, said Kelly Rohan, an assistant professor of psychology who studies SAD at the University of Vermont. In the winter, the production of melatonin may increase. The lack of sunlight is thought to decrease the amount of serotonin. The depression that comes with SAD can vary. The percentage of people with SAD increases with increasing latitude. Rohan's research involves cognitive behavioral therapy. She wondered if the therapy could be an effective means to treat SAD. Behavioral therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which therapists work with patients to overcome problems by changing their thinking, behavior and emotional responses. In her study, Rohan randomly assigned 61 SAD patients to four groups for six weeks of treatment: daily light therapy; 12 sessions of behavioral therapy; a combination of both treatments; or wait-list control group. All groups -- even the control group, which received treatment after waiting six weeks -- showed comparable improvement in their depression and SAD symptoms after six weeks of treatment. Of the patients treated with light and talk therapy, 80 percent were no longer depressed and of the patients treated with light therapy alone, 53 percent were no longer depressed.

Show Notes: A new study sheds light on weight-loss and counseling. In Portland, ME, they're celebrating National Family Week with an emphasis on diversity. Plus, Ireland provides a new training pack for distribution to higher education colleges. Also, SAMHSA releases a report this week concerning school mental health. And, use of antidepressant drugs rose while the use of psychotherapy/counseling declined...what does this mean? Stick around. Plus, this week's Bookmark of the Week!

BBC News (UK): Swimming with dolphins appears to help alleviate mild to moderate depression, researchers have found. A University of Leicester team tested the effect of regular swimming sessions with dolphins on 15 depressed people in a study carried out in Honduras. They found that symptoms improved more among this group than among another 15 who swam in the same area - but did not interact with dolphins. The study is published in the British Medical Journal. All the volunteers who took part in the trial stopped taking antidepressant drugs or undergoing psychotherapy at least four weeks beforehand. Half the volunteers swam and snorkeled around dolphins for one hour a day over a two-week period. The others took part in the same activities, but without dolphins around. Two weeks later, both groups showed improved mental health, but especially so among patients who had been swimming with the dolphins. The researchers say dolphins' aesthetic value, and the emotions raised by the interaction may have healing properties. Some have speculated that the ultrasound emitted by dolphins as part of their echolocation system may have a beneficial effect. The Leicester team believe that using animals in this way could be a productive way to treat depression and other psychiatric illnesses.

Thunder Bay’s Source (Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada): Front line mental health workers, patients and advocacy groups identified some major problems in the region's mental health care system at a round table discussion. Organized by the Ontario Health Coalition, the session is one of many being held across the region to identify some of the major obstacles to service delivery. Testimonials piled up as workers, patients and family members discussed the crisis facing mental health care patients in Northwestern Ontario. According to one long-time employee, the impending closure of the Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital is one of the key issues. Other concerns voiced at the session included a scarcity of affordable housing, criminalization issues and lack of treatment options. Information from the regional sessions is to be compiled and released in a public report which will be forwarded to the government.

I'd like to take time to thank all of my listeners. Without you, there would be no G News Central Podcast. When I started this podcast a few short months ago, my goal wasn't to have a HUGH audience. My goal was to have people who were interested in hearing about the latest mental health-related stories that typically aren't covered by the 10 O'clock news. And with all of the demands on our time, let's face it....we don't always have time to read our trade publications. That's where G News Central Podcast fits in...you get one headline story a day, and a weekly wrap-up on the weekend (in under 20 minutes). So, again, thank you for sticking around and giving G News Central Podcast a listen. It may not be the evening news, and the audio quality may not be "the tops" like other podcasts, but I'll always put 100% into finding stories worth hearing. Happy Thanksgiving!

Exeter News (Exeter, NH): The New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is offering Therapy Dog Training for owners, professionals and anyone interested in using their dog in therapeutic visits to nursing homes, schools, hospitals or any healthcare agency that allows therapy animals. The workshop will be held at the SPCA’s Learning Center for Pets and People on Saturday Dec. 10 and Sunday, Dec. 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Therapy Dogs International, Inc. (TDI) is a volunteer group organized to provide qualified handlers and their Therapy Dogs for visitations to institutions, facilities and any other place where Therapy Dogs are needed. The workshop’s presenter, Gina Hays, is the owner and head trainer of Just Dogs Training Center in Dennisport, Mass. The primary objective of the TDI dog and handler is to provide comfort and companionship by sharing the dog with the patients in hospitals, nursing homes and other institutions and wherever else the Therapy Dog is needed. This is done in a way that increases emotional well-being, promotes healing and improves the quality of life for the people being visited and the staff that cares for these people.

Boston Globe (Newington, NH): Many Americans are overweight because losing the extra pounds is so difficult. Unless someone is heavy enough to justify the risk of surgery, obese people have a choice of making lifestyle changes that most eventually abandon, or anti-obesity pills that typically trim only 10 to 15 pounds. But a new study suggests that a combination of intensive counseling and drugs is almost twice as effective as either approach on its own, offering a glimmer of hope in the battle against the second leading cause of preventable death. In the study, led by Thomas Wadden of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 60 obese volunteers lost an average of 27 pounds after a year in which they attended 30 group sessions on the importance of diet and exercise, and took Meridia, one of two weight-loss drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration. By comparison, the 55 patients who took Meridia but received no counseling lost just 11 pounds. A third group of 55 who attended group counseling sessions alone lost an average of 15 pounds. The top weight losers in the study wrote down what they ate, which seemed to reduce their overall consumption.

Marin Independent Journal (San Rafael, CA): County health officials must now decide whether to kick mental health patients out of Marin General Hospital's psychiatric unit after three days or foot the extra cost for additional hospitalization. An alliance of 34 counties, including Marin, have been responsible for providing health-care services to indigent adults since 1983, when California law transferred that responsibility from the state to counties. This association, the County Medical Services Program, has decided to limit mental health hospital stays to 72 hours per episode and 10 days per fiscal year. The change took effect Oct. 1. Currently, the average length of stay at Marin General's 17-bed psychiatric unit is six days, said the county's director of community mental health, Bruce Gurganus. A failed suicide attempt is a common reason for hospitalization in the locked facility. "Of course what happens after the three days is the county ends up being the payer of last resort," Gurganus said. "We do believe there will be additional cost, and we're making a mid-year budget adjustment to cover that." Gurganus said he had no estimate yet as to how much the change will cost the county this year.

Show notes: Protecting students is priority #1 in Brevard County School District. And in Indianapolis, anger management training is top priority for conference attendees. Also, the Mississippi House Juvenile Justice Committee meets to discuss better substance abuse and mental health programs. In New Jersey, officials begin to discuss the serious drug-dealing problem in Ashbury Park. Plus, this week's website of the week!

NewsOK (Oklahoma City, OK): Oklahoma was one of only seven states to receive the "Mental Health Transformation State Incentive Grant," presented recently to Gov. Brad Henry by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The grant will provide the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services with $2.73 million the first year and $14.7 million over five years. Essentially, the project's goal is to transform state mental health-service delivery systems from systems dictated by outmoded bureaucratic and financial incentives, to systems driven by consumer and family needs that focus on building resilience and facilitating recovery. States that received the awards will serve as platforms for developing strategies that work in transforming mental health and related systems.

KPVI-TV (Pocatello, ID): Local courts are beginning to deal with the problems and needs of criminal defendants who are diagnosed with mental illness. District Judge Ronald Bush says the new mental health court will take people with mental illnesses and keep them out of the normal dockets. That way, participants will be given the chance for proper treatment instead of ending up in local jails and hospitals. Judge Ronald Bush, Sixth Judicial District: "We will have fewer crimes committed by folks that fall into this category. That, in turn, will lead fewer days in the county jail or state penitentiary system. In addition, we hope it will reduce the number of hospitalizations locally."

Forbes (USA): Even as concerns about teen suicide and antidepressant use surfaced during the last decade, prescriptions for the mood-altering drugs increased dramatically as therapy sessions declined, new research shows. And, while guidelines call for initially treating childhood depression with psychotherapy -- and medication plus psychotherapy only in the most serious cases -- many teens received only medication, including drugs not approved for use by children, Stanford University School of Medicine researchers said. Although only Prozac was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use with children, the majority of antidepressant prescriptions issued in the years covered by the study -- 1995 through 2002 -- were for newer, non-approved medications. Up until two years before the FDA mandated black-box warnings on antidepressants warning of potential dangers to kids, the research found that: (1) Doctor visits for pediatric depression more than doubled from 1995 to 2002. In 1995, there were 1.44 million visits for depression; by 2002, that figure had risen to 3.22 million and (2) At the same time, the number of visits in which antidepressants were prescribed rose from 47 percent in 1995 to 52 percent in 2002. And psychotherapy or mental-health counseling declined from 83 percent to 68 percent.

Press Release (Milwaukee, WI): Astoundingly, suicide is the Number 2 killer of children in Wisconsin. And efforts to prevent youth suicide in the state are receiving a big boost because of a new alliance forged by the Charles E. Kubly Foundation with a national mental health policy magazine, foundation officials announced today. Thousands of Wisconsin school and health care personnel will receive the upcoming youth-themed issue of Advancing Suicide Prevention, a professional publication that goes to 20,000 health policy leaders and influencers across the country. Funding from the Kubly Foundation will expand this core circulation by 5,000 additional professionals throughout the state. These include leaders and "gatekeepers" who can influence youth and policies affecting their well being - guidance counselors, school psychologists, child and adolescent psychiatrists and other professionals in Wisconsin. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Wisconsin young people - and that makes it a major public health problem in Wisconsin, according to health officials. Between the years 1999-2002, 430 Wisconsin youngsters age 10-24 died by their own hand, making Wisconsin the 16th highest state in the nation in youth suicide.

All Headline News (USA): A proposed bill would bring marriage and family therapists and licensed counselors under Medicare's coverage. The proposal has drawn strong opposition from the American Psychiatric Association, which says it would waste government money by increasing spending for marriage counseling or family troubles without improving care for more serious problems like schizophrenia. Sen. Craig Thomas, R-WY, introduced the proposal, which has become an amendment to legislation designed to cut federal spending by $36 billion over 10 years. Thomas promoted his plan in a press release that noted one-fifth of all rural counties have no mental health service of any kind. He said the health care professionals he wants to add to Medicare's list of providers are often the only mental health professionals available. Leibfried says many states prohibit professionals with a Masters'-level education from diagnosing and treating serious mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Thus, when brought into Medicare, they would primarily bill for services they are allowed to diagnose, such as marriage counseling or family breakdowns, he adds. "That's a worthwhile thing," Liebfried says. "But if you're going to fix something first, let's make sure we're opening access to people with more serious conditions."

Journal of the American Medical Association (Chicago, IL): Prevalence estimates of ADHD in school-aged children have ranged from 2% to 18% in community samples. Although stimulant medications are an effective first-line treatment for ADHD, concern persists regarding the possible side effects and long-term health outcomes associated with stimulant consumption. Estimating the number of children who have had ADHD diagnosed and are currently taking medication for the disorder is an important step toward understanding the overall burden of ADHD in the United States. Previously, population-based estimates of medication treatment for ADHD were not available or were limited by their lack of generalizability. To estimate rates of parent-reported ADHD diagnosis and medication treatment for ADHD, CDC analyzed data from the 2003 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). In 2003, approximately 4.4 million children aged 4-17 years were reported to have a history of ADHD diagnosis; of these, 2.5 million (56%) were reported to be taking medication for the disorder. Because both substantial health risks and benefits might be associated with medication treatment for ADHD, further study of this population of children with ADHD is needed.

Show Notes: In New York, two York High teens are arrested at their school's dance. And in Pennsylvania, women dealing with PTSD have a place to go. Also, Mississippi is trying to piece together a budget to address the mental health needs of victims of Katrina. Plus, the Gold Star School Counseling Awards are announced in Indiana. Finally, in San Francisco, a hacker defaces a local high school's website. Plus, this week's featured website of the week.

Town Times (Middlefield, CT): On Thursday, Nov. 17, millions of smokers will take part in the American Cancer Society’s 29th annual Great American Smokeout. For nearly three decades, the Society has designated the third Thursday of each November as a day for smokers nationwide to unite and kick the deadly habit of smoking. More than 45 million Americans are addicted to tobacco; roughly one in four adults and one in five teenagers in the United States are current smokers. Unless efforts to help them beat their addiction are substantially increased, 10 to 20 million current smokers will die from tobacco-related diseases. Quitting isn’t easy. Tobacco dependence is comparable in severity to dependence caused by opiates, such as heroin, amphetamines and cocaine. Fortunately, smokers now have a variety of medications and treatments they can use to help them stop smoking. Smokers can also combine their use of medication by seeking counseling from their physician, pharmacist or a telephone quitline — clinically proven, free, telephone-based counseling. For a quitline near you call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345.

Yale Daily News (New Haven, CT): First-year college life can present difficulties to any freshman on campus, but last year the leaders of Yale's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Cooperative saw an especially vexing problem: freshmen who were coming out for the first time did not know where to turn. "I just remember that there was nothing available to me when I came here freshman year," said one gay senior, who asked to remain anonymous. Ari Davalos '07 set out to solve that problem. With the help of her friends and with the support of Dean of Undergraduate Affairs Betty Trachtenberg, Davalos this fall established Queer Peers, a student-run peer-counseling group offered as an extension of the LGBT Co-op. The Queer Peers include eight Yale undergraduates who are trained to give guidance and support to any students questioning their sexual identity. With the program still in its nascent stages, Queer Peers members said they regularly speak with two to three students a night who are either in search of advice while coming out or are already out and searching for understanding listeners. Queer Peers offers counseling four days a week.

Wheeling News Register (Wheeling, WV): Voters in Belmont County voted in favor of a countywide issue Tuesday related to mental health services. In an unofficial count, 11,628 people voted in favor of the Belmont County Mental Health Recovery Board renewal $ 1.5 million levy for Mental Health & Addiction Services, while 7,517 people voted against it. The measure will last for 10 years and begin next year. Funds from this renewal levy are expected to help pay for mental health and addiction services for those who cannot afford it on their own. Linda Pickenpaugh, director of the county Mental Health and Recovery Board, said Tuesday night the renewal of the levy will provide $950,000 a year, which accounts for 10 percent of the service budget. "Even though it was a renewal, we couldn't take a chance in this environment. ... It isn't new money, but it will help us maintain service at the current level."

PRNewswire (Santa Ana, CA): PacifiCare Behavioral Health (PBH) and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care will host more than 300 New England behavioral health practitioners to present a compelling care management model that uses scientifically-established tools and methods to quantify the clinical results of psychotherapy. The conference, Improving Behavioral Health Care Using Outcomes Measurement, will be conducted on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 at the Hilton Dedham from 8:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. “This conference is a call to all mental health practitioners to consider adopting a scientifically-validated yardstick to objectively measure clinical results and to use that data to inform treatment,� said Richard Weisblatt, Ph.D., vice president of network services for Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. “Today's medical community is increasingly aligned with evidence-based care and this conference is intended to support a similar movement within the behavioral health community.�

Billings Gazette (Cheyenne, MT): Local church leaders think they've come up with a way to reduce the state's divorce rate: Put an end to quickie marriages. Clergy came together Friday to endorse a policy that would require couples undergo four months of marriage preparation before being married in participating churches. "Couple by couple, community by community, congregation by congregation, a difference will be made," said Harriet McManus, co-chairwoman of the nonprofit group Marriage Savers. Gov. Dave Freudenthal praised the project, which is being funded in part by more than $200,000 in grants from the Wyoming Department of Family Services and the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. The program will include counseling sessions and assign successfully married couples to mentor engaged couples. "I am firmly convinced that the government can only do so much," Freudenthal said. "What I like about what you're doing is you actually try to make sure people are fully informed." Organizers said Wyoming has one of the nation's highest divorce rates. The Rev. Kurt Borgaard, of First Christian Church, said organizers hoped that by reducing divorce rates, they would also address a number of other social ills. "When divorce rates go up, so do all the negative statistics," Borgaard said.

Belleville News-Democrat (Belleville, IL): Helen Cordell, a Yorkville resident, is president of the Fox Valley Therapy Dog Club of Yorkville, a group that keeps a visiting schedule for its 35 dog members and their handlers. The dogs that participate in pet therapy must go through a year of training and certification far beyond a typical obedience school. "We drop pans like the dropping of trays and equipment in hospitals," Cordell said. "A dog has to be able to be touched by a stranger. You can put your hands on their teeth and they won't show fear." Therapy dogs' training also involves interacting with walkers and wheelchairs and being able to ignore food when it is within easy reach. Before a potential therapy dog can make visits, it must pass a certification test administered by either Therapy Dogs International or Delta Society. During the test, the dog must respond to strangers, distractions, other dogs, people with audible or visible illnesses, and obedience commands.

Show notes: Truancy is the issue in Benton, IL. And in Winona, MN, an elementary school counselor speaks her mind. Also, James Madison Middle School in Burlington, IA hosts a 2-hour controversial forum that has people up in arms. Plus, this week's featured Bookmark of the Week. And our first podcast promo from another podcaster!

MedIndia (India): Researcher Dr. Wan Lian Chua, Psychiatrist, Bradford District Care Trust had said that estrogen therapy to women with schizophrenia had not given any effective improvement in their condition. The researchers compiled data from various reviews pertaining the use of estrogen therapy for treatment of schizophrenia. Researchers conclude that the use of estrogen therapy cannot be used in treating patients before it is tested in large clinical trials as most of the study has been done in a small population of people with psychotic symptoms. The results of the study were published in The Cochrane Library. It is found that women suffering from schizophrenia seemed more vulnerable to psychotic symptoms during life phases associated with dips in estrogen levels during the period after childbirth and during menopause. Moreover, use of estrogens are linked to increased side effects such as risk of heart attack, stroke or ovarian and breast cancer. For treatment, a new class of effective drugs are to be discovered like the use of Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERM?s) has to be evaluated as these drugs has to be modulated in such a way that it stimulates estrogen receptors only in the required parts of the body and should not act on other estrogen receptors in uterus and breast.

The Acorn (Agoura Hilla, CA): The Las Virgenes and Oak Park unified school districts stand opposed to Proposition 76, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “The California Live Within Our Means Act.� But supporters of the proposition, such as the Thousand Oaks Westlake Village Regional Chamber of Commerce, feel Prop. 76 is needed to help balance the state’s debt-laden budget. Las Virgenes Superintendent Sandra Smyser said the proposition could “significantly jeopardize� available state funding for public schools. The proposition would dismantle the funding guarantees of Proposition 98 passed by voters in 1988, Smyser said. “Elimination of these guarantees would fundamentally change how schools operate and the services provided to students and our community,� Smyser said. Tony Knight, superintendent of Oak Park Unified School District, said Oak Park schools rely heavily on Prop. 98 money and would be forced to cut many programs, such as music, counseling and school athletics if Prop. 76 passes. “I recognize we have a budget problem in California, but as I’ve said for many years, I don’t think we should be balancing the state budget on the backs of California’s school children,� Knight said. If the governor’s act is passed, the state would have the power to cut funds to schools in the middle of the school year on an ongoing basis.

Medical News Today (UK): A number of studies have shown that self-help treatment programs on stand-alone computers are as effective as routine clinical care. The Internet enhances the therapeutic possibilities of computers by offering feedback of therapists and more tailor-made treatment. A number of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have shown that Internet-based treatment is more effective than no-treatment and as effective as face-to-face treatment. Research so far has been limited to anxiety disorders, burn-out, depression, headache, insomnia, tinnitus and obesity. Further, exposure through virtual reality has been found effective in a number of RCTs in specific phobias, but results with respect to the effects of the use of virtual reality techniques to other disorders are inconclusive. It is concluded that computer-driven assessment and treatment has many advantages and few disadvantages.

Daily Mail (UK): Head straightening on the internet can be as effective as the psychotherapist's couch, it is claimed. Researchers tested a do-it-yourself program of cognitive behavioral therapy delivered via the internet. They found that it was as good at helping people with depression as face-to-face sessions with a "real" therapist. It was also more effective than web-based group therapy on its own. Researchers carrying out the study recommended that internet-based therapy "should be pursued further as a complement or treatment alternative for mild-to-moderate depression". Cognitive therapy attempts to alter negative or destructive habits by changing the way people think. In the study, 117 volunteers with mild to moderate depression participated either in a web-based self-help cognitive behavioral therapy program, or an internet discussion group. The cognitive therapy also included activity in a discussion group, and minimal contact with a therapist to monitor progress and compliance. A total of 37% of patients withdrew from the program, chiefly because it was "too demanding". All those who did take part had their condition monitored for six months. The DIY therapy program consisted of 89 pages of text divided into five modules. These included exercises aimed at "cognitive restructuring", improving sleep and physical health, preventing relapse and setting future goals.

WWAY Channel 3 (Raleigh, NC): Lawmakers were envisioning a change for the better when they dramatically overhauled the state's mental health system in 2001. Those changes haven't occurred as expected, and legislators are getting frustrated. The 2001 plan calls for the number of beds at traditional state mental hospitals to drop by nearly half to 938 by mid-2007, with patients shifted to local treatment programs. That process involves closing two state psychiatric hospitals and replacing them with one hospital. With the goal on the horizon, efforts to reduce the number of patients in the state psychiatric hospitals have been interrupted. The changes have been slowed by an unforeseen spike in hospital admissions, which experts believe is fueled by a poor economy, a growing population and new challenges from drugs such as methamphetamine. Also, local programs that oversee community coverage are facing potential spending cuts.

Naples Daily News (Naples, FL): Annette Husson, the third-, fourth-and fifth-graders' guidance counselor at Laurel Oak Elementary School conducted a survey last year, and found that among students in grades three through five, the most common form of bullying is verbal abuse which includes teasing or name calling. Other bullying included physical and emotional. Collier County schools's zero-tolerance policy doesn't condone bullying behavior. A survey released earlier this month by the National Crime Prevention Council showed more than half of students witness bullying at least once a week and six out of 10 know another student who could hurt someone. The survey also found that the Internet is becoming the new bullying battleground for children using e-mail, instant messaging and blogs. One out of three students ages 8 to 18 knows at least one person who has been cyber-bullied, according to a press release from the National Crime Prevention Council. Husson said e-mail bullying hasn't been an issue, but there have been incidents of three-way calling in the past when two kids, mostly girls, talk about the third girl listening in on the conversation. According to the 2003 School Crime and Safety report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 800,000 students don't go to school each week because they're afraid of being bullied.

Shownotes: Should under performing teachers be fired? And is all bad behavior truly bad or is there more to it? There are some red hot issues being debated in the San Mateo-Foster City school board race. Finally, Lafayette Parish School District continues with the aftermath of Katrina. Plus, this week's Bookmark of the Week.

The Shreveport Times (Shreveport, LA): Some have dreamed about that day forever, but saying "I do" isn't always as easy as the final moments of a romantic Turner Classic Movie. "After you make such a commitment on a feeling, sometimes you start seeing how different you are from the person you're with and how it's not working," explained Linda Watts, a licensed professional counselor with Interactional Services. "We change every day. There's always some kind of change going on in our lives and when that happens, a lot of people think, 'I need to do this before it gets too late,'" she said. Local marriage and family therapist George Gardner admits there is no easy way to break such news. "Basically, you're making a decision that will hurt someone else," Gardner said. However, for those who suddenly find themselves in such a scenario, act now. "It's good to break it off before than divorce later," Watts said. The best way to approach the delicate situation of ending an engagement is to tell the truth. If they have issues they need to deal with, let them know so that they can work on that. Also, make sure you seek counseling. The healthy thing would be to find someone to talk about it with so you wouldn't have to hold it.

The News-Press (Fort Meyers, FL): Tips for people with mental health problems and their caregivers: (1) Be aware of behavioral symptoms and appropriate interventions and (2) Join a support group. Behavioral symptoms common in Alzheimer’s or memory impairment include: agitation, aggressiveness, anxiety, confusion/disorientation wandering. These and other symptoms may be more noticeable and distressing during a catastrophic event such as a hurricane. To cope with post-Wilma stress: (1) Maintain a normal routine if possible. Anticipate needs of the person with memory impairment such as hydration and food, (2) Avoid continuous viewing or listening to news stories regarding the weather or aftermath of a hurricane, (3) Make sure your loved one wears their ID bracelet at all times, (4) Involve your loved one in enjoyable activities to divert attention away from the catastrophic event, (5) Don’t argue or try to reason with your loved one, and (6) Don’t let your loved one walk or drive away from home. If the power is still out, try to let sunlight in the house in order to reduce confusion and agitation brought on by shadows and darkness. Caregivers should resume their participation in support groups as soon as possible to regain some normalcy for themselves.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee, WI): A small corps of researchers is thinking intently about gestures, and they have found a clear link between the way teachers gesture and how students learn. Their goal is to learn more about which gestures are most effective and how to make teachers more aware of their power. "If teachers know what might be effective, they can use it as part of their tool kit," said Martha Alibali, a professor of psychology and educational psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Research into gestures offers other tantalizing clues about what works and what does not in the classroom. Alibali and others found that preschoolers were more likely to correctly identify objects as symmetrical or asymmetrical when the teacher pretended to point and trace with her hands. Another study that focused on a middle school algebra teacher found that the teacher tended to gesture more when introducing a concept than when reviewing it. Susan Goldin-Meadow, a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago, found in a recent study that Chicago schoolchildren learned math best when the gestures of teachers enhanced their words rather than simply repeating them.

University of Maryland/School of Medicine (Baltimore, MD): To address the growing mental health needs of today’s youth, the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Center for School Mental Health Analysis and Action will bring together mental health experts, educators and policy makers at a two-day conference to discuss ways to bring mental health services to youth in the school setting. The 10th Annual Conference on Advancing School-Based Mental Health will be held Oct. 28-29 in Cleveland, Ohio, at the Renaissance Hotel. “The purpose of this conference is to share knowledge and promote networking to enhance mental health programs in schools across the country,� says Mark Weist, Ph.D., director of the CSMHA and a professor of psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. “There is a national movement toward more comprehensive mental health programs in schools because of increasing evidence that these programs help to bridge the gap between youth who need and youth who receive mental health services. Evidence is growing that these programs help achieve outcomes important for schools and society, such as improved school behavior and achievement.�

StaffNurse.com (UK): Mental and sexual health are the key issues for students, a conference heard. The conference on student health was organized by the Royal College of Nursing and the lecturers’ union NATFHE in Exeter. The National Union of Students welcomed the conference which, it said, reflected its own view that student health should be a priority this year. The NUS said sub-standard housing was aggravating mental health problems among students. And it called for greater provision for diagnosing and treating sexually transmitted infections. NUS Vice President Welfare Veronica King said: "The health and welfare of students has never been such an important issue: over a million of our membership suffer from mental ill health and sexual health problems are highest amongst 18-24 year olds. She added: "Too many students still live in sub standard housing."

The Free Lance Star (Fredericksburg, VA): Children with special needs aren't taking music and dance therapy in school to learn how to play an instrument or do the cha-cha. These students are using the creative therapies to improve their cognitive development, motor skills, communication or social skills. "If I engage a student with severe disabilities in a musical experience that involves holding a mallet and striking a drum, I am addressing a functional motor skill such as grasping ability," explained Allyson Zadnik, music therapist for Spotsylvania County Schools. "Hopefully, the student who improves her grasping ability by holding a mallet will then transfer that increased strength to other functional activities during the school day such as holding a fork or a pencil," she added. When offered in schools, these types of therapy fall under the category of related services--supports that a child receiving special education may need to help them in their education goals. While most children enjoy music, not every child requires music therapy to make progress on an educational goal, explained Zadnik. To receive it, a child has to have a specific goal on the Individualized Education Plan that can be addressed in a music or dance therapy setting, explained Zadnik. Dance therapy services have been in Spotsylvania County since 1989 and music therapy since 1997. Stafford County Schools also offers music therapy.

Show Notes: Are Katrina teens' needs being overlooks? Plus, are academic institutions changing their opinions on play therapy? And what should be a part of your first-line of therapy for teens with depression & anxiety? Finally, six Saratoga Springs High School juniors and seniors get suspended....for what? You'll have to listen to the podcast. And, as always, this week's featured Bookmark of the Week!

Bangor Daily News (Bangor, ME): Despite stepped-up efforts by law enforcement, underage drinking, tobacco and other drug use continues to plague Piscataquis County, according to a recently completed survey. It appears to some that these substances are an accepted use among the county's youth, a mind-set that Mayo Regional Hospital's Counseling Program and the Piscataquis Public Health Council hope to change. The two organizations have joined efforts to look at the problem and find solutions. "How to translate what we know about the problem and what we know about possible solutions to that and make a difference is a very difficult thing to get one's arms around," Tom Lizotte, Mayo Regional Hospital's director of marketing and development, said Thursday. What the local organizations have learned is that adult role modeling is key to changing attitudes, but they have found that some adults are reluctant to help, according to Lizotte. The hospital's counseling program has approached community residents to serve as role models, but have found few takers, he said. In a recent survey done funded by Maine's Office of Substance Abuse, seven out of nine residents interviewed in Piscataquis County said that underage drinking is a serious problem, and eight out of nine people said that youth tobacco use is a serious problem. Some suggestions made by those who participated in the survey to help prevent alcohol and tobacco use by youth included confronting people about their behavior, creating stronger consequences for people who provide alcohol to youth, stricter enforcement and that children need to be taught to be reflective and analytical of personal behavior.

WebMD: Cognitive behavioral therapy helps children and teens suffering from anxiety disorders. That's the judgment of a Cochrane review, widely considered the gold-standard rating system for medical treatments. Cochrane reviews evaluate whether clinical studies provide enough first-rate evidence to say a treatment truly works. Cognitive behavioral therapy -- or CBT -- is a brief form of psychotherapy. Using specific, step-by-step techniques, it teaches patients skill sets that allow them to change the ways they think and act. CBT treatments for anxiety, for example, teach patients skills to help them deal with anxiety-provoking situations. Patients are then gradually exposed -- either in imagination or in real life -- to the things that make them anxious or fearful. Psychiatrist Anthony James, MD, senior lecturer at the University of Oxford in England, and colleagues analyzed 13 clinical studies of CBT in children and teens with mild-to-moderate anxiety disorders. The results: (1) 56% of children and teens got better, vs. 28% of kids in untreated groups, (2) Children and teens treated with CBT averaged 58% fewer symptoms of anxiety, (3) Three kids must be treated with CBT to cure one case of anxiety disorder. "Cognitive-behavioral therapy does work for children with anxiety disorders. It probably compares favorably with the effects of drug treatment. CBT probably should be offered as a first-line treatment where therapists are available to deliver it."

National Institute of Mental Health Press Release (Bethesda, MD): In the U.S., Latinos are the largest ethnic minority -- a population of over 40 million. Of this group, 40 percent reported that Spanish is their preferred language, according to a report by the Surgeon General. The new Real Men Real Depression materials were created to help Spanish-speaking people across the country and from all over the world to understand more about depression, a serious illness. "Depression and other mood disorders cross all national, cultural, ethnic, and gender boundaries. NIMH developed Real Men Real Depression to inform the nation that depression can strike men just as it can strike women. Lack of awareness about depression is a serious concern in the Latino community. Through these new materials we hope to teach Latino men that depression is a medical condition that affects both the mind and the body, but there is hope," said Thomas R. Insel, M.D., director, NIMH. "Effective treatments are available and the success rate is very high for people who seek help and remain in treatment." According to the National Latino and Asian American study, 54 percent of Latino men with at least one episode of major depression in their lifetime do not recognize having a mental health problem. Latinos also report reluctance to getting treatment for depression. Latino men are afraid that seeking treatment will endanger their jobs. However, there is no evidence to show that people do lose their jobs once they go into treatment. In fact, treatment may be essential to improve work performance.

ABCNews (Australia): The New South Wales Government has allocated extra funding to the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council. Health Minister John Hatzistergos says the organization will be given an additional $750,000 towards research into the particular issues facing the Aboriginal community. He says that the funding will help provide appropriate services for treating mental health problems. "We know that Aboriginal people see a higher rate of distressing experiences such as serious illness, deaths in families and unemployment," he said. "There is a need to ensure that when treating Aboriginal people that cultural differences are taken into account and that mainstream services are culturally sensitive."

Birmingham News (Birmingham, AL): Suicide takes more than 30,000 lives a year in the United States, twice as many as AIDS. Worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, suicide kills more people than war and homicide combined. The tragedy in those numbers, experts say, is that most suicide deaths are preventable. An estimated 90 percent of victims suffer from mental illness, and "mental illness is treatable," said Michael Fitzpatrick, executive director of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. But three years ago, the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, appointed by President Bush, concluded that mental illness was under-recognized as a health threat and that the mental health care system was "in chaos." "The system is not oriented to the single most important goal of the people it serves - the hope of recovery," the commission found. One problem is a worsening shortage of medical professionals specializing in mental health care. Hospital space is also in short supply. Administrators blame managed care, which sets reimbursement limits for treatment. Since psychiatric care is complicated, it often requires more time than HMOs allow. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the surgeon general have developed the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, which outlines ways to improve mental health care and reduce suicide. The bill provides money to schools and grass-roots groups trying to reduce youth suicide and mental health problems. It is in schools, mental health officials say, that they have the best chance of identifying at-risk kids and steering them to help.

San Francisco Chronicle (San Francisco, CA): Federal drug regulators have agreed to consider allowing a Pennsylvania company to sell the first rapid at-home HIV test. It would make testing for the virus about as easy and accessible as a pregnancy screen. The move could put to rest 18 years of controversy. Officials at the Food and Drug Administration and AIDS patient advocates long worried that people who received an HIV-positive diagnosis would panic and even consider suicide. So for years, federal drug officials have insisted that counseling and professional support accompany HIV tests. This requirement has complicated proposals for at-home tests. But improved medicines now mean that AIDS can be viewed as a chronic disease, often manageable for years. As a result, the fear that a diagnosis might lead to thoughts of suicide has subsided. Having tried many other strategies, federal health officials are now increasingly open to the idea that an at-home HIV test could finally prompt thousands to change their behavior and stop infecting others. "If we're going to win the war against AIDS, we need to make HIV testing as easy as pregnancy testing," said Dr. Freya Spielberg, a researcher in the Center for AIDS Research at the University of Washington.

Show notes: Ever wonder how to live in the Now? Find out how. And in Polk County School District, the focus is on addressing peer pressure. Meanwhile, the Toledo Catholic Diocese was accused of failing to live up to its promises this week. And students at Highland Acres in North Dakota learn a valuable lesson from Police Youth Bureau liaison Travis Rau. Plus, this week's featured "Website of the Week".

Canton Journal (Needham, MA): Elders who are alone at a nursing home can find a wonderful new companion - a dog. Beyond relieving depression and loneliness, medical tests have proved petting a dog reduces a person's blood pressure. "I like you very much. I like the dog, oh yeah. You come back again," said a Greek woman who couldn't stop chuckling. Buddy kissed her on the nose. Yet just 10 years ago, almost no nursing home allowed animals in. Now, after hospitals have documented the emotional and physical benefits, about half of them in the U.S. and Canada have some kind of pet therapy program. Not just any dog can nose its way into the noble career, however. Evaluators at registries around the country assess their suitability to the work over three weeks. After passing a Canine Good Citizen Test, the evaluator then accompanies the dog and handler on a few nursing home visits. Therapy Dogs International was the founding group. TDI has 14,000 dogs and about 11,000 volunteers available to visit disaster sites, domestic abuse centers, prisons and special ed classes as well as nursing homes. Chickens, birds, rabbits, cats, even potbellied pigs have made nursing home visits, but dogs are the most common and favored helpers.

WBAY-TV (Green Bay, WI): Just this week the state legislature passed a bill to make huffing illegal. Huffing is when someone gets high off the vapors of household products like markers or aerosol cans. It was named after Aaron Wake, a Door County man who died huffing butane. Wake's picture is on his sister's mantle in Ephraim. For her, having lawmakers recognize huffing is a serious problem is a big step. "We're thrilled that the bill went forward and that people find it important for us to be able to regulate the inhalant abuse that's going on in our state and in our country, but Aaron's not around," said Amie Kissel, Aaron's sister. "The goal of the law is to help the police, so if they catch someone inhaling, they actually have the authority to do something about it, or at the very least, tell the parents." "They had no recourse. When they would find kids inhaling, what they would find is that they had no recourse to go to the parents, or to do anything about it because it wasn't illegal," said Kissel. The bill passed unanimously in Madison and is headed for the governor's desk.

Palm Beach Post (Palm Beach, FL): Karen Sharp has listened to her daughter and her daughter's friends talk about their problems. She knows it's important that teens have someone teach them about issues such as suicide prevention, depression and dependency. And she knows it's important for someone to listen to those concerns. "I have met many teenagers who are unwilling or unable to go to their parents," said Sharp, of suburban Delray Beach. "They need to have resources where they feel safe... Teens are aware they can go to Planned Parenthood to get birth control without a parent knowing, but they don't know how they can get mental health assistance." Sharp's daughter is a member of the community service council for Boca Raton's Promise — the Alliance for Youth, which is starting a mental health alliance. The group is hoping the alliance will make resources such as counselors more accessible to teens by working with the Mental Health Association and nearly 50 other organizations. The mental health alliance plan calls for school-based teams to uncover the needs of the community's youth and provide resources. It also outlines the need for the nonprofit to hire a youth health program coordinator, and expand its community service council to create a youth development program.

Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, ND): Members of the community joined hands Monday, stretching all the way across the front and around either side of the Grand Forks County Office Building. It was their way of honoring the unique struggles and achievements of people with mental health disorders around the world. The "Hands of Hope" rally also serves to reduce commonly held misconceptions about mental illness. Keynote speaker Dr. Steven Hill is a clinical associate professor of neuroscience at the UND School of Medicine and a psychiatrist at the Northeast Human Service Center. He pointed out that people with mental illnesses look no different than anyone else. He encouraged mental health providers to allow their patients to have a say in their treatment, and for agencies and the public to work together so people with mental illnesses can achieve their goals and dreams. More than 54 million Americans, or 20 percent of the general population, experience symptoms of a mental disorder in any given year, according to a 1999 Surgeon General's report on Mental Health.

Daily Mail (UK): Scottish Mental Health week gets under way with a new report on the role played by the arts in combating the problem. The publication celebrates the work being done by artists to challenge the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental ill health. It will be launched in Dundee by local arts and mental health group Luna. Culture minister Patricia Ferguson and deputy health minister Lewis Macdonald also joined forces to highlight the role artists and industry organizations have in improving mental health. The Scottish Executive-backed report will reveal projects ranging from a mobile galley space touring Scotland to a work by an elderly, long-term psychiatric patient at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital which ended up as a film. Ms Ferguson said: "These projects are both inspirational and challenging - proving that art can make important statements and bring communities closer together." Mr. Macdonald added: "If we are to achieve a mentally healthy Scotland, we need to use every means we have to support and improve mental health and well-being.

PRNewswire (Cheshire, England): Most people with bipolar disorder believe that successful treatment would significantly improve their quality of life and that treatment satisfaction is achieved by efficacy and tolerability, according to final results from the large scale Thinking Ahead survey. The survey conducted in eight countries revealed that bipolar disorder had a major negative impact on sufferers' lives and that of their family and friends. The final survey data were announced today to commemorate the 13th World Mental Health Day (WMHD) and to raise public awareness of the impact of this under-diagnosed condition. Each year the WMHD is drawing attention to the often neglected issues of mental health. This year the campaign is dedicated to emphasize the link between mental and physical health across the life span. The Thinking Ahead global survey is highly relevant to illustrate this topic as bipolar disorder can be a serious condition that frequently begins in late adolescence or early adulthood and lasts the entire life. “The public has to understand more about mental disorders such as bipolar disorder. People with bipolar disorder deserve the best possible treatment allowing them to enjoy life to the fullest,� said Dr Jamie Mullen, MD, Senior Director Clinical Research, AstraZeneca. It has been estimated that bipolar disorder affects between 0.3 percent and 3.7 percent of people. Up to half of the people with bipolar disorder may undertake at least one suicide attempt. Bipolar disorder is frequently treated with a combination of drugs, including antipsychotics such as seroquel.

Show Notes: Love In Action is at it again! And in Ohio, some schools will be starting a new mental health program. Meanwhile, in Wisconsin the talk is about cuts in school counseling. Finally, learn about a new form of therapy--brain music therapy. And find out this week's Bookmark of the Week!

Guernsey Weekly Press (Vale, Guernsey, UK): MENTAL health services are in such a critical state locally that ‘a tragedy is waiting to happen’, doctors have warned. One family has already linked a lack of continuous psychiatric care with the suicide of a relative, said GP Chris Monkhouse, president of the local branch of the British Medical Association. In an unprecedented move, the doctors’ group has written to every States deputy expressing its ‘extreme concern’ at the state of psychiatric services, hoping this will lead to ‘investigation and action’. The key problem is the long-term lack of full-time psychiatric consultants to run the service and a reliance on locums, said Dr Monkhouse. The BMA is also worried about standards of care and Dr Monkhouse said he was aware that the family of a suicide case felt they were let down by the mental health service. Public-Sector Remuneration Committee chairman Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq said that he expected the dispute to be settled by an industrial tribunal. He claimed that the doctors were using the problems of the psychiatric service as a smokescreen for negotiating better contracts for themselves.

Brisbane Courier-Mail (Queensland, Australia): A surge in childhood autism is forcing some Australian parents to mortgage their homes and seek early access to superannuation to pay up to $60,000 a year for therapy they say can work miracles - but which governments won't pay for. Sydney accountant Sam Lo Ricco will spend about $50,000 this year on therapy for his four-year-old son James, convinced Applied Behavioral Analysis is giving the boy a chance at a more normal life. While no national register is kept, experts say the number of autism diagnoses in the past decade has leapt tenfold, with about 2000 new cases a year. Parents lobby group A4, using Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, say there are now more than 20,000 children under 15 with autism-related disorders. A4 argues that the once-rare condition hits about 1.2 per cent of boys and 0.4 per cent of girls aged 10-14. But few parents have the money to pay for the ABA or other intensive therapies some doctors say can significantly reduce the communication, social and intellectual disabilities if applied for up to 20 hours a week in preschool years.

Newswire (Press Release): The last child in the house has left for college and you are now alone with your partner, or all by yourself. What can you do to make this transition as successful as possible? St. Lawrence University Director of Counseling Services Bill Burns has advice and tips for parents struggling with an "empty nest.": (1) Realize that a change has occurred and that you are probably going to have feelings to deal with that you have not had in the past, (2) Recognize that having strong feelings about your child's leaving home are normal - allow yourself to feel whatever emotions arise, (3) Talk to someone about your feelings, (4) Single parents may feel especially alone. Plan on having someone to lean on for a few weeks, (5) Take care of yourself. Develop a "wellness" goal, (6) Find a new creative outlet for yourself, (7) If you have been putting off dealing with problems in your marriage until the children left home, start dealing with these problems now and (8) Finally, if after several months you are still feeling unhappy, anxious, and not able to do things up to your normal standards - it might be time to seek professional help. Talking about your feelings with a mental health professional could be just what you need to move on to a happy and successful future.

Not sure what happened with the site, but I'm just now able to log in and post today's entry: Mental Health Changes Become Law BBC News (World Edition): A new law has come into force aimed at improving the care of thousands of people with mental health problems. The Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Scotland Act replaces legislation which dated back to the days when people were locked up in asylums. Its legal framework, which is designed to put the patient first, will place greater demands on the NHS. The British Medical Association said it was the most fundamental change in mental health law in 40 years. Psychiatric care has been considered under-resourced compared to other parts of the NHS. New rights and safeguards include measures which will prevent children from being admitted to adult psychiatric wards. Patients will have the right to ask for an independent advocate, who will make sure the right decisions are made if they are ill and cannot speak for themselves. The act will also allow patients who are sectioned - but who pose no risk to others - to be treated in the community, rather than having to go to hospital. "From today onwards, people experiencing mental health problems, their careers and families will benefit from legislation which offers them more rights and greater protections," said Deputy Health Minister Lewis Macdonald.

Wellesley Hills, MA: Hundreds of facilities in areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will offer residents and evacuees free mental health screenings on Thursday, October 6. The NDSD/Mental Health Screening program (National Depression Screening Day), in its 15th year, is a nationwide outreach that provides screening, referral, and education about depression, PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder and bipolar disorder. There are more than 600 screening sites in Hurricane affected states and thousands more across the nation. Those interested in participating in the free screening event on October 6th can find a nearby site by visiting http://www.MentalHealthScreening.org.

National Mental Health Association (Press Release): The Food and Drug Administration is warning that a study has suggested that the antidepressant Paxil may be associated with birth defects. Paxil's manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, said it will include the results of the study in the drug's list of precautions. A retrospective study found increased numbers of babies born with birth defects to women who were taking Paxil during the first trimester of pregnancy, as compared with women on other antidepressants, according to the FDA and the company. This included an increase in heart defects, according to a letter from GlaxoSmithKline to health care professionals. Doctors are advised "to carefully weigh the potential risks and benefits of using paroxetine therapy in women during pregnancy. It is recommended that health care providers discuss these latest findings ... as well as treatment alternatives, with their patients," GlaxoSmithKline said. Based on the study, the company said it has not concluded there exists a definite, causal link between the drug and the increased incidence of birth defects. GlaxoSmithKline cited another survey of births that it said does not note a comparable increase.

The American Journal Of Psychiatry: (October 2005): OBJECTIVE: Time-limited manualized dynamic psychotherapy was compared with community-delivered psychodynamic therapy for outpatients with personality disorders. METHOD: In a stratified randomized clinical trial, 156 patients with any personality disorder diagnosis were randomly assigned either to 40 sessions of supportive-expressive psychotherapy (N=80) or to community-delivered psychodynamic therapy (N=76). Assessments were made at intake and 1 and 2 years after intake. Patients were recruited consecutively from two community mental health centers (CMHCs), assessed with the Structural Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Personality Disorders, and included if they had a diagnosis of any DSM-IV personality disorder. The outcome measures included the presence of a personality disorder diagnosis, personality disorder severity index, level of psychiatric symptoms (SCL-90), Global Assessment of Functioning Scale score, and number of therapy sessions. General mixed-model analysis of variance was used to assess group and time effects. RESULTS: In both treatment conditions, the global level of functioning improved while there were decreases in the prevalence of patients fulfilling criteria for a personality disorder diagnosis, personality disorder severity, and psychiatric symptoms. There was no difference in effect between treatments. During the follow-up period, patients who received supportive-expressive psychotherapy made significantly fewer visits to the CMHCs than the patients who received community-delivered psychodynamic therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Manualized supportive-expressive psychotherapy was as effective as nonmanualized community-delivered psychodynamic therapy conducted by experienced dynamic clinicians.

Shownotes: Allegations against New York teachers have doubled over the past five years. Why? And is new age medicine an effective form of treatment for drug abuse? Educators: listen up! Is it important to invite parents into the classroom? Finally, a new feature to the podcast--Bookmark of the Week! Enjoy the podcast.

The New Hampshire (Durham, NH): People say college is supposed to be "the time of your life." You make friendships that last a lifetime, and have the freedom to do whatever you want. But for many, adjusting to college life can be difficult. Many students are left feeling stressed, anxious, disconnected and alone: 1) Have you lost pleasure in things you used to enjoy? 2) Do you have trouble sleeping or eating? 3) Does your mood fluctuate between overly "high" to sad and hopeless? 4) Are you keyed up and anxious all the time? and 5) Are you having nightmares about something that happened in the past? In order to help students cope, the UNH Counseling Center is offering screenings for a range of common emotional concerns that often go undiagnosed and are misunderstood. If you are feeling sad and angry, weepy and tired, can't stop worrying, are having nightmares, yo-yo between being elated and being down, or know someone who is, National Depression Screening Day (NDSD) can help you figure out what is going on. "Students need to understand that depression and anxiety are not character flaws or personal weaknesses. They are highly responsive to treatment. If you have not been feeling like yourself lately, you should come and take a free, confidential screening," said Linda Guttman, clinical director of the Counseling Center.

Mainichi Daily News (Niigata, Japan): The number of elementary and junior high school students who still require counseling for the mental stress they suffered following last October's Niigata-Chuetsu Earthquake remains practically the same as the number of children who received counseling the month after the quake, it has been learned. A survey conducted by the Niigata Prefectural Board of Education found 1,150 children still needed counseling, almost as many as the 1,214 who received counseling in November last year. The survey questioned about 72,000 students from 322 elementary schools and junior high schools, and asked their families to describe their behavior at home. Education officials found that 951 elementary school students and 199 junior high school students -- a total of 1,150 -- needed counseling, with some parents saying that their children did not seem to be able to sleep well at night or had become more uptight.

Times Online (UK): Children with depression are too often given pills rather than psychological treatments, according to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Every year 40,000 children and adolescents in Britain are prescribed some form of anti-depressant, but only half of them get the chance of “talking therapies�, which have been shown to be effective. In a new guideline, NICE insists that all should be offered some form of psychological treatment, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, as a first-line treatment. About one child in ten suffers from some form of mental illness. Pills are the easiest treatment to prescribe and are often effective, but the message from NICE is that they should not be given as a first-stop remedy.

Slidell Sentry News (Slidell, LA): Shirleen Carter, executive director for the United Way serving St. Tammany Parish, said anyone who is frustrated and does not know where to turn to find the resources needed to get through this disaster, can call 2-1-1 on a landline or 1-800-749-2673 on a cell phone. She said within 30 seconds you will be on the line with a 211 United Way professional or a crisis counseling intervention counselor. These people are trained to help individuals think things through and address their issues. Carter said United Way could provide you with the resources and contacts through the state that you need to start putting your life back in order. The United Way office at 325 North New Hampshire St. in Covington is also open.

ABC News (Australia): A Senate inquiry sitting in Adelaide today is expected to hear that mental illness at the Baxter detention center has contributed to South Australia's mental health system being Australia's worst. The seven-month inquiry was set up to examine the National Mental Health Strategy, and follows the sitting of the Senate inquiry into immigration laws and the adequacy of mental health services in detention centers in Adelaide yesterday. Submissions have highlighted inadequate mental health services concerning Baxter, and South Australian prisons, as well as problems with short-term supported accommodation. Democrats' leader and inquiry chairwoman Lyn Allison says submissions so far also suggest a deterioration in mental health services in the state and a reduction in psychiatric beds. "Because South Australia has so many detainees at Baxter, that'll be quite a focus of our attention," she said. "And what we do know is that's less than helpful. "In fact it's very damaging to people who have serious mental illness."

2 The Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA): You've had two or three or 10 family members living with you since Hurricane Katrina sent them packing. You may have been a close family before, but now you're really close! Sharing close quarters when you're used to your own space can be stress-inducing, for both the guests and the hosts. "We know it's happening because we're seeing it with our own staff members who have family living with them," said Butch Robicheaux, a social worker and clinical director of the Child and Family Counseling Center, a program of Family Service of Greater Baton Rouge. To help deal with some of those tensions, Family Service is offering a Saturday morning support group. "We wanted to give people a place where they could go and talk about things that are bothering them," said Robicheaux. If you can't make it to the meeting, Robicheaux offered these tips for getting by: * Eliminate the guest-host concept. No one should expect or be expected to provide maid service. * Have a family meeting to divvy up duties and responsibilities. "You have to be organized to make this work," said Robicheaux. * Establish psychological or emotional space. "Most people are used to having space, you know, time to unwind at the end of the day," said Robicheaux. "It's important to maintain that psychological or emotional space." He suggested that families should go in opposite directions at times to give themselves breaks from each other. "Or maybe you establish a 'quiet zone' for 30 minutes each day, and tell the kids that that's the time to calm things down," said Robicheaux.

Show Notes: Pet therapy comes to two Wisconsin hospitals. How effective is this form of therapy? Over in Ireland, psychiatrists are calling for major improvements...why? Also, an Indiana family sues their school district over a matter of consent. And how many of you have ever heard of 'Dignity Therapy'? Finally, bullying takes center stage in Massachusetts.

Sonoma Index Tribune (Sonoma, CA): Sonoma Valley Unified School District trustees on Tuesday unanimously passed the district's revised 2005-06 school budget. While additional reductions weren't necessary, what hasn't changed are trustees' original round of $500,000 in cuts from spring. That means the elimination of sports, library hours and co-curricular clubs from the district's budget still holds; nothing has been restored unless parent groups have raised the green themselves - as has been the case with high school and middle school sports. Because it ended up with a staggering deficit at the end of 2004-05, the district was also required by the county to pass a positive "multiyear projection" - proving that it could tentatively balance its budget for the next two years based on rough spending and revenue projections. And in a district facing rising costs, fewer state resources and declining enrollment, balancing meant cutting. The cuts laid out for 2006-07 and 2007-08 are not set in stone, but they're an indication of what's to come if the district does not find new sources of revenue or a way to solve - or at least mitigate - its long-term fiscal woes. The next two years' budgets could include reducing elementary school counseling, a teacher, a district management position and books and supply funds.

Aberdeen American News (Aberdeen, SD): A South Dakota panel studying abortion heard Thursday from experts on both sides of the issue who disagreed sharply on whether women get enough information before abortions and whether they make voluntary decisions to have abortions. Vincent Rue of the Institute for Pregnancy Loss in Jacksonville, Fla., said women are often under stress when they decide to get abortions and many report that they wish they had received more information before making that decision. Women also need time to evaluate the information before deciding whether they should have an abortion, he said. "If an abortion decision is not voluntary, consent is not possible." Rue said women often feel pressured to have abortions from family members and others, and they are under pressure to make a decision quickly. Rue recommended that states impose a longer waiting period between the time women receive information and the performance of an abortion, better screening to determine which women are at risk of having physical or psychological problems from abortions, and tailoring some information to teenagers. Laws also should require that clinics report if women seeking abortions have been victims of abuse, give more information to women about the options of childbirth and adoption, and do a better job of determining whether women seeking abortions have been victims of abuse.

Press Release (Baton Rouge, LA): Individuals and families who need help recovering from the trauma of Hurricane Katrina can get free counseling by calling any one of the following toll-free, helpline numbers: 1-800-273-8255, 1-866-615-8700 and 1-888-622-6470. The local Baton Rouge crisis line number is ( 225 ) 924-3900. All of the crisis lines operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When a person calls one of the helplines, a crisis counseling representative will provide the needed assistance. Individuals are eligible for crisis counseling services if they were in the disaster area at the time of Hurricane Katrina. The crisis counseling program is funded by FEMA and administered by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Office of Mental Health.

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock, AR): The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has received a five-year, $4.5 million grant to study the use of a computer program to counsel patients addicted to heroin or painkillers. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) grant continues research that examines standard addiction-counseling therapies developed into 49 computer modules. The program would take the patients’ responses and work it into a plan for avoiding those situations in the future. The computerized counseling program works in conjunction with medication. The question researchers hope to answer is whether the computerized counseling is as effective as a human counselor. The data so far indicate it is. The results from the first four years of the study show that therapy delivered through a computer is comparable to counseling with a person. The two produced about the same level of drug-free urine tests. People can be more candid about sensitive issues such as intravenous drug use when they’re being questioned by a computer incapable of judging them. The therapy could be most useful in rural areas, where fewer counselors typically practice. The computer program also saves counselors time and energy for more complex therapy. Counselors, at times, can get frustrated with a patient. "That’s the one great thing about the computer program. It never gets tired, and it’s going to keep on asking the questions." The research will also study the effectiveness of nonmonetary incentives, such as fewer clinic visits, for staying drug-free.

Boston Globe (NEWINGTON, NH): Members of a congressional committee say New Hampshire is setting the standard for helping National Guard troops return to civilian life after coming home from war. Members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee met Monday at the Pease Air National Guard base in Newington to talk about programs designed to help National Guard troops returning from Iraq, Afghanistan and Hurricane Katrina disaster relief. "The New Hampshire's National Guard Bureau's transition program has helped many guardsmen and reservists from the Granite State readjust seamlessly. Their effective program serves as an exceptional model for other states to follow," said Rep. John Boozman, R-Arkansas, chairman of the subcommittee holding the hearing. Under the program, soldiers go through three to five days of processing at bases out of state before returning home. There, they take part in a series of workshops discussing benefits and counseling. They also attend classes on stress, career placement and other issues. More than 800 Guard personnel have taken part in the program. "We are not suggesting that we have found the magic pill to eliminate post-traumatic stress syndrome and other issues of war, but we are aggressively educating and encouraging soldiers who struggle to reach out early for support," N.H. Guard Col. Deborah Carter told the committee. "We believe early mandatory counseling ... is the most profound way we are assisting soldiers upon reentry. It's about early intervention," she said.

News 8 Austin (Austin, TX): Quitting smoking is hard enough with help, but doing it alone can be a nightmare. That's why the American Cancer Society has a whole range of services to help smokers quit and stay that way, including the Austin-based Quitline. "We provide an array of services. With the Quitline, you can either receive self-help materials, individual telephone counseling, or we can provide you with information about resources that are happening in your community," program manager Kenya Johnson said. Counselors say people who opt for the counseling double their chances at succeeding. Sessions are scheduled and can range from a half-an-hour to an hour or more - whatever the client needs. "Everything is confidential. You would talk with a Quitline counselor. They will work with you on quit tips, you guys would set a quit date, and they would prepare you for that and provide you with maintenance to carry you through so you're successful in your quit attempt," Johnson said. The Quitline is about five years old and is staffed by qualified counselors who only want to help smokers beat their addiction.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee, WI): One relocated family from New Orleans signed two daughters up at Milwaukee's Hopkins Street Elementary School only to leave an hour into the first day after the second-grader broke down in class. At Messmer High School, an administrator tried to re-create the destroyed transcript of another evacuee, a senior who showed up last week at the school's doorstep with his mother. And Dorothy Smith realized she should find counseling and health services for her granddaughter, a displaced high school student who had fainted and showed other signs of stress after a weeklong ordeal getting from New Orleans to Milwaukee. For the dozens of evacuees who have enrolled their children in Milwaukee area schools, the challenges range from psychological to logistical, and are just beginning to become evident. "To be honest, I think a lot of them are still in shock," said Carolyn Parkinson, homeless coordinator for Milwaukee Public Schools. Parkinson has overseen the enrollment of about 60 new MPS students at a booth at State Fair Park. "It's kind of a fragile situation," said Maurice Turner, the principal at Hopkins. He said the family with two daughters is staying with a relative who sends her own children to Hopkins and loves the school. When the parents signed up the girls - a second-grader and a fourth-grader - the school gave them brand-new backpacks and school supplies. "The girls were very happy," Turner said. "The family was all smiles." Last Tuesday, the school staff and teachers introduced the girls as new students, but were careful not to delve into their recent history and experiences in detail. "When the children are willing to open up and share experiences with other children and staff, then they will do that," Turner said. But the second-grader dissolved after an hour, prompting school officials to call her parents. The family hasn't been back since picking up the girls on Tuesday morning. "The plan is to have them meet with school counselors and psychologists to provide them with the support that they obviously need," Turner said.

Show Notes: Torrance State Hospital hosts a Behavioral Health Leadership Forum. Hear what the buzz around it is. And what are schools doing to address the needs of the student body when a former student dies? Finally, Sterling High educates their Freshmen in an innovative way. Stay tuned.

Casper Star Tribune (Casper, WY): Suicide is a problem crossing all demographic lines, a recent study by the Natrona County Suicide Prevention Coalition has found. Of the 76 people who took their lives in the county between 2000 and 2004, most were male, supporting the claim that men are more likely to succeed in committing suicide because they choose more lethal means. The vast majority of local suicides were committed with a gun, followed by hanging and overdose. Suicide also crosses age groups. Despite a heavy emphasis on teen suicide prevention, teens are not the most likely age group to commit suicide, according to the study. Rather, the 36- to 50-year-old demographic has experienced the most suicides in the past four years, followed by two older age groups, then by the 26- to 35-year-old bracket. Teen suicides actually were the least prevalent, accounting for only 4 percent of the self-inflicted deaths among men and 1 percent among women. But the causes of the choice to end one's life remained unclear from the study. The majority of victims did have a history of depression. However, only half had any history of alcohol or drug abuse and half had a history of medical issues. Marital status showed no bearing on the decision -- suicides split evenly among single, married and divorced people. The study came about as an effort to identify who is at risk of committing suicide, a trend in Wyoming that far outpaces the national average.

Juneau Empire (Juneau, AK): Parents and children's advocacy groups are working to bring back hundreds of emotionally disturbed Alaska children who have been shipped outside the state for psychiatric treatment. About 400 Alaska children and teenagers are Outside in residential psychiatric treatment centers, said Mark Haines-Simeon, policy and planning manager with the state Division of Behavioral Health. Some children are stuck in Lower 48 treatment centers because their parents do not know how to find treatment in their home community or get their child back in school. Advocates and parents have helped form a state project called Bring the Kids Home. The number of young people sent out-of-state has already dropped as local agencies step up their efforts and the state pushes for more children to be helped in Alaska, Haines-Simeon said. During the 12 months that ended June 30, 676 Alaska children received treatment in Outside residential psychiatric centers through Medicaid. The year before, the number was 749, he said. State officials say they have worked for the last year and a half on the problem and that they welcome the voices of parents and advocacy groups.

BBC News (UK): Employers should do more to help support workers who are suffering from mental health problems, a study says. The British Occupational Health Research Foundation said counseling could help staff to stay in work. One in four people in the UK develop mental health problems each year, costing the economy £11.6bn in lost working days. Unions said the report was welcome as employers' were doing "very little" to help staff with mental health problems. The report, carried out by the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health on behalf of the research charity, said employers should develop policies to help workers with mental health problems, such as depression, panic attacks and stress. It said supervisors should be contacting employees off work with mental health problems at least once every two weeks, and early interventions should be used as much as possible. And it said cognitive behavioral therapy was particularly effective. Researchers said eight-week courses could make the difference in helping people to stay at work.

Lund University (Sweden): Electroconvulsive therapy, previously known as “electric shock treatment� is a method that can help patients combat severe depressions that no other treatment can alleviate. Lund University researcher Johan Hellsten has now shown in animal experiments that electroconvulsive therapy leads to new generation of nerve cells and blood vessels in precisely those parts of the brain that are affected in patients with depression. This may explain how electroconvulsive therapy makes the disease recede. We now know that a deep depression not only causes patients great suffering but also leads to measurable changes in the brain. It has been shown, for instance, that the hippocampus is smaller in volume in depressed patients. The longer the depression has lasted, the smaller the hippocampus becomes. For several years, Johan Hellsten has studied electroconvulsive therapy in experiments with rats. On the one hand, he has shown that rats exposed to stress hormones evince a reduction in the generation of new nerve cells and, on the other hand, that electroconvulsive therapy can counteract the negative effects of the stress hormone and re-initiate the generation of new nerve cells. Electroconvulsive therapy also increases the production of blood vessel cells and the number of blood vessels in the relevant parts of the brain. “These studies are the first in the world to show increased production of blood vessels in connection with anti-depressive treatment,� says Johan Hellsten. “New knowledge about the positive effects of electroconvulsive therapy can lead to a greater use of the method. But it can also help in the development of new, more effective anti-depressive drugs,� Johan Hellsten asserts.

Las Cruces Sun News (Las Cruces, NM): Communication and adult intervention are crucial to stop bullying before it causes serious problems, experts say. “It can always escalate into something that can be a lot worse,� Rebekah Martinez, Doña Ana Elementary School counselor, said. Diana Del Campo, child development and family life specialist with the New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, said bullying harms the development of the bully and the victim. “It’s not a very useful way of dealing with life,� she said. Neither side of the mistreatment is a good way to relate to people, Del Campo said. A Las Cruces mother said her son with special needs was bullied until, in ninth grade, he attacked the bully. He was diagnosed as suicidal partially because of the mistreatment, she said. The mother did not want herself or her son, now 19, identified because of the counseling he underwent and the suicidal mind set. His mother said she first learned of the bullying in counseling. Her son had been mistreated since elementary school. “In the ninth grade, that’s why he got so fed up with it that he decided to take matters into his own hands,� she said. The mother said the bullying stopped afterward. She said she thinks the fight helped, and both students’ schedules were changed. “After that, things calmed down, and I think my son felt better that he had finally gotten rid of the problem,� she said. An administrator and the counseling helped her son, she said.

Press & Sun Bulletin (Binghamton, NY): In an effort to combat childhood obesity, the Pennsylvania Health Department is requiring school nurses to compute students' body-mass index starting this year with children in kindergarten through fourth grade. Parents will receive letters about the results that will encourage them to share the information with their family physician. "Schools have screened students for height and weight for about 50 years," Health Department spokesman Richard McGarvey said. "They're simply taking what they've already been screening for and calculating the BMI." Pennsylvania joins four other states that already collect BMI data during student growth screenings, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Arkansas, California, Florida and Missouri. "When you have a kindergartner who weighs 80 pounds, that's concerning," said Nancy Alleman, a nurse at one of the test schools, Sylvan Heights Science Charter School in Harrisburg. But Dr. Reginald Washington, a Denver pediatrician who co-chairs an obesity task force for the American Academy of Pediatrics, said the recommended physician consultation is an overly simplistic solution. "If you're a general practitioner, you see patients probably every 10 minutes. It takes about an hour of counseling and evaluation to even begin to do something about obesity," Washington said. "To say, 'Here's a piece of paper and the world will be right' is foolish."

Show Notes: Teen pregnancy is on the uprise. What's being done to address this issue? Also, there's a new approach to treating bipolar disorder, but does it really work? And telephone administration of psychotherapy...does it really help patients with MS suffering from depression? Find-A-Therapist puts the call out. What for...stick around. And finally, what are the barriers to public mental health treatment after a disaster?

Savannah Morning News (Savannah, GA): Suicide affects more people than you realize. But too often families affected by suicide are reluctant to talk about it because they feel ashamed, said Dr. Julia Mikell, 53, of Savannah. Her brother, Roy, died by suicide about two decades ago in Atlanta. He was 26, the fourth of six children. Words can't describe the effect his suicide had on his family. Mikell's mother cried for a year. Her father, who has since died, had to be admitted into a hospital for depression. "A lot of families see it as a personal failure,'' said Mikell, a neurologist and wife of Charles Mikell, a judge for the state Court of Appeals. Today is world suicide prevention day, a time when mental health advocates want people to realize 90 percent of those suicides involve some type of mental illness such as depression and bipolar disorder. It's estimated that people with mood disorders are 12 to 20 times more likely to commit suicide. Each year, more than 30,000 Americans die by suicide. Many more make a suicide attempt. And suicide is on the rise, especially among senior citizens as that population has increased, Aycock said. "With baby boomers, we're seeing more suicides when their loved ones or spouses die,'' Aycock said. She said disasters, such as the devastation along the Gulf Coast, followed by economic problems, may also cause an increase in suicides. ''Financial problems, job loss, prices increasing, people without medical care, loss of homes, those are all going to be major factors,'' Aycock said. "We are going to see some repercussions from that.'' For more information, call the National Suicide Prevention hot line at 1-800-273-TALK.

This week's podcast has been delayed due to circumstances beyond my control but will be up before Sunday night. Thank you for your patience and continued support and G News Central!

Honolulu Advertiser (Honolulu, HI): School counselors still offer one-on-one sessions with students who need individual attention, but these days counselors are just as likely to provide services that will make these sessions less necessary. The current trend in counseling is to prevent problems rather than solve them, said Michele Bernier, a counselor at Kealakehe Elementary School. As a result, many counselors offer guidance programs to help students learn about academic skills, personal/social skills and career awareness in an effort to help the whole school community and improve student achievement. "It's no longer of significant value to the school that we spend a lot of time with individual students to help with personal-social issues," Bernier said. That's not to say that the individual counseling sessions are a thing of the past. For older students, these meetings may help keep their problems from snowballing. For instance, when students reach middle school, they encounter a wide range of social, emotional and personal changes and can be readily influenced by their peers. If they are struggling to cope with these changes, they might not be able to focus on academics, say the counselors at Highlands Intermediate. Bernier said students should seek out a counselor when they feel they need support in academic, personal or social issues, or if they have career concerns.

Mercury News (San Jose, CA): ``Kids are highly influenced by their context,'' said Guy Diamond, associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and lead author of the study, which was discussed for the first time earlier this month at a joint meeting in New York of the American Medical Association and the National PTA. ``Even if it's not the cause, the family context can exacerbate symptoms.'' Enlisting parents can demystify therapy and keep up the child's motivation to change, said Stephen Hinshaw, psychology professor at the University of California-Berkeley. ``The message too often is, families don't have much to do with it,'' Hinshaw said. ``That's simply not true either. Non-optimal parenting might have a lot to do with the long-term outcome of an individual who has a biologically based condition.'' Diamond's study, a review of the past 10 years of research, showed that family-based therapy could help with children's disruptive behavior -- from conduct and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to depression, anxiety and eating disorders. Although the findings may seem intuitive, families are often not included in psychotherapy. Diamond estimates that many treatments fail to embrace the family, although parents are included more than they used to be.

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Milwaukee, WI): Experts estimate that 2 million to 3 million people--or close to 1% of the population--deliberately injure themselves on a regular basis. Lauren C. Solotar, chief psychologist with the May Institute in Massachusetts, said self-injury is about to catch up to eating disorders as a widespread problem among female adolescents. She calls the behavior "parasuicidal" because teens who cut aren't trying to kill themselves. They often are trying to retaliate against people who have hurt them. And for teens, sometimes physical pain is easier to cope with than emotional pain. For more information, check out www.selfinjury.com.

Fort Worth Star Telegram (Fort Worth, TX): The parents of an estimated 125,000 New Orleans children are fanning out across Louisiana and other states, trying to find new homes and enroll their children in school. As those schools absorb all the students, many of them are also hiring New Orleans' displaced teachers and school administrators. The rush is on for everything from school uniforms to pencils. Principals are lugging furniture and offering hugs and tears to the homeless. Last week's teachers are this week's social workers, as Katrina strains schools in at least seven states. "Last night, we were movers," said Lynn Barnes, the principal at Briarmeadow Charter School in Houston, a city where 8,000 Louisiana students are expected. "Parents and teachers were taking trundle beds and tables up three flights of stairs. A family had walked into our door with a 2-month-old, a first-grader, a second-grader, Mom and Dad and nothing else." Tens of thousands are expected to register in Louisiana schools beyond Katrina's reach and thousands more in other Gulf Coast states. Houston officials said 557 students had enrolled in just two days. By Friday, 1,000 children had shown up in Shreveport, La. Louisiana Department of Education officials are urging all state school districts to register students as quickly as they can, said Meg Casper, the director of communications. They're also asking districts to hire all teachers and support staff who seek shelter in their areas.

Cherry Hill, NJ: The surge in the popularity of poker among young people also has a downside. More and more young people are calling gambling helplines, turning up in gamblers anonymous meetings and seeking help at high school and college counseling centers. Both gambling experts and child advocates are wary of this poker phenomenon, and they worry about the future effects it will have on the individuals and society as a whole. "Kids playing poker is like kids playing with loaded guns because one in 10 will not be able to get up," said Jennifer McCausland, whose Second Chance Washington foundation promotes legislation to secure permanent funding for treatment and prevention of problem gambling. "The country is not equipped for the addictions that are going to follow this." Local high schools are trying to help prevent possible addictions from spreading. "Our stance is very simple," said John O'Breza, the Cherry Hill High School East principal. "This is a place for study and poker is not part of the culture at East. It's not appropriate and not permitted." Ed Looney, the executive director of The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ), said his agency's rule of thumb is 80 percent of all gamblers will have no problems, 15 percent will have some type of problems and 5 percent will become compulsive gamblers. McCausland and others are concerned because if you multiply Looney's 5 percent figure by the astounding increase in poker players in recent years, especially among young people, the number of potential compulsive gamblers is significant. Dr. Greg Nicholls, who directs the counseling center at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, said he observed "a sudden spike" last semester in calls and visits to his office relating to poker. Gambling is a serious addiction and every problem gambler starts as a social gambler.

New Orleans, LA: The American Red Cross, in recognition that catastrophes also leave mental and emotional damage in their wake, is coordinating and deploying psychiatrists, psychologists, and mental health counselors to storm-ravaged areas of the Gulf Coast. For the survivors, mental and emotional responses to a disaster usually come in waves, beginning with the so-called "adrenaline rush". "People are on overload and are in this basic survival mode for the first day or two or three, but after that, when things are getting worse or not changing, people begin to come to terms with the idea that everything's gone," said Edmund Neuhaus, Ph.D., director of the Behavioral Health Partial Hospital Program at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass. "Then there's major loss, the horror of the current situation, and total uncertainty about the future." Traumatic events -- natural disasters, accidents, terrorist attacks -- can cause in their aftermath horror, helplessness, and fear of serious injury or death. According to the CDC, traumatic events can manifest in cognitive, emotional, physical and behavioral realms. Cognitive problems may include confusion, disorientation, indecisiveness, shortened attention spans and memory loss. Emotional responses may include shock, numbness, feelings of being lost or overwhelmed, or a feeling of abandonment. Trauma survivors may experience nausea, dizziness, a rapid heart rate, gastrointestinal distress, poor sleep, hyperarousal, or jumpiness. The emotional aspects of trauma can manifest as suspicion, irritability, argumentativeness, withdrawal, appetite changes, and increased drug and alcohol use or abuse. The road to recovery often begins by letting victims talk about the event, share their thoughts, and discuss their reactions when they feel ready and able to do so, mental health experts say. People need to tell their stories, and clinicians need to validate the emotional reactions of patients, with the understanding that some may be very angry at their situation.

Alexandria, VA: The National Mental Health Association (NMHA) encourages Americans to cope with the stress and anxiety related to Hurricane Katrina by employing the following tips: (1) Cut back on watching TV, especially programs that show ongoing images, (2) Get plenty of rest and exercise. Eat properly, (3) If you feel overwhelmed, talk with someone or ask for help, (4) Don't compare yourself to others. We all react differently to disasters, (5) If you have children, encourage them to discuss their concerns and feelings with you and (6) If you have feelings that won't go away, seek professional help. "Everyone will react uniquely to the devastating impact of Katrina on our southern states," said Michael Faenza, MSSW, president and CEO of NMHA. "Anxiety and trauma levels vary widely, but no one should soldier through this alone. There are supports available - within one's family, in the community or from professionals."

Psychology Today: One classroom, or two? That's the question facing elementary schools and the parents of twins. Educators long thought same-age siblings needed to learn right away to navigate school as individuals, without relying on, or retreating to, their other half. "The thinking was that twins needed to be separated to expand their social horizons," says Stan Varner, principal of 300 youngsters at Laurence J. Daly Elementary School in Fayette, Missouri. But that's not sitting well with today's parents, who are challenging whether schools know what is best. Parents in Oklahoma, Quebec and, most recently, Minnesota, have fought to allow their kids to be taught together in the same classroom. Nancy Segal, a California State University at Fullerton psychologist says there's no hard data to support the argument that twins will flourish as individuals only if they are schooled apart. Segal points to studies that show children entering school for the first time adjust better if they go with a friend. Separating twins -- if they don't want to be separated -- puts an added burden on twins, who, like other kids, are also adjusting to separation from their parents. "It's extra tough on twins emotionally if you separate them," says Segal.

Newswise Press Release (UT): Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy, a treatment recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment-resistant depression, produced a positive response in more than 25 percent of patients in a national, yearlong study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center psychiatrists. Sixteen percent to 20 percent of the study group experienced total remission. Results of the study, led by Dr. A. John Rush, vice chairman for research in psychiatry at UT Southwestern, appear in the September issue of Biological Psychiatry. VNS therapy, which the FDA approved for treatment of epileptic seizures in 1997 and for depression in July, has been studied in clinical trials for treatment-resistant depression since 1998. VNS therapy includes surgical implantation of a small battery-operated pulse generator – similar to a pacemaker – in a patient’s left upper chest. Thin, flexible wires from the device are tunneled into the neck and send mild, intermittent pulses to the neck’s left vagus nerve. The vagus nerve in turn delivers these pulses about every five minutes to the areas of the brain involved in the regulation of mood, motivation, sleep, appetite and other symptoms relevant to depression. VNS therapy is only indicated for people who have not been helped by other depression treatments.

Show Notes: * Truancy is at issue in Richmond schools. What are they doing to address this problem? * Vermont changes it's shackling policy of children being transported for mental health reviews. What's the new policy? * Auburn University pulls together during Hurricane Katrina.

Times Online (UK): It’s rude to stare, but that doesn’t stop us doing it. Reality television has gone a step further. The Channel 4 documentary The House of Obsessive Compulsives put three people suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in a house together and filmed them as they went through therapy. This treatment of mental health issues as entertainment has raised ethical questions about whether it is right to expose vulnerable people on TV. Community Care tackles the issue, with surprising conclusions. Featuring people with mental health problems in documentaries isn’t all bad, says Colin Putney, a former television producer who has OCD. In the case of The House of Obsessive Compulsives, he is satisfied that “it was handled . . . sensitively and the sufferers were not exploited�. Andy Bell, a spokesman for Mentality, a charity promoting good mental health, agrees. Allowing the public to have contact with people with mental health problems, albeit second-hand through television, is the key to removing the stigma attached to mental illness, Bell says. What is more, programs showing people coping with their illness help to dispel preconceptions since most of the coverage of mental health issues in the press and on television associates them with violence, exacerbating the myth that mentally ill people are dangerous.

Newswire Press Release: Seniors who become adept at and use a computer appear to have fewer depressive symptoms than those older adults who aren't so technologically connected. That's the finding of a research study, Depression and Social Support Among Older Adult Computer Users, presented August 18 at the 113th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association. The data regarding computer use and depressive symptoms was collected as part of the latest wave of an ongoing longitudinal study that is designed to determine the changes over time in physical health, mental health and social activity of older adults living in lower Manhattan. The researchers decided to look into the impact of the growing use of computers by seniors on the hypothesis that those using computers would report fewer depressive symptoms than non-users. In the computer study, it was determined, after controlling for a number of background characteristics, that seniors who were computer users reported significantly fewer depressive symptoms than their counterparts who do not use the computer. Researchers also found that computer users tended to be among the younger members of the study group and have higher annual household incomes, while also reporting higher functioning in activities of daily living than the rest of the seniors in the study group. Future research in this area should include more diverse populations and use other measures of social connectiveness. Participants in the survey included an urban community sample of 206 adults over the age of 65 ( with a mean age of 80 ) that was randomly selected from three zip codes in lower Manhattan.

Battle Creek Enquirer (Battle Creek, MI): Today's teens will tell you that they are under a lot of pressure, and many don't know where to turn for help. So when it comes to coping with the issues that beset them, many simply don't and instead seek out harmful "solutions." "Kids are cutting themselves to relieve stress," said Jordan Swan, a freshman at Pennfield High School. Eric Tsuchiyama, a junior at Lakeview High School, believes teenagers often react in self-destructive ways because they don't know whom to talk to about the everyday pressures. "It seems like kids don't know where to go if they have a problem," Tsuchiyama said. Lakeview School District, stung by the deaths of two students within a two-month period last spring and summer, is trying to do something about that. The Calhoun County Medical Examiner's office ruled one of the deaths a suicide. "Suicide is the most final and negative coping strategy," said Steve Skalka, Lakeview High School principal. "We will focus on positive ways we can all learn to deal with minor and major conflicts in life." As an immediate response, Lakeview established a crisis response team in May after one of the student deaths, holding grief counseling sessions for students. No formal sessions were held this summer after a student death in July, but the district opened up the school this summer for parents and students. Now that a new school year is under way, the high school has embarked on a coordinated response under the umbrella of adolescent health issues, which will focus on positive rather than negative coping strategies. Constructive ways to handle issues of substance abuse, eating disorders, dating, nutrition, among others, will remain a focus during the school year. Counselors will continue to hold small group counseling focused on grief recovery, something it has done for the past two years. Another grief recovery group has been formed for the start of school. A new effort to have counselors more available to students is under way through a counselor lunch outreach program.

North County Times (Los Angeles, CA): USC and UCLA researchers will work with a Los Angeles mental health facility to study treatments for schizophrenia, the facility announced Friday. The National Institute of Mental Health awarded a $3 million, multi-year grant for the project, which aims to improve community mental health programs by quickly moving research findings into a health care setting, according to Portals, a nonprofit mental health facility where the study will be conducted. "By rapidly putting into practice what we learn through clinical research about effective treatment interventions, we are confident that we will be able to enhance resiliency and promote recovery for individuals with schizophrenia," said USC's John Brekke, one of four principal investigators on the project. The team also includes UCLA researcher Robert Kern, and Jana Plasters and Laura Pancake of Portals. "This grant-funded project represents a tremendous opportunity for Portals as we continue to inform our practice through research involvement," said Jim Balla, who heads the 50-year-old nonprofit. "I look forward to sharing the results of this research study with our community mental health partnering agencies." Portals began working with Brekke in 1989, when he, his research staff, and Portals staff looked at how the agency's service delivery affected its members with schizophrenia, a psychotic disorder. Portals has been the study site for three NIMH grant-funded projects headed by Brekke in the past, and more than 30 scientific publications have resulted from this collaborative work. This new study, "Biosocial Factors in Rehabilitation of Schizophrenia," will change Portals' role from a recruitment site for study participants to a community research partner with USC and UCLA, according to the agency.

The following is a press release from the National Mental Health Association. It reads, in part: “We expect Congress in September to consider legislation to reduce federal Medicaid spending and, accordingly, urged that advocates press members of Congress while they are home for the August recess to oppose any changes to Medicaid that will harm those who need support from this vital program. In addition to raising this critical concern over Medicaid, the August recess period may also provide an opportunity -- such as at Town Hall meetings -- to bring up other important pending mental-health issues. We urge advocates to highlight the following messages in meetings or question/answer sessions with Members of Congress: 1) Pass mental health parity legislation: Status: H.R. 1402, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act, introduced by Rep. Jim Ramstad in the House of Representatives would provide for both mental health and substance abuse parity, and has 191 co-sponsors. Parity legislation has not been introduced in the Senate this year. Please urge Members of the House of Representatives to co-sponsor H.R. 1402. 2) Provide initial funding to implement a new law to de-criminalize mental illness. Status: Late last year, Congress passed legislation -- the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (Public Law 108-414) developed by Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH) and Rep. Ted Strickland (D-OH) -- that authorizes up to $50 million annually in Justice Department grants to help states and local communities. These grants would fund collaborative efforts (such as establishing diversion and treatment programs) among the criminal justice, juvenile justice and mental health systems aimed at ending the criminalization of people with mental illnesses. In order for this new initiative to be implemented, Congress must provide funding – which appears promising but not assured -- through the Commerce-Justice-State appropriations act. Grassroots support for such funding would be very helpful. 3) Maintain, and if possible, increase federal funding for needed programs and services for people with or at risk of mental illness. Status: While the process is not over, congressional action on federal funding – bowing to advocacy efforts -- has to date largely rejected the Administration's proposed deep cuts in funding for programs that support people with or at risk of mental illness.� For further details, visit their website at: www.nmha.org/newsroom

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh, PA): A 5-year-old autistic boy died after undergoing a controversial medical treatment in a Butler County doctor's office. Abubakar Nadama, of Monroeville, died at 11:48 a.m. Tuesday at Butler Memorial Hospital after being treated by Dr. Roy E. Kerry at the Advanced Integrative Medicine Center in Portersville. Nadama went into cardiac arrest while he was receiving his third treatment of chelation therapy, Butler County Deputy Coroner Larry Barr said Wednesday. Chelation therapy involves the repeated administration of a synthetic amino acid known as EDTA -- ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid -- which, according to supporters of the practice, removes atherosclerotic plaque and other mineral deposits from the cardiovascular system. "There are those in the alternative medical field who feel that mercury and other toxic elements do contribute to autistic disorder, and that their removal would be a pathway to reducing autism," said Dr. Jonathan Collin, a practitioner of alternative medicine in Washington state. "Chelation for autism is a fraud," said Stephen Barrett, a retired Lehigh County psychiatrist and founder of the Quackwatch Web site. "Many doctors who treat children for autism claim they are suffering from mercury or lead toxicity. There is no sufficient evidence that autism is caused by mercury or lead toxicity."

The Sentinel (Carlisle, PA): Starting this fall, Swartz Counseling Center will only serve freshmen while the McGowan Counseling Center will serve students in grades 10-12. Also, students will be assigned to counselors for three years at the beginning of 10th grade, says Kim Truckenmiller, head counselor and a guidance counselor at Mt. Holly Springs Elementary School. The district decided last year to improve its counseling program after a consultant determined it was "disjointed" and recommended several changes. Kraus recommended the district eliminate barriers between the Swartz and McGowan buildings, noting students had one counselor for grades 9 and 10 and then another for grades 11 and 12. The district plan differs from his suggestion that students have one counselor for all four grades of high school. Staff recommended two counselors at Swartz be assigned to help ninth-graders transition into high school. The remaining students will be divided among the four remaining counselors, Truckenmiller told a handful of parents attending a town meeting this week at Hope Station in Carlisle. She said the idea of the three years is to help counselors foster long-term relationships with students, thus improving their ability to identify and manage student needs. Truckenmiller added plans are under way to change the working hours of counselors to after school to better accommodate students and parents while offering services that could not be scheduled during the school day.

Podcast #4 show notes: Research shows the dropout rate in psychotherapy to be about 50%…what can be done about that? And in Hawaii, were five suicides in the past year connected to the leadership of the state adult mental-health department? Also, do animals REALLY experience psychological and emotional issues? You’ll wanna stay tuned for this. In Baton Rouge, they’re shaking things up with the district's school counseling program. Finally, in my home state of Wisconsin, we’re number one! For what? (listen to the show)

Milwaukee Beacon Journal (Milwaukee, WI): More than one third of all school-age children are experiencing some kind of sleep deprivation. Given this fact, you would think schools would be concerned and alarmed about this phenomenon. However, it is not widely recognized and appreciated just how pervasive and critical sleep quality influences the brain. In an era where parents and school systems are looking for reasons to explain low or poor student performance and achievement as well as a rise in negative behavioral issues, sleep importance is widely overlooked. More and more research studies demonstrate that daytime sleepiness from chronic sleep deprivation and poor-quality sleep has significant affects on daytime behavior as well as concentration, attention and mood. Moreover, even 20 minutes less sleep may significantly affect academic achievement. Insufficient sleep has been associated with not only daytime fatigue but also an inability to concentrate in school, ADHD, dozing in class, problematic behaviors, and lower level social skills. Persistent sleep problems have been associated with learning difficulties throughout the school years. Teenage insomnia has been linked to anger, depression, difficulty with school adjustment and stress. Sleep-disturbed elementary school age children may have poorer coping skills and display more aggressive behavior at home and at school. For the complete article, visit www.milwaukeebeacon.com/sleepdeprivation.html

American School Counselor Association/PRNewswire (Alexandria, VA): A new school year can bring a host of unexpected stresses and challenges, but research shows that a school counselor's involvement in a student's life can make a difference. The school counselor's role is to act as the first line of contact for parents and students for assistance in academic, social, or personal development. Despite this fact, a new survey released today by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) shows that more than one-third of parents report they have had little or no contact with their child's school counselor in the past school year. With students heading back to school across the country, ASCA is encouraging parents to proactively communicate with their child's school counselor at least three times a year to best steer their child's success. Richard Wong, Executive Director of ASCA, said, "By communicating with one another at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year, parents and counselors can have a definite impact on a child's potential." Parents can go to www.SchoolCounselor.org to learn about the various roles and services of school counselors and how to work with school counselors to help their children achieve success.

The Boston Globe: Around the state, teachers say they're often poorly equipped to handle the increasingly complex problems children bring to school every day. Tighter budgets have led to larger class sizes AND CUTS IN COUNSELING as well as other support services. Several cases that grabbed headlines earlier this year underscore the issue. In April, an outburst by a 7-year-old boy with special needs, who was mistakenly placed in the wrong Fall River elementary school, spun so out of control that police used handcuffs to subdue him. Just a few weeks earlier, Florida police shackled a 5-year-old Florida kindergartner after she attacked a teacher and an assistant principal. Upset parents complained that the schools simply didn't know how to handle their children. If parents are looking for assurances that their children's teachers know how to calm an out-of-control child, they may not find comfort in the Bay State. Massachusetts regulations require all staff in publicly funded schools, including charter schools, to receive yearly training in techniques to defuse problem behaviors, but records show that often doesn't happen. ''A lot of times, when there is a discipline problem and it throws the entire class off, there is no support from the parents," Vincenza Sullivan, an active PTO member said. ''A lot of parents are in denial or they're too busy." Providing regular staff training and a crisis team to handle tough cases is key. ''Every school needs this. If you have a student known for hitting or swearing, if you see their anger is going to escalate, you need to know how to stop it right there.

WFMY News "2 Your Health" segment (Greensboro, NC): Someone with a depressive disorder might be persistently sad for weeks. Uni-polar depression describes those who have periodic down times, and bi-polar depression describes those who have alternating periods of high and low moods. Dr. Vaughn McCall, a sleep expert at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center says, "Fortunately most cases of depression are fairly clear cut. The patient's own experience of sadness tells them that something is wrong, but occasionally a depression will be masked as a medical problem; and in those instances folks will go to their family physician most often complaining of vague aches and pains, weakness and tiredness that otherwise doesn't seem to have any physical underpinnings, and that may be mistaken as a physical problem for weeks and months before a physical diagnosis is made." He explains the best treatment as a combination of counseling and medication. For mild depression, counseling may be enough. "The causes of depressive disorders are not known. We assume that early life experiences as well as genetics and familial factors play a role. Some of the obvious things we need to pay attention to are excessive use of alcohol, illegal drugs, spousal abuse and domestic violence. All of these are things that we can potentially prevent or control to some degree." Severe cases of depression where a patient has contemplated suicide, or is unable to work or make a contribution at home usually require treatment with antidepressants.

Toledo Blade (Toledo, OH): Although a grant application for Sylvania's proposed digital academy has been approved, there won't be any funding for it because the state has placed a moratorium on support for digital schools. Assistant Superintendent of Sylvania Schools, Mr. Jackson said he was told by state officials that new charters will require the digital academies be blended with other teaching methods. He said that he pointed out that the grant application said the academy intended to use the assets of the Sylvania system both in teaching AND IN COUNSELING, but to no avail. Grant approval would have meant funding of $150,000 per year for three years to support the academy as it developed. Sylvania school officials said that some children simply don't function well in traditional settings, but often achieve well when challenged in different ways. The Sylvania school was set to open Wednesday. Mr. Jackson said he has contacted those who indicated an interest in enrolling in the school and told them that it won't open as scheduled. It won't be until May that applications will be accepted for the next round of state funding, Mr. Jackson said.

Applications are now being accepted for the American Psychiatric Foundation's (APF) Awards for Advancing Minority Mental Health 2005 program. The program, now in its third year, provides four awards to honor psychiatrists, other mental health providers, mental health programs and other community organizations that increase public awareness of mental health care, increase access to mental health services, and enhance the quality of care for underserved minorities, especially those who suffer from severe mental illness. Psychiatrists, health professionals, mental health programs and organizations are eligible to apply for the awards. All applications must be postmarked by November 1, 2005. Award recipients will be selected by the board of directors of the American Psychiatric Foundation and will be announced in March 2006. Complete award criteria and applications for the awards can be found on the foundation's Web site at http://www.psychfoundation.org or by contacting the foundation at 703-907-8517.

Podcast #3 Shownotes: * Are mental health professional more likely to be stalked than the general public. * Does reparative therapy really work? * In Oregon, the Governor signs a mental health parity law. * Massachusetts considers mandatory counseling for troops. * A Pinellas school bus driver notices some commotion behind her the first week of school. What's the commotion? You'll wanna listen to find out. * Today's intro artist (brought to you through Creative Commons) is Artemis. Enjoy the show!

Los Angeles Times (CA): Stuart A. Kirk, author and professor of social welfare at UCLA says that "psychiatric researchers recently estimated that half of the American population has had or will have a mental disorder at some time in their life. A generation ago, by contrast, only a small percentage of the American population was considered mentally ill." He attributes the higher estimates of mental disorders in part to the American Psychiatric Association, which "keeps adding new disorders and more behaviors" to its psychiatric manual, The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Kirk argued that "[t]he vast broadening of the definition of mental disorders has its skeptics... who spicious of the motivations of the APA and the drug companies that may view the expanding sweep of mental disorders like a lumber company lusting after a redwood forest."

The Daily Nonpareil (IA): The Council Bluffs and Lewis Central School districts will be asking the public to renew their existing instructional support levies on the Sept. 13 ballot. In an era where state dollars are shrinking and budget cuts can happen at any time, an instructional support levy provides a school district with a reliable funding stream. Very few school districts in Iowa do not have voter-approved instructional support levies. Eighty-nine percent, or 325 of Iowa's 367 school districts, have such levies in place. The Lewis Central instructional support levy must be approved every 10 years, while Council Bluffs will be looking to increase the duration between elections from five to 10 years. Should the public fail to renew the levies, officials say they would be harder pressed to meet district needs. Council Bluffs Superintendent Dick Christie said failure to renew the levy would directly affect the district's all-day kindergarten programs AND ELEMENTARY-LEVEL COUNSELING SERVICES, and result in the loss of the $102,000 it receives in state funding because of the existing levy. "We're confident they'll continue to see that need," Christie said, "but ultimately that is left up to the voters."

Here’s a follow-up to an article that appeared in podcast #2. It appeared in the August 14, 2005 edition of The Baltimore Sun (MD): “Deeming the Baltimore school system's special-education program dysfunctional, Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. hailed yesterday a federal judge's emergency order giving the state control over an area he vowed to turn around. Ehrlich said the order is not a "takeover" but "a significant step toward additional state intervention." "The bottom line is that the judge recognized the wholesale dysfunctionality of the system, has ordered the state to intervene with respect to special-needs kids, and now the challenge falls to me and the experts we are going to bring in, to deliver the constitutional rights to these kids," Ehrlich said. The comments came in response to U.S. District Judge Marvin J. Garbis' emergency order issued Friday evening. The order was the latest ruling stemming from a 1984 lawsuit filed by advocates for disabled students. At issue were disruptions in providing services, such as speech therapy AND counseling, to 10,000 disabled students over the past school year. This summer, only several hundred out of thousands of students who were supposed to be compensated for the lapses received services. Garbis ruled in favor of the state's $1.4 million plan, which allows it to send eight appointed managers from other school systems, along with a lead administrator, into the city schools headquarters. The city is responsible for paying for the plan, leading teachers to criticize it as another unfunded requirement. "If we don't have funding, we just have more people telling us what to do, and we don't have the resources to follow through," said Marietta English, president of the Baltimore Teachers Union.� What do you think? Feel free to leave a comment.

Although the following isn’t technically a “mental health� story, per se, it DOES affect counselors working in school systems. From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Milwaukee, WI): The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is investigating allegations that Brown Deer School Superintendent Bruce Connolly lied when he told the state that the district's director of technology had classroom experience required for her job certification. Toni Markiewicz, a citizen activist, has complained to the state that misstating the technology director's credentials in order to get the certification constitutes "immoral conduct" and should be grounds for revoking the licenses for both the superintendent and the technology director, Rebecca Kodet White. White has worked for the district for 13 years as a resource teacher and technology coordinator. She holds a master's degree in computer science education and was recognized in 1992 as the "computer teacher of the year" by the Cooperative Educational Service Agency No. 1, an agency that provides services to the 43 school districts in the metropolitan area. White, who was hired four years before Connolly was named superintendent, was also the first person to be granted an alternate teaching permit by the state. She developed the district's technology program, integrating it into the K-12 curriculum. Alternate teaching permits can be granted to people who hold specialized degrees but have not had traditional educational degrees. Connolly credited White's work for the district as resulting in the area's "premier technology program." In summer 2004, DPI initiated a regulation creating standards for technology directors. One of the standards requires that those who are licensed need three years full-time classroom teaching experience. According to the school district's job description, a minimum of five years of teaching experience is required for the post, as well as a master's degree in educational computing or computer science. Connolly wrote a letter in March 2004, saying that White had 4,320 hours of "face-to-face instructional time" with students from 1992 to 2004. As a result, White was allowed to participate in a University of Wisconsin-Madison workshop needed to meet the state requirements for certification. "The only problem is that she's never spent a minute teaching," she said. "I have yet to find a teacher or a parent who can verify any face-to-face teaching she performed." Connolly declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation. Markiewicz said she checked certification again this year and found a number of licensing problems for the district. Most were corrected quickly. In June, the Brown Deer School Board authorized the board attorney, Michael Aldana, to conduct an investigation. Ken Wagner, the DPI investigator, said he expects to review Aldana's report but said DPI is not bound by the findings. What are your thought on this matter? Sound off.

The following appeared in today’s Houston Chronicle. While I usually don‘t make a habit of reading “Dear Abby,� I found this one to be of great interest. It reads as follows: “Dear Abby: I am a licensed counselor and adjunct faculty member in communications. I hope you will help me get a message out to parents who are sending their children off to college this fall. Every semester, I see kids who have a miserable college experience due to roommate conflicts. Some students become so distracted that their grades suffer, and some actually move back home. A successful college experience requires both academic and social skills. Parents can prepare their children by teaching them the vital social skill of settling differences before they become overwhelming. This will not only help them make their college years successful, but also the rest of their lives. I offer five tips for parents: (1) Offer suggestions, not solutions. Help your children become critical thinkers by imagining scenarios, considering possible outcomes and brainstorming solutions. CONFLICT RESOLUTION IS A SKILL THAT NEEDS TO BE PRACTICED (my emphasis here). Telling your children what to do — or worse, handling the problem for them — does more harm than good because it creates dependency. (2) Prepare for conflict: Teach your child that conflict does not have to be negative; it can also be an opportunity to think creatively. Conflict is inevitable because people are different. Even best friends can have differences in needs, living habits, stress levels and communication skills. (3) Share expectations. The more that's discussed beforehand, the better the relationship. Roommate contracts are popular today, and many universities require them as a way to get kids talking about their expectations. (4) Encourage face-to-face conversations. More and more kids today would rather communicate through e-mail, IM and text-messaging rather than face to face. Without the benefit of facial expressions, tone of voice and body language, messages can be misunderstood. Also, warn kids that gossiping to others instead of talking directly to their roommate ONLY ESCALATES PROBLEMS (again, my emphasis here). (5) Ask for help before the situation becomes critical. Residence life staff will help to mediate, as long as the student has already tried problem-solving face to face. (Unfortunately, too many students wait to mention that there's a problem until they want to move out, or, at the first sign of trouble, they report it to their RA expecting that person to solve it.) Campus counseling centers are also available for help if a roommate is exhibiting signs of mental illness such as depression, substance abuse or cutting. In addition, a counseling session can help your child learn to deal with stress and find better ways to manage the situation." The article ends here. As school counselors, (I’m assuming my core audience IS school counselors) we have a duty to prepare students for college life as well as life in general.

Robertson County Times (TN): A Robertson County high school counselor could seek binding arbitration in the matter of a grievance filed with the Robertson County Education Association over an alleged wrongful transfer to a teaching position in Springfield High School. According to the grievance filed by Jane Redman, formerly a high school counselor at East Robertson High School, it has always been understood that if a teacher is at a school and receives positive evaluations, the principal of the school determines whether or not that teacher stays in the school. Redman alleges that her principal told her she was being transferred, but that he wanted her to stay there. Redman has since been assigned as an English teacher at Springfield High School. She HAS NOT taught high school English in 30 years. At a school board meeting Monday, July 25, Guy Stanley, acting on behalf of the Robertson County Education Association. addressed the board on her behalf. “According to the No Child Left Behind Law, there is no requirement that a guidance counselor be highly qualified,� he said. “But, I would like to point out that there is a requirement that high school English teachers be highly qualified and Ms. Redman is not, as of now, highly qualified for the position she has been assigned to. She is a certified guidance counselor and has received numerous positive evaluations.� Stanley added that Redman would like to either go back to her position at East Robertson or be a school counselor at Springfield High School. However, according to Stanley, the positions have been filled at both schools. “The director of schools has hired a person to fill the guidance position at Springfield High who is approximately 40 years old and has a master's degree, but IS NOT CERTIFIED in high school counseling. Similarly, the person hired to replace Ms. Redman at East Robertson is a new graduate with zero years teaching experience, zero years counseling experience, and NO CERTIFICATION in counseling,� he said. What are your thoughts on this issue? Sound off.

Show notes for podcast #2: * If you have theme music you'd like to submit, feel free to do so. * Is President Bush back peddling on his gang policy? * A timely Back To School article for parents. * More kids out there are getting multiple drugs for their mental ills. * Over in Baltimore, three city schools are facing a lawsuit. * The Indianapolis Star releases the findings of a youth drug and alcohol use study. My Odeo Channel (odeo/67519aaa6a548416)

Sonoma, CA: Sonoma Valley High School took a blow this year from district budget cuts. Although fall sports and extracurricular clubs have been saved, the high school is still operating on fewer cylinders. SVHS has lost a high school counseling position. It has also lost all district funding for the Associated Student Body bookkeeper. The job basically oversees details of "almost every function (for students) other than going to class," said Sonoma Valley High School vice principal Glenn Moll. The computer lab maintenance charge will be $35 rather than $30, and the Associated Student Body charge, which includes a student body card, will cost $20 instead of $10. There is a small break for families with two students or more; it will cost a flat fee of $90 for everything, with all high school siblings included in that sum. "Everyone expects this well-rounded experience (for free)," Moll said. It is a painful transition from the previous generalization of a free public education, he said. "But with the state no longer funding public education (at the level in times past,) those days are over." Now "we are asking parents to cover these expenses for the student," said Moll.

According to the Virgin Islands Daily News, The Education Commissioner Noreen Michael received a copy of the annual report with an order from the Board of Education to address deficiencies and an order to report on the department's progress in correcting the problems. One problem of concern to counselors reading this article deals with providing students confidential counseling services. "Counselors provide individual and group counseling sessions and must do so in environments which respect the confidentiality of student information. This situation was critical at many of the schools visited by the Board including ones where counselors shared wide open spaces which were NOT EVEN PARTITIONED." How do you ensure confidentiality at your site? Feel free to leave a comment on this or other postings.

The family of a University of Northern Iowa student is suing the state of Iowa. That's after Jacob Hawkenson shot himself last July. According to the lawsuit, counselors at the university didn't treat him properly. He went to members of the U.N.I. medical and psychological staff for depression. The suit claims staff members didn't take action to commit him. The suit contends counselors didn't notify anyone outside of the counseling and student health centers about his mental condition. A month later Hawkenson told a counselor he was still depressed. Four days later he killed himself. What policies does your place of employment have for situations such as this? What Code of Ethics should have been followed here? Feel free to post a comment.

According to the Dallas Morning News, Dallas and other North Texas school districts are cutting back school counseling services, moving districts further away from state and national recommendations for student-to-counselor ratios! Students in twelve Dallas elementary schools will have to share six school counselors because district officials have moved ten school counselors to high schools. To make matters worse, the district has NOT notified parents of these changes. In Carroll schools, for example, budget cuts in spring 2004 reduced school counseling services to part time at the district's five elementary and two intermediate campuses. The cuts left school counselors dividing their time among schools, leaving campuses without much needed services some days. These reductions couldn't come at a worse time, said Sadie Woodard, president of the Texas Counseling Association. "School counselors are needed more today than perhaps they ever have been before," she said. "If a student comes to see the counselors and the counselor isn't there, where do they turn?" said Ms. Woodard, who is associate superintendent for guidance counseling and special services for the Houston-area Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District. "Instead of turning to responsible adults, they turn to each other." Pat Melton, executive director of guidance and counseling for Arlington schools, agreed. "Society has changed, and we have more volatile situations," she said. A lack of counseling services can be potentially harmful to students, who face many more challenges at younger ages than past generations, said Ms. Woodard. And when students are dealing with eating disorders, suicidal thoughts and teen pregnancy, the consequences can be heightened. "We have so many social issues the students are facing. Many of them are falling through the cracks because they have no one to turn to give them guidance." What are your thought on this issue?

In Texas, Marble Falls Independent School District allows for corporal punishment and also is state-mandated to have a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP). MFISD Superintendent Ryder Warren said corporal punishment is a sensitive subject and merely a way to modify behavior in school. According to Warren, "We publish all of the discipline management tools we use in our handbooks every year, and parents/guardians must sign acknowledgment forms. These forms are kept in the students' files at their campuses. On the acknowledgment form, we have a space available for parents to request alternative forms of discipline besides corporal punishment." According to Warren, the corporal punishment policy applies to ALL GRADE LEVELS, but not to all students. What do you think about this technique? Do you think they're handling things the wrong way?

Welcome to G News Central Podcast! I'm brand new to this thing called podcasting, and I'm really excited to be trying it out. I've been on the other side of it for some time now, and thought I'd give it a go myself. A bit about myself and my podcast. I'm a school counselor here in Wisconsin. I love counseling and I love working with computers. Some podcasts I listen to include: TWiT, Diggnation, The MacCast, KFI Airchecks (w/Leo LaPorte), podCast 411, Security Now!, The Educational Mac, Hot Springs Jazzfest, Lost River Music Project, Red Raspus Radio and Jazzin Around. In my spare time, I attempt to maintain the website I built Mr. D's Guidance and Technology Home Page. If the audio sounds a bit rough in my first few podcasts, please forgive me...I'm new at this and learning how to edit as I go along. Enjoy! Stories in the first podcast include: * Are Tom Cruise's latests comments negatively affecting the mental health community? * We will take a look at the latest suicide stats in the American Indian community and compare them to the national average. * What do you do if the anti-depressant you are taking doesn't work? * In Wisconsin, the Dept. of Public Instruction released the results of the 3rd Grade Reading Test. * Love in Action International is at it again in Tennessee. * Are dogs beneficial in the therapy environment? * In Virginia, are high school counselors being put out of business? * California parents are fed up with bullying and take action. * We'll wrap things up in North Carolina where they're looking to add more mental health services to the schools. I'm looking to add some theme music to the podcast. If you have any you'd like to submit, feel free to do so.