Focal Point Spring 2002

Walker, J. S.

In providing services to children with emotional and behavioral challenges, there is mounting evidence that asset–enhancing strategies are more effective than skeptics believe. What is more, there is also evidence that traditional mental health services—particularly psychotherapy—may well be less effective than previously assumed. As a result, well–designed, community–based, asset–enhancing options need no longer seem risky or of secondary importance in comparison to traditional services.

Berman, S.

Friends of the Children is an innovative long–term mentoring program in Portland, OR, that matches at–risk children with professional mentors. These mentors, called Friends, work with no more than eight children, and expect to continue working with these same children until they graduate from high school. The article describes the program and provides information on costs, outcomes and evaluation. Included are first–person stories from a Friend, a mentee, and a clinician from the program.

Rossi, M.

Youth Advancement Through Music and Art (YATMA) is a Seattle–based program providing long–term creative mentoring in music and the arts. The YATMA approach is strengths based and relational, and enables YATMA teachers to reach youth who are typically difficult to engage. The article describes the YATMA approach to mentoring, and provides vignettes from young people involved in the program.

Grossman, J.B.

This article provides an overview of recent research on: the essential elements of successful mentoring programs, measures that can be used to assess the effectiveness of a program; the costs of mentoring programs; and the challenges that mentoring programs face.

Rumbaugh, M.

The author describes her work as the facilitator of a Wraparound team for a young woman returning to the community after an acute hospital stay. The article focuses on the team's efforts to facilitate a transition from a reliance on formal supports to more informal or natural supports.

Griffiths, T.

This article describes the work of Compeer, an organization dedicated to increasing resilience among people with mental illness by building their social support networks. Specifically, compeer matches youth or adults with mental illness to adult volunteers. The article provides a program description as well as evaluation information, and describes the successes the program has achieved as well as some of the challenges it faces.

Cook, J.

Over the last decade, increased attention has been focused on the importance of friends for children with disabilities. This article describes strategies that have been used successfully by concerned parents, teachers, and community members to promote peer friendships between children with and without disabilities.

Kidder, B.

The author, a drama therapist, describes her work helping young people realize their strengths through creating and performing drama. The article describes her troupe's work, performing and conducting workshops with young people in prisons and treatment centers.

Caplan, E. H. & Schutte, K.

This article reviews the current state of knowledge about the qualities of programs that provide community service opportunities for children and youth with emotional and behavioral challenges.

Berry, J.

The author describes her work teaching creative writing with youth with emotional and behavioral difficulties. The article includes poetry by several of the young people who participated in the class.

Cross, T.

Among Indian people, there is an almost universal belief in the importance of spirituality and the influence of spiritual forces in the balance of one's life. The author discusses the role of this belief in the achievement and maintenance of mental health.

Grealish, M.

The author describes strategies she has used to identify informal and community support people—mentors, sponsors, parent coaches, friends—to participate on Wraparound teams.

King, S.

The author, a pastor in Columbus, Ohio, reflects on what it takes to truly welcome disabled children into her congregation and the spiritual community.

Boisvert, B., Brimner, G., Campbell, K., Koenig, D., Rose, J. & Stone–Smith, M.

Among Indian people, there is an almost universal belief in the importance of spirituality and the influence of spiritual forces in the balance of one's life. The author discusses the role of this belief in the achievement and maintenance of mental health.