Maximizing Mental Health Services: Proven Practices that Promote Emotional Well-Being

Nicholas D. Young, American International College et al.

'Maximizing Mental Health Services: Evidence-Based Practices that Promote Emotional Well-Being' examines best therapeutic practices for patients, therapists, graduate professors, family members and all who struggle to find the most effective treatment modalities for those dealing with mental health challenges. Mental health issues are rising at an alarming rate, while positive therapeutic outcomes have not kept pace and remain low for many conditions, making an investigation of evidence-based treatment options critically important to the helping profession. While certain types of therapy bring success to specific clients, these modalities cannot be easily applied to all client profiles. Understanding the strengths of each modality and how to match them to the respective needs of the client will be emphasized. Furthermore, the impact of counselors’ own traits on the client-therapist relationship is an important and often overlooked topic that will be explored. Therapy practices have changed over the past decade to include non-traditional options; therefore, the authors investigate the ways in which these practices have either helped or hindered patient success. Lastly, the book offers readers information on resources for further information on the evidence-based practices presented within.

Capital, capabilities and culture: a human development approach to student and school transformation

Cliona Hannon, The University of Dublin

This book applies the capability approach as an evaluative lens through which to explore the range of capabilities that emerged over a three-year period, through the Trinity Access 21 – College for Every Student (TA21-CFES) higher education access project in four schools. Qualitative analysis is presented from a longitudinal study of four schools over a three-year period, drawing on data from four student focus groups involving 21 student participants and 14 individual student interviews. An additional sixteen school personnel contributed in interviews. There are three main findings: first, specific student capabilities emerge because of their engagement in the TA21-CFES core practices of Leadership, Mentoring and Pathways to College. These are: autonomy, practical reason/college knowledge, identity, social relations and networks and hope. Second, students encounter a range of inhibiting social conversion factors in developing capabilities and persisting with higher education aspirations. These are: the negative pull of peer relations; pressure related to the Junior Certificate; limited subject choice and conflicting family expectations. Third, it is the combination of their own emerging capability set along with a network of trusted relationships with others that enables them to overcome potentially corrosive disadvantage and translate their experiences into fertile functionings. It is proposed that these findings have national and international relevance for widening participation interventions. The research makes a methodological contribution as it is the first use of qualitative longitudinal research (QLR) in Ireland within a ‘lived’ project aimed at working-class students over a three-year period. It contributes empirically as it provides new knowledge about the impact of interventions aimed at developing students’ capability set and how these might help them to develop navigational capital and post-secondary educational aspirations. It also makes a conceptual contribution to how we frame the design and evaluation of impact of widening participation initiatives, as it takes a capability approach to considering how students develop higher education aspirations over time, towards what they consider ‘a life of value’. It is useful to researchers, practitioners and policy makers who are interested in taking an evidence-based approach to developing higher education access programmes.

Contact, Community, and Connections: Current Approaches to Spanish in Multilingual Populations

Edited by Gregory L. Thompson, Brigham Young University and Scott M. Alvord, Brigham Young University

This edited volume provides state of the art research on developing areas of Spanish in contact with other languages. This manuscript is unique in its broad yet coherent approach to the study of Spanish in bilingual contexts by investigating current issues in the field through well-designed research and innovative analyses. In addition, this book concludes with research on how languages in contact are reflected in individuals in educational settings as well as insights on how to teach bilinguals raised in contact with English and Spanish. This manuscript is divided into three major themes that focus on the overall issues of Spanish in bilingual contexts: 1. The first section, titled "Language and Identity," is composed of four chapters that focus on the connection between language and identity in unique settings. 2. The second section of the manuscript is titled "Language and Dialectal Contact" and is composed of six chapters that analyze the dialectal and linguistic changes in languages in contact in a variety of settings. 3. The final section is titled "Language in Educational Settings" and consists of four chapters with a focus on heritage speakers and second language students of Spanish in different classroom settings as well as abroad. This volume contributes original research in these areas in a way so as to fill valuable gaps in the current knowledge in the field especially in the innovative ways of approaching areas such as teaching heritage learners, understanding diachronic and synchronic dialectal and linguistic changes as well as innovations in language use, and how language contributes to the formation of identity.

Emotional intelligence: Does it really matter?

A guide to coping with stressful experiences

Phillip Walden Bowen

What really is emotional intelligence? This book, aimed primarily at the university academic and those working and/or studying in higher education, seeks to help readers understand the term and the role emotional intelligence plays in education and business. It clearly identifies and critiques the three main models: the ability model (Salovey and Mayer), the mixed Model (Goleman, Bar-On) and the trait model (Petrides and Furnham). It discusses eustress, distress and chronic stress, reflecting on the effects negative types of stress can have on the human body, demonstrating how the modern workplace can lead to burnout. It emphasizes the importance of a healthy work/life balance while acknowledging the demands and pressures placed on organisations to compete within the global marketplace. It also explores how one may understand and process emotions, considering terms such as “learned optimism” and “learned helplessness”. Room for discussion is also given to the influence of bullying and harassment in the workplace and types of therapy that are presently available. It discusses strategies for coping with challenging experiences, providing anecdotes and case studies from university academics. It also considers how personality relates to emotional intelligence and how people cope with challenging experiences. The book delves into the term “intelligence”, showing how theories surrounding the concept have developed over the twentieth century; and it elucidates the link between emotional intelligence and wellbeing. The author discusses the effect stress can have on human telomeres (thus shortening lifespan) and sheds light on the darker sides of human nature, such as the so-called “dark triad” personality traits (psychopathy, narcissism and Machiavellian behaviour). Overall, the book is dedicated to the vital question: “Emotional intelligence: does it really matter?”

Acceptance, Understanding, and the Moral Imperative of Promoting Social Justice Education in the Schoolhouse

Nicholas D. Young, American International College et al.

This book examines the critical issues associated with the topic of social justice in primary and secondary education. Understanding the challenges related to educational inequity requires a comprehensive and systematic re-examination of educational reform; specifically, this book defines social justice education, offers different perspectives from major thought leaders and examines the challenges faced by different populations when it comes to receiving equal opportunity and treatment. Emphasis will be placed on programs, approaches and strategies to increasingly teach tolerance, respect, and understanding within and between these groups and members of the majority culture. The focus, then, will be on educational practices designed to prepare students from diverse backgrounds to be active, contributing, and fully participatory members of our contemporary society. This book is most appropriate for preservice and veteran teachers, school and educational psychologists, related special education service professionals, educational administrators, guidance counselors, graduate education professors, policymakers, parents, and student leaders who wish to gain a better understanding of how social justice can and should become a valuable part of the educational landscape.