Training Session for Teachers Assessment on Adolescent Mental Health Needs ’through Rapid Appraisal Techniques

Training Session for Teachers Assessment on Adolescent Mental Health Needs ’through Rapid Appraisal Techniques

Our Special Invitee:
Dr. Bhoomikumar Jegannathan
Director and Consultant Child Psychiatrist
Caritas-CCAMH, Chey Chumneas Referral Hospital, Cambodia

Context:

Most health problems among adolescents are due to risky behaviors rather than biological dysfunction ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). In fact, almost 75% of the primary causes of death in the adolescent population are preventable (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012).

Addressing adolescents’ risky behaviors in health care visits is therefore essential to reduce their morbidity and mortality. Current American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and National Prevention Council (NPC) guidelines recommend routine risk behavior screening for all adolescents and the use of brief intervention techniques, as indicated, on an annual basis ( American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Adolescence, 2008National Prevention Council, 2011)
The Rapid Assessment for Adolescent Preventive Services (RAAPS) risk screening tool was developed to identify the risk behaviours contributing most to adolescent morbidity, mortality, and social problems and to provide a more streamlined assessment to help providers address key adolescent risk behaviors in a time-efficient – and user-friendly format.
Children live in a Socio-Ecological intersection, where along with their family school and its environment plays a great role is shaping the adolescent as what they will be tomorrow.

Teachers play an essential role in influencing how adolescents interact with the complex, interlinked factors that shape their development. Not only do positive student teachers relationships enhance developmental outcomes for adolescents, effective interaction can also alleviate the impact of negative external factors. In addition, the influence of educational practices can extend across generations. Building on teachers existing strengths and equipping them to provide support to their adolescent wards /students through good education and training programming has the potential to have a profound positive influence on adolescent development.

Teachers play a significant role in the lives of adolescents. They provide knowledge to adolescents and equip them to be sensitive to the diversity in youth’s experiences and the competing forces in their lives1. Following are the ways in which a teacher can help adolescence in developing a balanced personality:
• Understand their problems and help to solve them
• Be an ideal person for them
• Help in cognitive development
• Provide a suitable environment
• Have proper knowledge of adolescence psychology
The International Center for Child and Public Health (ICPH) has pioneered the practice of bringing a range of child health interventions to the doorstep of the community. Vulnerable children often find themselves excluded from many essential health services because of asymmetry of information, access and affordability. ICPH’s child health interventions particularly the comprehensive pediatric check-up delivered through the innovative ‘hospital on wheels’ is one of our flagship programmes and has already provided services to over 30 Villages. One such is Training Session on Needs Assessment on Adolescent Health through Rapid Appraisal Techniques.

Goal:
To advance understanding amongst teachers on mental health needs & challenges of adolescent boys & girls studying in Government, Government-aided and Partner schools of ICPH and Shanti Ashram
Learning Methodologies
• Sessions led by Experts
• Case studies & experience sharing adolescents
• Rapid Appraisal Techniques on : How do teachers understand young people’s developmental dimensions (physical, psychosocial as well as spiritual), not just the ‘novelty-seeking (so called high-risk) behavior’.
• Hands on practical tips to manage behavioral and academic demands of the young adolescents

Programme