Goal Setting to Support Mental Wellness Among Adolescents With Disabilities and Co-Occurring Mental Health Needs

Adolescents with disabilities experience co-occurring mental health needs at higher rates than their peers without disabilities (Blake, 2017; Milligan et al., 2015; Poppen et al., 2016; Thornton et al., 2017). Mental health needs often become more prominent as individuals with disabilities transitio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inTeaching exceptional children Vol. 53; no. 5; pp. 350 - 358
Main Authors Francis, Grace L., Duke, Jodi M., Fujita, Megan, Raines, Alexandra
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.05.2021
SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
Subjects
Adolescents
Comorbidity
Data Collection
Family Environment
Goal Orientation
Goal setting
Health Needs
Individualized Education Programs
Intervention
Mental Health
Planning
Program Development
Program Implementation
Progress Monitoring
Self Determination
Special education
Student Needs
Students with Disabilities
Teacher Role
Teamwork
Wellness
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Summary:Adolescents with disabilities experience co-occurring mental health needs at higher rates than their peers without disabilities (Blake, 2017; Milligan et al., 2015; Poppen et al., 2016; Thornton et al., 2017). Mental health needs often become more prominent as individuals with disabilities transition from childhood to adolescence (White et al., 2010) and result in decreased academic performance, fewer fulfilling relationships, and difficulties accessing needed services (Eddy et al., 2015). There is a significant need for mental wellness approaches for adolescents with disabilities and co-occurring mental health needs (D/MH) that can be implemented in school and home settings by educators, parents, and others who do not hold a mental health license to expand opportunities to individuals without health care or who do not otherwise have access to licensed professionals to receive necessary support (Poppen et al., 2016). The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020 has further highlighted the urgent need for mental wellness strategies that can be effectively implemented in a variety of environments by educators and families (JED Foundation, 2020). Setting goals is one such strategy (Eddy et al., 2015). This manuscript describes goal setting as a wellness strategy to support adolescents with D/MH and provides suggestions for implementation.
ISSN:0040-0599
2163-5684
DOI:10.1177/0040059920974706