DBT Skills in Elementary Schools

“This book represents a significant innovation in prevention-focused school-based mental health care by bringing empirically validated DBT skills into elementary schools. The DBT STEPS-E curriculum is uniquely grounded in contemporary psychological science, and is aligned with the developmental and contextual needs of K-5 students. The lessons are accessible to educators and mental health professionals while maintaining fidelity to the evidence base, ensuring that children acquire core skills in emotion regulation, decision making, and coping. This is an excellent resource that will shape how schools embed best practices into the classroom to promote mental health in the next generation.”--Nathaniel P. von der Embse, PhD, NCSP, School Psychology Program, University of South Florida

"DBT STEPS-E is highly user friendly. It includes scripted lesson plans along with recommendations for modifications to support a range of learners. This book will be of great interest to school-based mental health professionals, whether they will be supporting DBT STEPS-E implementation at Tier 1 in classrooms, delivering the curriculum as a Tier 2 intervention with small groups of students, or both."--Stephen Kilgus, PhD, School Psychology Program, University of Wisconsin–Madison

"From four leading experts who truly understand the importance of emotion regulation to mental health, this is a comprehensive and highly practical guide. Given the youth mental health crisis, teaching students how to develop emotion regulation, coping, and decision-making skills is critical, and there is no better time to begin than in elementary school. Providing a DBT-based curriculum and lesson guide informed by the authors’ previous work with adolescents, this excellent book should be required reading for mental health professionals, principals, and teachers in elementary schools."--David N. Miller, PhD, Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York

"As a school psychologist, I had the privilege of serving on one of the earliest DBT in Schools teams at Ardsley High School in 2008. Based on that experience, I see this manual as an invaluable resource. The DBT STEPS-E lesson plans are clear and easy to follow. The activities are fun and engaging. Most important, the program equips students with essential skills for life--how to get through emotional difficulties without making things worse, make good choices, and communicate effectively with others."--Dawn Catucci, MSEd, LMHC, former school psychologist; mental health counselor, Pleasantville, New York-