ABSTRACT
As documented in chapters throughout this book, many promising and well-established interventions have been developed for treating even the most burdensome and debilitating mental health problems experienced by youth. Two overlapping realities, however, can interfere with the success of these interventions: (1) schools and communities rarely have enough resources to identify and provide intensive services for the large number of youth who experience severe emotional and behavioral problems; and (2) many youth who would benefit from early interventions to reduce risk go unnoticed and do not receive any services at all (see Herman, Merrell, Reinke, & Tucker, 2004; Reinke, Herman, & Tucker, 2006). It is exciting to have strategies that can help individuals overcome mental health problems. Without a broader approach, however, individual or group interventions will not impact the population health or reduce the incidence or prevalence of these conditions (Biglan, 1995).
