WHEN ACADEMIC ASSISTANCE IS NOT ENOUGH - ADDRESSING THE MENTAL-HEALTHISSUES OF ADOLESCENTS AND ADULTS WITH LEARNING-DISABILITIES

This article focuses on an answer to a critical question for adolescen ts and adults with learning disabilities: How can professionals assist students with learning disabilities who have psychosocial issues that appear to be affecting their academic progress and life adjustment? I nherent in this inquiry are other, equally important issues, such as: How do learning disabilities service providers know when to involve ot her service providers? What are the steps in referring a student for f urther assistance with different mental health issues? When are team i nterventions necessary? How are team interventions conducted in either secondary or postsecondary settings? How should learning disabilities service providers establish the boundaries of their professional expe rtise and/or responsibilities to adequately meet the needs of individu als with learning disabilities This article illustrates answers to the se questions by providing examples of interventions and case studies f rom two federally funded research/demonstration projects at the Univer sity of Minnesota: the Learning Disabilities Transition Project and Pr oject Extra. The authors describe theoretical models for mental hearth services that address the psychosocial issues frequently encountered in academic or vocational settings. Recommendations are also included that discuss how the models can be personalized to fit the reader's ho me institution or agency.