Overview
In the wake of the April 2006 Virginia Tech shootings, governor Timothy Kaine appointed an independent panel to investigate the incident and to recommend potential policy changes that might prevent such a tragedy from occurring again. The incident itself and the work of the panel mobilized the entire nation to examine many aspects of the tragedy, most centrally university mental health systems. Certain aspects of the case raised issues that were not addressed by the resulting report, such as the role of the college mental health system in the lives of young adults, the complexity of identifying the mental health needs of students, and the shortcomings of mental health delivery systems within colleges as well the larger community. The Virginia Tech Massacre is based on the experience and unique perspective of Dr. Aradhana Bela Sood, a panel member appointed to the special independent review committee which was asked to consult specifically on the mental health system implications of the VA Tech shooting. This book discloses Sood's personal experience as a child psychiatrist and panel member, and her role in shaping the final report. Sood, along with co-editor Dr. Robert Cohen, who has been involved in studying and reforming mental health policy for more than 40 years, and carefully selected expert contributors take readers on a journey examining the mental health vulnerabilities of youth transitioning to adulthood, the limitations of existing warning tools for violence, and local, regional, and national gaps in mental health service delivery across the United States. This book offers examples of effective mental health services, policies, and strategies, and it provides concrete and pragmatic recommendations for how to begin overhauling the delivery of mental health services. The Virginia Tech Massacre is topical and timely, given the widespread interface between violence in the public arena and mental health issues. It will be a critical resource to mental health professionals, policymakers and legislators, state and local government officials, higher education personnel, and social workers and others in the human service fields. It will also be of interest to those concerned about gun violence and mental health and students in psychiatry, psychology, social work, and public health.
Full Product Details
Author: Aradhana Bela Sood (Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine) ,
Robert Cohen (Visiting Scholar, Visiting Scholar, Northern Arizona University)
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc
Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc
Dimensions:
Width: 15.50cm
, Height: 2.80cm
, Length: 23.60cm
Weight: 0.522kg
ISBN: 9780195392494
ISBN 10: 0195392493
Pages: 288
Publication Date: 23 October 2014
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: To order
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.
Reviews
Virginia Tech, Santa Barbara, Connecticut, Columbine * the list grows longer each year. What must we do as a nation to prevent these terrible tragedies? Dr. Sood, Dr. Cohen, and their colleagues reach beyond the blame game to identify what we all could have done better to prevent the Virginia Tech massacre. They examine the contributions of inadequately funded student services, the challenges of a legal system that places individual rights over public safety, the profound inadequacies of our mental health system, and the contributions of our nation's poorly conceived gun laws to this awful event. They identify the missed opportunities in each sector that, if realized, might have helped prevent it. They distill lessons we can use to help prevent similar future tragedies. Policymakers and concerned citizens: read fast. This is the type of information we need to create real and meaningful change. * With ongoing political, cultural, and ethical discussions both locally and nationally around issues of gun control, freedom of speech, privacy, and an ongoing urgent need to combat stigma of mental illness, this book holds a unique place in the dialogue- offering more insight and evidence for our collective consideration. Dr. Sood's window to this event is unique, and while she uses research to support her assertions, her ability to use this event through which to propose more detailed intervention and preventions is impressive. Readers at all levels of training and career as well as varied disciplines will benefit from this book. * Amy M. Ursano, MD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Training Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship, University of North Carolina *
With ongoing political, cultural, and ethical discussions both locally and nationally around issues of gun control, freedom of speech, privacy, and an ongoing urgent need to combat stigma of mental illness, this book holds a unique place in the dialogue--offering more insight and evidence for our collective consideration. Dr. Sood's window to this event is unique, and while she uses research to support her assertions, her ability to use this event through which to propose more detailed intervention and preventions is impressive. Readers at all levels of training and career as well as varied disciplines will benefit from this book. --Amy M. Ursano, MD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Training Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship, University of North Carolina Virginia Tech, Santa Barbara, Connecticut, Columbine--the list grows longer each year. What must we do as a nation to prevent these terrible tragedies? Dr. Sood, Dr. Cohen, and their colleagues reach beyond the blame game to identify what we all could have done better to prevent the Virginia Tech massacre. They examine the contributions of inadequately funded student services, the challenges of a legal system that places individual rights over public safety, the profound inadequacies of our mental health system, and the contributions of our nation's poorly conceived gun laws to this awful event. They identify the missed opportunities in each sector that, if realized, might have helped prevent it. They distill lessons we can use to help prevent similar future tragedies. Policymakers and concerned citizens: read fast. This is the type of information we need to create real and meaningful change. --Lyndee Knox, PhD, CEO and Senior Scientist, LA Net Community and Practice Based Research
With ongoing political, cultural, and ethical discussions both locally and nationally around issues of gun control, freedom of speech, privacy, and an ongoing urgent need to combat stigma of mental illness, this book holds a unique place in the dialogue- offering more insight and evidence for our collective consideration. Dr. Sood's window to this event is unique, and while she uses research to support her assertions, her ability to use this event through which to propose more detailed intervention and preventions is impressive. Readers at all levels of training and career as well as varied disciplines will benefit from this book. Amy M. Ursano, MD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Training Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship, University of North Carolina Virginia Tech, Santa Barbara, Connecticut, Columbine the list grows longer each year. What must we do as a nation to prevent these terrible tragedies? Dr. Sood, Dr. Cohen, and their colleagues reach beyond the blame game to identify what we all could have done better to prevent the Virginia Tech massacre. They examine the contributions of inadequately funded student services, the challenges of a legal system that places individual rights over public safety, the profound inadequacies of our mental health system, and the contributions of our nation's poorly conceived gun laws to this awful event. They identify the missed opportunities in each sector that, if realized, might have helped prevent it. They distill lessons we can use to help prevent similar future tragedies. Policymakers and concerned citizens: read fast. This is the type of information we need to create real and meaningful change.
Author Information
Aradhana Bela Sood, MD, MSHA, is Senior Professor for Child Mental Health Policy and Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. She is the past Medical Director of VCU's Virginia Treatment Center for Children and recent past Chair of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Sood is also secretary of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Robert Cohen, PhD, is an independent policy and program development consultant and visiting scholar at Northern Arizona University. Dr. Cohen has been involved in the development, implementation, and evaluation of children's mental health and youth violence prevention policy and programs from a comprehensive, systems-based ecological perspective for the past 45 years.
