Bright Futures In Practice
Mental Health

Washington Bright Futures Home Page

Bright Futures: School Nurse Mental Health Promotion Training

Bright Futures is a vision, a philosophy, a set of expert guidelines, and a practical developmental approach to providing health supervision for children of all ages, from birth through adolescence.

Bright Futures in Practice—Mental Health, was published in 2002, and is a significant addition to the guideline set. Bright Futures’ focus is not on mental illness, but the promotion of mental health and early recognition of psychosocial problems and mental disorders. Tools are provided for health professionals, families, caregivers and communities to support mentally and emotionally healthy children.

Mental health is defined as the ability to:

• Experience a range of emotions.

• Possess positive self-esteem.

• Respect others.

• Harbor a sense of security and trust in self and the world.

Volume I of Bright Futures Mental Health is organized both by developmental stages and by “bridge topics” - common mental health challenges. Each section describes development in terms of self, family, friends, and community. “Office practices to promote family partnership” and “Community practices to promote mental health” are practical parts of each chapter that can be easily used in office or community settings. Commonly encountered mental health problems are described in a way as to be accessible to the non-psychiatric provider, and suggestions are given on how to obtain more information or help.

Volume II, the Tool Kit, contains easily reproducible information sheets, forms and lists that help families support children. Topics range from “How to soothe a crying baby” to “Safety tips for searching the internet.” Highly validated and easy-to-use tools are given to help health professionals recognize problems or personalize health teaching.

Bright Futures, in all forms, is being used more and more in both private medical and public health practice. In Washington State, the guidelines are used for teaching nurse practitioners at the University of Washington. The Washington State Department of Health, Office of Maternal and Child Health, has trained school nurse supervisors to use Bright Futures: Mental Health in busy school settings. Their Child and Adolescent Health section is using Bright Futures as a framework for youth development activities. They also are currently conducting a project on using Bright Futures principles and materials in early childhood and Head Start settings. Recent grant proposals to promote children’s health have incorporated Bright Futures. This is one of the most accessible and complete tools available to promote children’s early social-emotional development.

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