Critical issues:

The focus for the panel will be mental health issues relating to implementation of mental helth programs in schools. Each participant will be given 10-20 minutes to elaborate about the subject.Thereafter the audience may take part.

This pre-conference session is co-sponsored by the International Alliance of Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Schools, (Http://www.intercamhs.org) based at Education Development Center, Inc. in collaboration with PSYKISK HELSE I SKOLEN (http://www.psykiskhelseiskolen.no) in Oslo, Norway.  For questions, please contact Tove Bjelland at Psykisk Helse I Skolen 51-89-29-50 or Cheryl Vince Whitman, EDC, 1-617-618-2300 (cvincewhitman@edc.org) (Boston, MA, USA).

Anne Gro Tvedt, Leader and Advicer in Health Promotion in a Primary Prevention Program in Upper Secondary School focusing on mental health.The program started in 2000, from Dept. of Science and Strategy, Asker and Baerum Hospital, Norway, and is now a part of " Mental Health in School" a  national acting plan financed and run by the Norwegian Directorate for Health and Social Affairs in cooperation with Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training and five NGO`s in the field of mental health. Anne Gro has 6 years of experience how to develop collaborate work between schools and local  mental health service. She had a presentation of the program in 12th International Conference on Health Promoting Hospitals, May 2004 in Moscow

Torill Larsen has a PhD in Health Promotion and work as an associated professor at Betanien Diaconal University College, and as a researcher at The Research Centre for Health Promotion, University of Bergen. She is member of the expert group for Learning Environment in Primary and Secondary Education, appointed by the Directorate for Primary and Secondary Education. She has also been leading the expert group for developing a knowledge based guide on Principles and Strategies for Implementation of programs and interventions in primary and secondary schools (released sept 2006). Currently she is also a member of the project group responsible for evaluating the implementation of the national strategy for enhancing Physical activity and Healthy school meals, in primary and secondary schools. Special interest is in Health Promotion in schools; at present her research focus is on implementation, social competence traning, physical activity and healthy school meals and school leadership.

INTERCAMHS – International Alliance for Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Schools

Associate Professor Louise Rowling is President of 'Intercamhs' the International Alliance of Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Schools. Louise has published widely and is frequently invited as a keynote speaker at state, national and international conferences. She was co-director of the research and development phase of MindMatters (1998-9), the Australian national school mental health promotion project now in national dissemination.

Cheryl Vince Whitman, senior vice president of Education Development Center, Inc., an international organization addressing issues of education, health and social justice works extensively with ministries of education and health worldwide to promote the inclusion of mental health promotion and prevention of disorders into education policy and aspects of school environment, teaching practice, formal programs and links to services. She is also the vice-president of Intercamhs and EDC’s work as a WHO Collaboration Center advancing Health Promoting Schools.

Chris Bale is Director of Partnership for Children and a member of Intercamhs' Advisory Board.  Partnership for Children runs an international, school-based mental health promotion programme called Zippy's Friends, which is working in primary schools and kindergartens in ten countries, including Norway. Zippy's Friends has been extensively evaluated, and featured in publications by the WHO and World Federation for Mental Health.

For registration: raagholt@frisurf.no