DBT Skills in Schools: Skills Training for Emotional Problem Solving for Adolescents (DBT Steps-A)

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills have been demonstrated to be effective in helping adolescents manage difficult emotional situations, cope with stress, and make better decisions. From leading experts in DBT and school-based interventions, this unique manual offers the first nonclinical application of DBT skills. The book presents an innovative social–emotional learning curriculum designed to be taught at the universal level in grades 6–12. Explicit instructions for teaching the skills--mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness--are provided in 30 lesson plans, complete with numerous reproducible tools: 99 handouts, a diary card, and three student tests. The large-size format facilitates photocopying; the reproducible materials can also be downloaded and printed.

See also the authors’ program for younger students: DBT Skills in Elementary Schools: Skills Training for Emotional Problem Solving in Grades K-5 (DBT STEPS-E)

This book is in The Guilford Practical Intervention in the Schools Series, edited by Sandra M. Chafouleas.

James J. Mazza, PhD, is Professor in the College of Education at the University of Washington, where he teaches and conducts research in the field of adolescent mental health. Dr. Mazza’s research focuses particularly on adolescent internalizing disorders, such as depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, exposure to violence, and, especially, suicidal behavior. His work also examines the complex relationships among adolescent mental health issues, social–emotional abilities, and academic skills, and how to address these within a multi-tiered systems of support framework. Dr. Mazza has written extensively on how to identify youth who are at risk for suicidal behavior, as well as on how to develop social–emotional learning curricula to help all students learn emotion regulation skills. A codeveloper of the DBT STEPS-A and DBT STEPS-E curricula, he provides consultation and training to school personnel internationally. Dr. Mazza is a cofounder of DBT in Schools, LLC.

Elizabeth T. Dexter-Mazza, PsyD, President and cofounder of DBT in Schools, LLC, is a codeveloper of the DBT STEPS-A and DBT STEPS-E curricula. She provides DBT training and consultation to schools, mental health agencies, and mental health providers around the world. Certified as a DBT therapist by the DBT-Linehan Board of Certification, Dr. Dexter-Mazza completed her postdoctoral fellowship under the direction of Marsha M. Linehan at the University of Washington. She served as Clinical Director and a research therapist for Dr. Linehan’s research studies, providing comprehensive DBT to clients. Dr. Dexter-Mazza has published many book chapters and peer-reviewed articles on DBT, borderline personality disorder, and graduate school training in managing suicidal clients.

Alec L. Miller, PsyD, is Cofounder and Clinical Director of Cognitive and Behavioral Consultants, White Plains and New York, New York, and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York. Dr. Miller served for over 20 years as Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Chief of Child and Adolescent Psychology, Director of the Adolescent Depression and Suicide Program, and Associate Director of Psychology Training at Montefiore Medical Center. He is a scientific advisor to the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention and the National Educational Alliance of Borderline Personality Disorder, a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, and past Chair of the International Society for the Improvement and Training of DBT. He has published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and books on topics including DBT, adolescent suicide, childhood maltreatment, and borderline personality disorder. He is the coauthor of DBT Skills in Schools, DBT Skills Manual for Adolescents, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy with Suicidal Adolescents. He has conducted over 400 lectures and workshops around the world, training thousands of mental health professionals in DBT.

Jill H. Rathus, PhD, is a former Professor of Psychology at Long Island University Post, where she directed the DBT Clinical Research Lab. She is also cofounder and codirector of Cognitive Behavioral Associates, a treatment and training center in Great Neck, New York. Dr. Rathus is coauthor of books including Dialectical Behavior Therapy with Suicidal Adolescents and DBT Skills Manual for Adolescents, and is a coauthor of the DBT STEPS-A and DBT STEPS-E curricula for secondary and elementary school settings. She consults internationally, has trained thousands of mental health professionals in the United States and worldwide, and is widely published in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Rathus is a recipient of the Cindy Sanderson Outstanding Educator Award from the International Society for the Improvement and Training of DBT and serves as Co-Chair of the Treatment Integrity Committee of the World DBT Association.

Heather E. Murphy, PhD, NCSP, has a private practice in Seattle, Washington, where she works with self-harming and suicidal adolescents. She is adjunct faculty in educational psychology at the University of Washington. Dr. Murphy previously worked as a school psychologist in elementary, middle, and high schools for 7 years. During that time, she developed districtwide procedures for intervening with suicidal youth and standard practices for responding to a suicide. Dr. Murphy’s research, publications, and clinical work focus on adolescent mental health, LGBT youth, and suicide intervention with adolescents.