Harvard psychologist Dr. Ross W. Green speaks at The Providence Center on children with challenging behaviors
PROVIDENCE, RI (January 25, 2010) — The Providence Center School welcomed Harvard psychologist and acclaimed author Dr. Ross W. Greene at a professional development workshop on January 20. Dr. Greene presented on “Collaborative Problem Solving: Understanding and Helping Kids with Social, Emotional and Behavioral Challenges.”
Dr. Ross W. Greene (center) with Providence Center School Clinical Director Erin Lane (left) and Principal Marty Morris
Dr. Greene is associate clinical professor in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, the author of “Explosive Child” and “Lost at School,” and originator of the model of collaborative problem solving based on the belief that children will do well if they can, not simply if they want to. The model suggests that children exhibit challenging behaviors because they lack the cognitive skills that are required to respond adaptively. Dr. Greene encourages parents, teachers and clinicians to find the unsolved problems that precipitate the challenging behavior, solve them and teach the child the skills needed to succeed.
“Dr. Greene’s talk was thought-provoking,” said Erin Lane, clinical director of The Providence Center School. “School staff and clinicians from other Child and Family programs engaged in an interesting dialogue about how we identify and solve children’s problems.”
Dr. Greene consults extensively to general and special education schools, inpatient psychiatry units and residential and juvenile detention facilities. Information about his work and the collaborative problem solving model, including streaming videos of the presentation, can be found at www.livesinthebalance.org.
The Providence Center annually serves over 10,000 adults, children and adolescents experiencing mental illness, substance use and emotional problems. Since its establishment in 1969, The Providence Center has been part of Rhode Island’s exemplary behavioral health care system, offering a comprehensive array of treatment and rehabilitation services. For more information call 276-4020.