SDQ Education and Training

Professor Robert Goodman, the inventor of the SDQ, estimates that there are a significant number of children and young people (5% or more) with unrecognised serious mental health disorders. We perceive that the SDQ now needs to facilitate embedding within organisations to expand assessment coverage and facilitate wide scale mental health screening. We particularly identify “ordinary” schools as the most important focus for screening programmes; we recognise, as well, the benefits of an organisational focus for social services, clinical practices and other caring organisations.

Proposed requirements

Since 2016, the SDQ has been developed beyond the decade-old paper questionnaire and scoring website model. Longitudinal and self-entered assessment have been introduced as well as software tools for analysing cohorts (e.g., classes, practice lists, special needs groups), much-enhanced data export and even interfaces with organisation-wide patient, client and student management systems.

Education and Training for the SDQ

SDQ practitioners within organisations are likely to benefit from having a wider range of eduction and skills beyond those required of early adopters. Requirements may involve, for example:

  • managing, justifying, promoting and organising SDQ assessment initiatives
  • training and succession within SDQ-adopting organisations
  • export, analysis and presentation of SDQ data in a complete organisational context
  • understanding of data protection and consent in the SDQ context
  • interfacing the SDQ to organisational computer systems
  • competence in using, supervising and training through the full range of SDQ software services (e.g., SDQscore, SDQplus, SDQcohort, DAWBA)
  • therapeutic options beyond the SDQ and DAWBA.

    Certification and accreditation

    Recognised certification and accreditation is an important aspect of SDQ training. We will advise, assist and formally certify organisations and individuals who establish appropriate training and education programmes for the SDQ.

    Invitation

    Organisations and individuals are invited to contact Janice Sidnell and Jake Smith at sdqtraining@youthinmind.com to discuss involvement in the SDQ education and training initiative.