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Abstract: 

The recently released report by the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office on mental health (Satcher, 1999) calls for the continuing development and broad-based application of systematic, comprehensive approaches to address the growing problems and expanding needs of our children and youth. This report provides substantive information about the roles of risk and protective factors associated with poor mental health outcomes for children. The more risks there are in a child’s life and the fewer offsetting protective factors, the more likely it is that vulnerable children and youth will experience destructive outcomes at some point in their lives. First Step is an early intervention designed to achieve secondary prevention goals and outcomes for behavior problem students who show clear effects of risk exposure prior to beginning their school careers.

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Affiliations:  1: College of Education, University of Oregon.