ASE MENTAL HEALTH CONCEPTUALIZATION GUIDE The ASE Academy — intern-resources.html ================================================================================ This guide supports ASE-informed conceptualization of common school mental health presentations. It is not a diagnostic manual. Use it alongside the EPM. FRAMING NOTE: Governors are neither purely harmful nor purely helpful. Every Constitutional profile includes both vulnerabilities and strengths. Every Cultural governor carries both burdens and resources. Every Circumstantial condition creates both pressures and possibilities. The ASE question always maps both directions. ================================================================================ PRESENTING CONCERN: ___________________________________________ Student (initials/grade only): ___________ Date: ___________ ================================================================================ CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNOR — HARMFUL CONDITIONS What neurological, biological, or developmental factors are creating difficulty? CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNOR — CONTRIBUTORY CONDITIONS What constitutional strengths or capacities are available to work with? ================================================================================ CULTURAL GOVERNOR — HARMFUL CONDITIONS What cultural pressures, mismatches, or stigmas are bearing on this student? CULTURAL GOVERNOR — CONTRIBUTORY CONDITIONS What cultural resources, community supports, or traditions are available? ================================================================================ CIRCUMSTANTIAL GOVERNOR — HARMFUL CONDITIONS What specific, time-bound conditions are creating urgency or complexity? CIRCUMSTANTIAL GOVERNOR — CONTRIBUTORY CONDITIONS What relational anchors, stable routines, or recent positive conditions remain active? ================================================================================ ASE QUESTION — MAP BOTH DIRECTIONS Which constitutional, cultural, and circumstantial conditions are harmful to or limiting this student? Which constitutional, cultural, and circumstantial conditions are contributing to or sustaining this student? Governors are neither purely harmful nor purely helpful — name both sides before generating any hypothesis or intervention. ================================================================================ ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY INDICATED What does the school, classroom, or family environment need to change or provide? What existing resources need to be activated or strengthened? ================================================================================ REFERRAL INDICATORS PRESENT? [ ] No — school counseling appropriate [ ] Yes — refer to: _____________________________ [ ] Assess further before determining ================================================================================ NOTES FOR SUPERVISION ================================================================================ COMMON PRESENTATIONS — REFERENCE NOTES Each entry below lists both harmful and contributory conditions for all three governors. The ASE counselor names both sides before generating any hypothesis. ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── DEPRESSION Constitutional (harmful): Neurobiological vulnerability, disrupted sleep, hormonal shifts Constitutional (helpful): Depth of feeling, relational attunement, capacity for introspection, motivation restored through connection Cultural (harmful): Stigma, suppression norms, grief traditions mismatched to therapy Cultural (helpful): Community cohesion, spiritual practices, collective support, elder relationships that carry meaning Circumstantial (harmful): Loss, chronic stress, relational rupture, economic instability Circumstantial (helpful): Remaining relational anchors, stable routines, access to a trusted adult, recent events that signal possibility Referral: >2 weeks persistent, significant impairment, SI present ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ANXIETY Constitutional (harmful): Threat-detection calibration, sensory processing differences Constitutional (helpful): Attentiveness and vigilance; conscientiousness; relational sensitivity that reads others accurately; capacity to anticipate and plan Cultural (harmful): Achievement pressure, perfectionism, immigration-related threat Cultural (helpful): Practices of preparation and diligence; community solidarity; spiritual frameworks that provide containment; family emphasis on foresight as protection Circumstantial (harmful): High-stakes events, transitions, environmental unpredictability Circumstantial (helpful): Upcoming transitions that also bring opportunity; co-regulating relationships; prior experiences of managing difficult moments successfully Referral: Panic attacks, school refusal, severe avoidance, OCD-spectrum presentations ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ATTENTION / EXECUTIVE FUNCTION Constitutional (harmful): ADHD profile, sleep deprivation, trauma history (mimics ADHD) Constitutional (helpful): High creativity and divergent thinking; hyperfocus in preferred domains; strong verbal ability; sensitivity to social dynamics Cultural (harmful): Mismatch with school's passive, seated, individual work norm Cultural (helpful): Community environments valuing hands-on learning, movement, or oral expression; cultures where practical skill and relational intelligence are prized Circumstantial (harmful): Environmental chaos, emotional preoccupation, unsafe classroom Circumstantial (helpful): Stable home routines, predictable classroom structure, access to a co-regulating adult, learning contexts with built-in movement and engagement Referral: Evaluate only after ruling out environmental contributors; refer to school psychologist for assessment when indicated ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── BEHAVIORAL / EXTERNALIZING Constitutional (harmful): High activation baseline, impulse regulation still developing Constitutional (helpful): High energy and relational engagement; leadership capacity; honesty and directness; strong sense of justice; protective instincts toward peers Cultural (harmful): Racialized discipline patterns, compliance-as-"good behavior" norms Cultural (helpful): Cultural emphasis on relational loyalty; community practices of accountability and repair; adults outside school who offer respect and structure Circumstantial (harmful): Relational conflict, academic failure, boredom/under-challenge Circumstantial (helpful): Relationships with adults who see past the behavior; structured activity channeling activation; recent moments of success or recognition Note: Behavioral referrals often describe the environment more than the student. Begin with the EPM before accepting the referral's framing. ================================================================================ The ASE Academy | info@ASETheory.com | ASETheory.com