Group-Centered Prevention in Mental Health (PDF)

Elaine Clanton Harpine, Ph.D., is a motivational psychologist specializing in group-centered motivational program design. She has 43 years of experience designing and conducting motivational prevention programs for children and youth. Dr. Clanton Harpine earned her doctorate in Educational Psychology, Counseling from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Her research for the past 13 years has focused on using group-centered interventions with at-risk readers. Dr. Clanton Harpine designed the motivational reading program called, Camp Sharigan, which she has used extensively in her work and research. She also designed the Reading Orienteering Club after-school prevention program and 4-Step Method for teaching at-risk children to read. Her research with these programs has been published in psychological journals and reported through presentations at the American Psychological Association's annual conventions.



In recent years, Dr. Clanton Harpine has been teaching Group Therapy and Counseling, Lifespan Development and Human Growth and Development at the University of South Carolina Aiken and is continuing her research with group-centered prevention. She is the editor for the "Prevention Corner" column, which appears quarterly in The Group Psychologist. She was selected for inclusion in Who's Who of American Women, 2006-2014, for her work with children in inner-city neighborhoods and at-risk communities.

“Group-Centered Prevention in Mental Health is a text for teaching group-centered prevention in graduate programs as well as a step-by-step guide for practitioners who need to understand how to put together group interventions for use in building a cohesive environment ... . this book can be a great motivator for professionals (e.g., psychologists, health care social workers, school counselors) to start thinking about other problems that can be solved in a group-centered prevention program.” (Leslie B. Rosen, PsycCRITIQUES, Vol. 61 (24), June, 2016)

“Harpine has contributed greatly to our understanding and promotion of prevention group work for years. … One of the strongest contributions Harpine offers in this book is a description of the successful ‘Reading Orienteering Group’ that she has led for years. This unique application of group principles and methods to the development of reading skills is truly a substantive addition to our group-centered prevention work. … The most outstanding characteristic of the book is its specificity.” (John Dagley, The Group Psychologist, div49tgp.com, April, 2016)

“This book about the importance of group-centered prevention explores the benefits of prevention groups, characteristics of leaders, and stages of development. … The book is easy to read and practical, with clinical examples. This is a practical book on prevention groups that explores the basic concepts of group structure and process. Written by an expert in the field with many decades of experience, it addresses an important topic -- focusing on prevention that may help reduce future difficulties.” (Gary B. Kaniuk, Doody’s Book Reviews, April, 2016)