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School Social Work NOW
Supporting Innovative Practice, Effective Leadership & Applied Research
January 2011 - Vol 1, Issue 11 |
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| Greetings! |
Welcome to the New Year! ACSSW hopes the holiday break was one that surrounded you with relaxation, rejuvenation, love and hope. May the New Year bring much success and positive changes for the children and families you serve.
SAVE THE DATES! The 2nd National Summit on School Social Work Research will be held June 26-28 at the Hilton Chicago Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale, IL. This will be a forum in which to (1) learn about current research projects, (2) become familiar with research models you can apply in your setting and practice, and (3) showcase your projects to colleagues. Watch this newsletter for more information. Plan to join your colleagues for this unique experience! School teams are encouraged to attend.
If you wish to submit a proposal for the Summit, download the Summit Proposal Form and return to ACSSW by the February 1st deadline. Presentation time slots are very limited so don't delay.
If you find these newsletters of interest or value, ACSSW encourages you to forward them to your peers and colleagues. Simply click on the orange tab, below left and type in their email address. You are also encouraged to "Like" or "Tweet" these e-newsletters on Facebook or Twitter.
As mentioned in previous e-blasts, the ACSSW website is undergoing some changes and updating and is currently unavailable. The delay should not be long. ACSSW extends
its apologies for any inconvenience you may encounter.
Due to this technological "glitch", if you wish to become an active ACSSW member, please download the ACSSW Membership Registration Form and return by fax:1-224-649-4408; email: ACSSW@milwpc.com; or the USPS (address below). On-line registration will be available shortly. If you have questions, concerns, or ideas on how to improve the newsletter, don't hesitate to contact ACSSW.
President |
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| In the News |
 | | Kim Wasserburger |
SSW Receives International Education Award
Kim Wasserburger received the Karl Rohnke Creativity Award [in November] at an international convention of the Association for Experiential Education (AEE) held in Las Vegas, NV. The award is given to one person annually--a person who shows exceptional commitment to experiential education principles as demonstrated through their design, creation or production of experiential education resources. Wasserburger was recognized for the Journey program, a class which he helped conceive and has cultivated for the past 15 years at Lakeland Union High School (LUHS) [in WI]. To read about Kim and his program, click here.
Opinion: School Social Work Services . . . Offer a Unique Perspective
Thank you for the refreshing editorial regarding the contribution of school social workers in public education (Esther Cepeda, Dec. 10). My academic research for years has involved increasing our schools' capacity to help the children who are at greatest risk. Nationally, there is a great deal of momentum for the restructuring of services that are designed to remove barriers to learning. This restructuring has been inspired by the realization that reform efforts to date have been unsuccessful because projects and services designed to remove barriers to learning are viewed as supplementary and continue to operate on an ad hoc basis. Click here for full commentary.
Are Home Visits Normal?
Although not specific to school social work home visits, this article brings interesting perspectives to the discussion of home visits and school personnel. Read more. |
| Request for Research Assistance | |
An Examination of Homophobia and Social Work Practice Among a Sample of School Social Workers
Milka Ramírez, MSW, a member of the American Council for School Social Work and the School Social Work Association of America and a school social worker in Chicago, is conducting her doctoral research and would like you to participate in the 30 minute survey. Please take time to support this important research. Click the following link to participate in this essential work: Homophobia & Social Work |
| Practice Points |
This article provides insights on the genesis and prevention of bullying. It has been picked up by various parenting and mommy blogs. The author, Mucheru Njaga, has written a debut novel, Patch, a young adult novel loosely based on his own experiences at Prince of Wales Boarding School in Kenya. He was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, and studied creative writing at Hunter College. For more, click here.
Implementation of Systematic Supervision: How School Social Workers Can Support Positive Behavior Strategies
As a School Social Worker it is important to be cognizant of current initiatives within education,
especially as they relate to school social work. One of the most current initiatives is Response to
Intervention (RTI) and this initiative's reliance on data, including data collection, analysis, and
use in decision making. "RTI is a practice of applying high quality interventions and instruction,
monitoring progress frequently to make decisions about changes in instruction, and applying
child response data to important educational decisions", (Batsche et al., 2005). This article will
highlight how social workers can use data to support District School Improvement Goals,
Building School Improvement Goals, and highlight their role in educating all students. Learn more from Practitioner Joe Zima.
Study: Social Isolation in School Increases Children's Depression Risk
A study shows that children who did not have nay friends were the most likely to be depressed during their teenage years and that those who were socially withdrawn had the highest risk of having a depressive affect. The lead researcher said that social relationships are an important factor in a child's emotional health that is often overlooked in the academic setting. Read more. |
| Leadership News |
In an era when the motives and ambitions of leaders such as Barack Obama, Nicolas Sarkozy and David Cameron are under constant public and media scrutiny, new research conducted at the University of Kent has suggested that many people can and do lead because they want to help others. Although the research does not deny that some people want to and do lead in order to garner status and dominance over others, it has overturned traditional theories about leadership and challenged the leading hypothesis about the likely motives and personalities of leaders. More . . . |
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| Research Highlights | |
Gang Prevention: An Overview of Research and Programs
For more than half a century, gange have presented a critical challenge to communities across the United States. Despite the growth in the number of gangs and gang members over the past several years, little is known about the dynamics underlying this increase. We need to enhance our understanding of which youth join gangs and why. This bulletin draws on research findings to examine how gangs form and how communities may assess and respond to their gang problem. Read more.
Understanding Social Research: Unobtrusive Methods in Social Research
This Understanding Social Research series is designed to help students to understand how social research is carried out and to appreciate a variety of issues in social research methodology . . . Postgraduate research students and novice researchers will find the books equally helpful. It can be
downloaded at no cost. |
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| Diversity News | |
Protecting LGBT Youth
For the first time, researchers have established a clear link between accepting family attitudes and behaviors towards their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) children and significantly decreased risk and better overall health in adulthood. The study shows that specific parental and caregiver behaviors--such as advocating for their children when they are mistreated because of their LGBT identity or supporting their gender expression--protect against depression, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts in early adulthood. In addition, LGBT youth with highly accepting families have significantly higher levels of self-esteem and social support in young adulthood. The study is published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, a journal of the International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses, in a peer-reviewed article titled "Family Acceptance in Adolescence and the Health of LGBT Young Adults." For more about the study or for contact information, click here.
Gay Teens Get Harsher Punishments Than Straight, Study Finds
Gay and lesbian teens in the United States are about 40 percent more likely than their straight peers to be punished by schools, police and the courts, according to a study published Monday, which finds that girls are especially at risk for unequal treatment. The research, described as the first national look at sexual orientation and teen punishment, comes as a spate of high-profile bullying and suicide cases across the country have focused attention on the sometimes hidden cruelties of teen life. Click here to read more.
Circles of Care: Creating Models of Care for American Indian and Alaska Native Youth
Building resilience and reducing the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on young people in American Indian and Alaska Native tribal communities is a challenge. Whether these young people live in urban areas or remote reservations, "Indian kids have higher rates of just about everything," said Captain R. Andrew Hunt, M.S.W., L.I.C.S.W. Read more. |
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Request for Proposals | |
CSMH Request for Proposals
Proposals are now being accepted for the 16th Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health to be held September 22-24, 2011 at the Charleston Area Convention Center, Charleston, S.C. The Conference is sponsored by the Center for School Mental Health (CSMH) and the IDEA Partnership (funded by the Office of Special Education Programs [OSEP], sponsored by the National Association of State Directors of Special Education). The theme of this year's conference is School Mental Health: Achieving Student Success through Family, School, and Community Partnerships. The conference features twelve specialty tracks and offers speakers and participants numerous opportunities to advance knowledge and skills and to network related to school mental health practice, research, training, and policy. The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2011--all proposals must be submitted online: http://csmh.umaryland.edu |
| Grants & Funding Opportunities | |
How Can Educators Better Incorporate Student Voices in Decision Making?
Students have valuable input that can help guide decisions about curricular design, scheduling, school rules and procedures. We constantly make decisions for and about them without involving them. Learn how to win $2500 for your solution. Read more.
How Can Educators Facilitate Positive Parental Involvement?
Parent and family involvement helps strengthen students' learning. Often parents are not involved in school life for an array of reasons. Propose a solution and possibly win up to $2500. Learn how. |
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ACSSW Activities | |
ACSSW, in conjunction with university professors and direct service practitioners, is involved in a number of activities that are designed to advance the profession while examining and applying the field of research in relation to school social work. It is the intent of ACSSW to facilitate the conversations and activities regarding research between and among academics and practitioners. This is being done with the purpose of strengthening the profession of school social work and facilitating research development application.
As you are aware, the three major activities being promoted are (1) increasing research projects and their application within the school environment, (2) developing a national school social work role paper and, a more long-term goal, (3) establishing a National Center for School Social Work Research.
Recently, calls were held regarding research projects. Another will be scheduled for January.
Initial teleconference calls are being scheduled for January for persons interested in helping to develop a national school social work role paper, a much needed professional document. Information will be included in future newsletters. Again, if you are interested, be sure to contact Judie Shine so that you can be notified of the date/time.
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