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School Social Work Now!
Supporting Innovative Practice, Effective
Leadership & Applied Research
September 2011 - Vol 2, Issue 1 |
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Some Free, Some Not
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| Greetings! | |
Another school year has begun, and the excitement and adventure of months to come is in the air. You can feel and hear it in the halls and classrooms of your schools. The sense of "possibility" is everywhere.
But as we take the first steps down this new road of 2011-2012, one of the first challenges we may meet is the observance of September 11th, 2001. Schools across the country are preparing to honor the memory of that tragic event.
It is important to respect the memories and sacrifices of those who perished and to reflect on what this act of terror did to--and for--the country. Those who experienced the horror have vivid memories of that day, especially the morning when the planes hit their targets. It's very likely you can say exactly where you were when you learned of the news and can recall how you spent that day. The horror, fear, disbelief, and shock were palpable.
We also honor the heroism of responders, some of whom themselves lost their lives, who without hesitation acted to save the lives of many. We grieve and remember with those who lost loved ones in this senseless act.
Mostly, however, as school social workers we will support and encourage the students who are old enough to remember and will work to assuage the fear of students who are too young to remember but may be fearful because of what they hear or see on TV or from others.
Our students are resilient. While we need to respect the feelings or memories they have, we also need to assure them of their current safety and respond to questions and emotions factually at developmentally appropriate levels. If you are unable to meet that need for whatever reason, please honor your own feelings and excuse yourself from the process.
Through this event we have showed ourselves and the world that we can overcome devastating attacks, coming together for a common cause, overcoming situations that threaten us. We have not and can not let it define who we are.
Judith Kullas Shine President |
| Professional Development Opportunities | |
This link includes state, national and international professional development opportunities. If you represent an organization with PDOs of interest to school social workers, please contact ACSSW with details. All submissions will be considered for posting based upon relevance, timing, and interest level. |
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| Practice Points | |
The SSI program for children is rapidly expanding, with the biggest increase among kids with mental, behavioral and learning disorders, including ADHD, speech delays, autism and bipolar disorder... The Boston Globe fueled a lot of the backlash with a series last December that termed the children's SSI program "The Other Welfare" and followed several families whose children's eligibility for the program was questionable. Several of the families, the articles reported, believed that they had to medicate their children with psychotropic drugs in order to qualify for the benefit. The Globe series spurred Rep. Geoff Davis (R-KY), Rep. Richard E. Neal (D-MA) and Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA), to request an investigation by the Government Accountability Office, which is expected to be released by the end of the year. In a January letter to the GAO, the three lawmakers expressed concern about "recent reports in the media and elsewhere" that "have identified potentially alarming practices ... [that raise] numerous concerns, including the potential for fraud and abuse in the program." More.
Mom's Negative View of a Mentally Ill Child Can Harm Recovery Potential
A mother's attitude toward her child's mental illness has important consequences for the child's recovery, according to new research by Beth Angell, an associate professor with the School of Social Work and the Institute for Health Care Policy and Aging Research at Rutgers. For more than a decade, Angell has been studying how people with mental illness live within the community, including the effects of treatment and stigma on their recovery. Her latest research, a longitudinal study of 129 adult children with mental illness and their mothers, revealed that when moms labeled their children in terms such as "incompetent'' or "unpredictable,'' the children with mental illness were more likely to view themselves that way. This was associated with a downturn in functioning and well-being. Read full article.
Bullying Affects Academics, Especially for Blacks and Latinos, Study Finds
Bullying not only causes physical and emotional damage, but victims may also suffer academically, particularly high-achieving black and Latino students, a recently presented study found. Two sociologists discovered that the grade point average of all students who were bullied in 10th grade dropped by 12th grade, according to the Boston Herald. The GPAs of white students dropped slightly while the grade point averages of black students dropped almost one-third of a point and bullied Latinos lost half a point. Stereotypes of minorities as being tough or street smart could be one reason to blame, Lisa M. Williams, lead author of the study and Ohio State University doctoral student, said. Click here for more. Additional information.
Teachers Prepare for 10th Anniversary of September 11th
As the nation prepares to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, many teachers are struggling with how to teach about the disastrous events to students who might have a living memory of the events. Many younger students, meanwhile, might not even realize the significance of the day itself.
Think about how you can support students and teachers as they plan to approach the 10th anniversary of 9/11/01. |
| Leadership News | |
By building a better relationship with your team you'll find that:
- You can accomplish more in shorter periods of time
- The team functions as a true team rather than a group of individuals
- Conflicts are managed better among team members
- The team works together more effectively and efficiently
- The team gets "up to speed" on the project in a shorter time frame
Read the 5 Simple Steps to improved team relationships. |
| Research Highlights | |
Yet another panel of scientists has found no evidence that a popular vaccine causes autism. But despite the scientists' best efforts, their report is unlikely to have any impact on the frustrating debate about the safety of these crucial medicines. "The M.M.R. vaccine doesn't cause autism, and the evidence is overwhelming that it doesn't," Dr. Ellen Wright Clayton, the chairwoman of the panel, assembled by the Institute of Medicine, said in an interview. She was referring to a combination against measles, mumps and rubella that has long been a focus of concern from some parents' groups... Many children injured by vaccination have an immune or metabolic problem that is simply made apparent by vaccines. "In some metabolically vulnerable children, receiving vaccines may be the largely nonspecific 'last straw' that leads these children to reveal their underlying" problems, the report stated. Read more.
CAMBODIA -- Lack of Research Among Academics a "Problem": Lecturer
Cambodia's higher education would do well to include more research and critical thinking demands on its professors, a university lecturer said Thursday.
"When [academics] do research, it is like they are exercising and it requires them to think critically, thus boosting the overall quality of their abilities and work," said Peou Chivoin, a lecturer of media theory and research at the Royal University of Phnom Penh. "When people conduct research, they get to know social phenomena and try to determine problems that arise and come up with solutions." More. |
| In the News | |
Suicide among Irish children has almost doubled in a decade, a new survey has found. The Suicide in Ireland survey, conducted by UCD professor of psychiatry Kevin Malone, included speaking to the families of 83 people aged under 35 who died by suicide, 14 of whom were children younger than 18.
"The data shows there was a 40 per cent increase in the rate of suicide in 15- to 17-year-old boys and the rate has doubled in girls aged under 18," he said. In terms of the rate per 100,000, Prof Malone said there was an increase from 9.3 boys aged 15-17 annually in the 1990s to 13.5 boys a decade later. With regard to girls under 18, he said there was an increase from 2.6 girls in the 1990s to 5.1 girls annually a decade later, and he described the figures for girls as "conservative". "You're talking about almost two children a month taking their lives in Ireland," said Prof Malone. He said of those children who had contact with mental health services, "their mental-health issues were being shoehorned into an adult service environment". Click to continue.
High School Mental Health Screens Are Effective
A new study suggests routine mental health screening in high school can identify adolescents at risk for mental illness. Authorities can then reach out and connect the identified adolescents with recommended follow-up care. The study involved nearly 2,500 high school students and is the largest school-based study by the Teen Screen Center for Mental Health Checkups at Columbia University. Researchers report their findings in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Investigators studied six public high schools in suburban Wisconsin between 2005 and 2009. They discovered that nearly three out of four high school students identified as being at risk for having a mental health problem were not in treatment at the time of screening. Of those students identified as at-risk, a significant majority (76.3 percent) completed at least one visit with a mental health provider within 90 days of screening. More than half (56.3 percent) received minimally adequate treatment, defined as having three or more visits with a provider, or any number of visits if termination was agreed to by the provider.
"It is gratifying to have further evidence that TeenScreen successfully connects at-risk adolescents with mental health care," said Laurie Flynn, TeenScreen's executive director. "The value of school-based screening is reinforced by this study and highlights Teen Screen's unique ability to help teens whose mental health problems would otherwise go unidentified," said Leslie McGuire, M.S.W., TeenScreen's deputy executive director, and an author of the paper. Read more. |
| Grants & Funding |
Libri Foundation: Books for Children
TheLibri Foundation Books for Children Grants donate new, quality, hardcover children's books for small, rural, public libraries across the country. Maximum award: varies. Eligibility: Libraries should be in a rural area, have a limited operating budget, and an active children's department. The average total operating budget of a Books for Children grant recipient must be less than $40,000. Deadline: January 23, 2011. Application Guidelines.
Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program is the United States' largest youth recognition program based exclusively on volunteer community service. The program was created in 1995 by Prudential in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) to honor middle level and high school students for outstanding service to others at the local, state, and national level. A trip to Washington, DC and $1000 is the top award for students in grades 5 to 12 who have completed a colunteer service activity. Deadline: November 1, 2011. More information.
CVS: Caremark Community Grants
The CVS Caremark Community Grants Program is currently accepting proposals for programs targeting children with disabilities that address: health and rehabilitation services; a greater level of inclusion in student activities and extracurricular programs; opportunities or facilities that give greater access to physical movement and play; provision to uninsured individuals with needed care, in particular programs where the care received is of higher quality and delivered by providers who participate in accountable community health care programs. Maximum award: $5,000. Eligibility: nonprofit organizations. Deadline: October 31, 2011. Learn more.
Target K-12 Field Trip Grants Program
Target Corporation is accepting applications from education professionals for the Target Field Trip Grants program to bring K-12 students in the United States to museums, historical sites, and cultural organizations. Over five thousand grants of up to $700 will be awarded in January 2012. Grants are available to applicants from the U.S. for trips to be taken between January 1, 2012, and the end of the 2011-12 academic year (May/June 2012). Funds may be used to cover field trip-related costs such as transportation, ticket fees, food, resource materials, and supplies. Deadline: October 3, 2011. Link to Complete RFP.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Foundation Invites School Personnel to Apply
A total of $150,000 in grants will be awarded to school personnel working in 2012 to help school-aged children reduce their cardiovascular risk, increase their physical activity, and/or learn healthy eating habits . . . Deadline: October 14, 2011. Click for details.
Kids in Need Foundation Offers Teacher Grants for Creative Classroom Projects
Grants between $100 and $500 will be awarded to U.S. K-12 teachers working to provide innovative learning opportunities for their students. Deadline: September 30, 2011. Details here.
Sodexo Foundation and Youth Service America Invite Applications for Youth-Led Children's Hunger Volunteer Projects
Twenty-five $500 grants will be awarded to volunteer projects that address the issue of childhood hunger at the community level and are conducted by young people between the ages of 5 and 25 who live in the United States. Deadline: September 16, 2011. Link to complete RFP. |
| ACSSW Activities | |
ACSSW's present activities include:
- increasing research projects and their application within the school environment;
- developing a national school social work role paper;
- establishing a National Center for School Social Work Research, a long-term goal, and
- developing the 3rd National School Social Work Research Summit to be held June 24-26, 2012, in Bloomingdale, IL (a Chicago suburb) at the Hilton Chicago/Indian Lakes Resort.
If you have interest in participating in any of these activities, contact Judie Shine. ACSSW strives to be inclusive and transparent in all of its activities and welcomes, whether lengthy or short, the participation of its members. |
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