School Social Work Now!

Supporting Innovative Practice, Effective

Leadership & Applied Research 

A Delicate Brain: Ethical and Practical Considerations for the Use of Medications in Very Young Children     

Amidst federal inquiries into financial ties to pharmaceutical companies by researchers, decreasing interface between academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies, and decreasing research funding available from the NIH, the use of psychotropic medications-particularly atypical antipsychotics and stimulants-remains mired in controversy. Absent significant changes to the current system of care and political climate and more research into the efficacy and long-term safety of psychotropic medications in children, this controversy will continue to grow. Our youngest and most vulnerable children-those with significant mental health concerns for whom psychotropic medications are prescribed-are most affected by this controversy. The historical context for this controversy, the ethical implications of the current state of care for young children in the mental health care system, and the limited knowledge of the developmental neurobiological impact of these medications provide the background for a much-needed critical discussion. Empirical research has shown that preschoolers can and do experience debilitating mental health problems that interfere with normal development and cause significant suffering for them and their families.  Read more.  (Free registration required to access).  

Rethinking District Budgets to Unify and Sustain a Critical Mass of Student and Learning Supports at School    

What Makes a "Thought Leader"?  

The term 'thought leader' seems as much in vogue today as 'social media expert,' was yesterday. Both terms are over-used, or so it seems to me, and that unfortunately lessens the impact of the words.

Many people and companies claim thought leadership. Few achieve it.  In fact, the definition itself seems to be in flux. Joel Kurtzman, now with the Milken Institute invented the term in 1994 as a the theme for a series of interviews he conducted as editor in chief of Strategy + Business magazine.

He defined a thought leader as someone who had ideas "that merited attention."  Sounds good, but it doesn't quite hack it for me. There are many people with ideas that merit consideration, but some of those ideas are really awful and few people follow them.  Continue.

Report Shows 7.5M Children Live with a Parent with an Alcohol Use Disorder    

A new report shows 7.5 million children under age 18 (10.5 percent of this population) lived with a parent who has experienced an alcohol use disorder in the past year. According to the report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 6.1 million of these children live with two parents-with either one or both parents experiencing an alcohol use disorder in the past year.

The remaining 1.4 million of these children live in a single-parent house with a parent who has experienced an alcohol use disorder in the past year. Of these children 1.1 million lived in a single mother household and 0.3 million lived in a single father household. . .  The report entitled, Data Spotlight: Over 7 Million Children Live with a Parent with Alcohol Problems, is based on data analyzed from SAMHSA's 2005-2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). NSDUH is a scientifically conducted annual survey of approximately 67,500 people throughout the country, aged 12 and older.  Full report.

School Shootings and PTSD: Trauma Can Last for Months or Years 

Students at Chardon High School outside of Cleveland are reeling after a school shooting that left three students dead and two others injured.Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition spurred by a terrifying event. The symptoms interfere with daily life and can include flashbacks, anxiety, nightmares, difficulty sleeping or concentrating, and even physical aches and pains. "We don't want kids to have to deal with these symptoms for the rest of their lives," said Dr. Melissa Brymer, director of terrorism and disaster programs with the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress. "They need to get the message that ... there are treatments." Many students wrestle with guilt about whether they could have stopped the shooting or done more to save a friend or peer. In her research of the Santee, Calif., shooting that left two students dead and 13 wounded, Brymer discovered that about 40 students had information about possible threats before the shooting occured. Those people needed extra support, she said.  "Not everyone who has been through a school shooting will get PTSD," Brymer says. "It's the kids who were directly exposed who are more at risk." Brymer's research highlights the importance of schools screening students for PTSD following a shooting, and the value of continuing to provide services even months after the event. She urges students, parents and staff to monitor their friends and peers for behavior changes or signs of ongoing stress.  Click here to continue.

ADHD: Why the Youngest Students in a Class Are Most Likely to Be Diagnosed     

The youngest children in a class are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than older children in the same class, a new study finds, and in some cases may not deserve the diagnosis... The researchers found that children born in December were 39% more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD and 48% more likely to be receiving medication to treat it than children in the same class born in January. In the study, which included data on 937, 943 children aged 6 to 12 over an 11-year period, Morrow and his colleagues also found that the rate of ADHD diagnoses increased steadily with each successive month from January to December. The fact that there was such a difference in the rate of ADHD diagnoses simply based on children's birthdates, all other things being equal, strongly suggests that less mature students may have been inappropriately being labeled with an attention deficit disorder. "What is clear from our study is that younger children in an classroom are more likely to receive a diagnosis of ADHD and drugs to treat that ADHD," says Morrow. "But their relative maturity should come into play. Something to keep in mind when we look at behavioral problems is whether the behavior relates to differences in age and maturity."  More from Time magazine.   

Binge Eating: Patients Struggle to Break Free When Food Takes Control      

...Eating disorders reflect more than just an issue of nutrition. They are serious physical and psychological conditions that can threaten an individual's overall well-being and life. Eating disorders are not a fad or a phase, and often are triggered by underlying psychological distress, such as depression or an anxiety disorder. Someone suffering from binge-eating consumes excessive amounts of food, typically eating even when not hungry and beyond the point of feeling full. They often feel shame, disgust and even self-hatred after a binge, which perpetuates the cycle. They may or may not be obese... Several risk factors can make someone more susceptible to developing anorexia, but Leslie Connor, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist at Alliance Counseling in Wilmington and Newark, said the causes can be different for everyone. Type-A perfectionists are certainly at risk for anorexia, but sometimes a life event can spark an eating disorder. "Sometimes it's caused by family complications. ... Or often but not always it's caused by a triggering event -- everything from weight loss because of surgery (they got their wisdom teeth out and lost weight and that felt good) or it can be something more distressing, a trauma like teasing or a death," Connor said.   More.

Wraparound Milwaukee: The Family Connection 

New this week:       Berwyn, IL     New York, NY      Oakland, CA           

Continued this week:  Arlington Heights, IL     Austin, TX     Bronx, NY     Chicago, IL

Colorado Springs, CO (3 Openings)     Cumberland, RI     Eau Claire, WI

Gaithersburg, MD (SPED)     Highland Park, IL (3 PT interns)     Little Canada, MN

Long Island City, NY     Milwaukee, WI     New Orleans, LA 

Search Tool Helps Users Find Grants to Fund Youth Programs 

The Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs has created an online Web Tool that allows users to search for federal grant opportunities by youth topic or federal agency. The tool uses a filter to search for grants that are likely to fund youth programs. To learn more and determine if you are eligible, click here.

Elmer's and Kids in Need Foundation Teacher Tool Kit Grants

The Kids In Need Foundation, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free school supplies to economically disadvantaged school children and underfunded teachers, has announced the second year of a teacher grants program sponsored by Elmer's Products.  K-12 teachers across the United States are eligible to apply for one of approximately two hundred and fifty Elmer's Teacher Tool Kit grants. Grants will range from $100 to $500 for projects to be completed during the 2012-13 school year.

Grants will be awarded to teachers who wish to conduct classroom projects selected from a catalog of more than five hundred projects currently in the Kids In Need Guide to Award Winning Projects. Grant awards will be based on financial need, description of how the particular project meets the educational needs of students and satisfies state standards or school curriculum requirements, and the number of students who will benefit from the project.  Deadline:  TBA.  More information and RFP form. 

First Nations Development Institute: Native Youth and Culture Fund       

The Native Youth and Culture Fund through the First Nations Development Institute will provide up to 20 grants to fund projects that address social issues related to youth such as drug and alcohol abuse, teen pregnancy, and mental health. Proposed applicants should incorporate culture and tradition (e.g., preserves cultural practices, increases youth leadership, increases access to cultural customs, and engages elders in activities). Tribal governments, tribal programs, and Native nonprofits in or near Indian lands are eligible to apply. Deadline:  Letter of Intent, March 2, 2012; application, March 30, 2012.  Info and application. 

Kohl's Cares Scholarship Program

Every year, Kohl's recognizes and rewards young volunteers across the country for their amazing contributions to their communities. Maximum award: $10,000. Eligibility: legal U.S. residents of a state in which a Kohl's store is located, between the ages of 6 and 18 and not yet a high school graduate as of March 15, 2012. Deadline: March 15, 2012.  Info and application.

Typical or Troubled? APF School Mental Health Education Grants   

For those who work in or with two or more middle or high schools, you are eligible to apply for a grant sponsored by the American Psychiatric Foundation to implement the Typical or Troubled? ™ School Mental Health Education program. Grant awards include: a grant of $1,000 or $2,000, innovative educational materials, brochures, evaluation tools, technical assistance, and connections with many of your colleagues across the nation. Typical or Troubled? ™ is a school community program designed to educate teachers and other school staff on: the warning signs of emotional and behavioral health issues; how to talk to students who may be experiencing problems and engage family members; and help connect students to appropriate resources within the school or community.  Implemented in 45 states, the program has resulted in critical interventions with students in need, ignited positive dialogue and collaboration among the school communities, and resulted in establishing or improving referral systems for treatment and services.  Deadline:  March 30, 2012.  Info and application.  

Activating Empathy: Transforming Schools to Teach What Matters     

• increasing research projects and their application within the school environment;
• developing a national school social work role framework paper;
• establishing a National Center for School Social Work Practice, Leadership and Research, a long-term goal,
• hosting the 2nd Louisiana State-wide School Social Work Conference, winter 2013, in New Orleans, LA.  Exact dates to be determined. 
• 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.