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School Social Work Now!
Supporting Innovative Practice, Effective
Leadership & Applied Research
April 2012 - Vol 2, Issue 27 |
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Greetings! | |
The 3rd National ACSSW Research-to-Practice Summit, Evidence-Based Practice in Action, will be held June 24-26, 2012 in Bloomingdale, IL, a Chicago suburb. Persons who attended previous Summits were very pleased with the activities and critical conversations that took place.
This Summit is designed for independent thinking school social workers, those who weed out what is important to the practice of school social work and who understand that research and evidence-based interventions are foundational to success. You are invited to meet and exchange ideas with leaders in the research and practice of school social work!
ACSSW is very honored to have Dr. Marlene Wong as the Monday keynote speaker. Dr. Wong will speak to Local, National and International Lessons Learned from Crisis Intervention and Disaster Recovery in Schools. Frequently consulted by the U.S. Department of Education to assist schools impacted by violence, shootings, terrorism and natural disasters, she has lent her expertise to the recovery from a range of major crises, from the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the Columbine school shootings to the 1992 civil unrest in Los Angeles and the sniper shootings in Washington, D.C. Internationally, she has advised teacher unions and school and government officials on the effects of psychological trauma on schoolchildren and adults after devastating earthquakes in Kobe, Japan, and the Sichuan Province in China. Dr. Wong will also present a workshop on Psychological First Aid.
On Tuesday we will hear from Dr. Joanne Cashman, Director of the IDEA Partnership at the National Association of State Directors of Special Education. Before joining NASDSE, Dr. Cashman served as the project director of The Interdisciplinary Doctoral Training Program at The George Washington University (GWU). Prior to coming to Washington, Dr. Cashman was concurrently building principal and supervisor of special education for the Shikellamy School District in Sunbury, Pennsylvania. She worked for 27 years to improve disability education and awareness at the local and state level and continues to work with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Special Education and the Pennsylvania Interagency Team. Dr. Cashman is a frequent presenter for state and national audiences and has authored articles, practice manuals and book chapters.
ACSSW is delighted to have these two national figures addressing school social workers. Additional topics to be presented this year are: ethics and boundaries, homelessness (and an award winning program to address it), psychological first aid, PBIS, GLBT concerns, social justice and school social work, and more. The ACSSW Summit Brochure is available to download now. Don't miss this experiential and interactive professional event. It's not your "average" learning experience. Take advantage of the "Early Bird" or other discounts!
Learn More about National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day. During National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day on May 9, you can help raise awareness about the importance of children's mental health by sharing information about trauma and resilience in children. Examples of a data point you can share in email messages, email signatures, or social media networks and blogs are on the website. If you use Twitter to share this message or any message about Awareness Day, use the hashtag #HeroesofHope to join the conversation!
Judith Kullas Shine
President |
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Recommended Read for April |
 Ethical Decision Making in School Mental Healthby James C. Raines & Nic T. Dibble
Ethical predicaments are endemic for mental health professionals working in a host setting like schools. New interventions, evolving technologies, and a patchwork of ethical guidelines and legal codes create a constant stream of new ethical dilemmas. Quick answers and simple solutions are rare, but with the seven-stage model presented here, readers will learn to apply an ethical decision-making process that minimizes their liability while better protecting their students.
OUP-Raines/Dibble Amazon-Raines/Dibble
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Professional Development | |
ACSSW's 3rd National Research-to-Practice Summit
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Practice Points | |
Complex Trauma and Mental Health of Children Placed in Foster Care
The National Center for Child Traumatic Stress examined the trauma history and reactions of youth in the child welfare system between 2004 and 2010 and provided recommendations and implications for further research in this report. Full brief.
Stop Bullying: A Call to Action
Everyone's been affected [by bullying] in some way. It's not enough to just be aware of bullying, though.
We must take action, too, which is why the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and the Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan recently unveiled a revitalized Stop Bullying website to encourage children, parents, educators, and communities, to take action to stop and prevent bullying. The website provides a variety of resources for those who are in a position to do something about bullying: parents, teachers, youth leaders, community leaders, and anyone who has a connection to those who bully, those who are bullied, and those who witness bullying in their schools and communities.
The site provides a map with detailed information on state laws, policies, interactive webisodes and videos for young people, practical strategies for schools and communitiesto ensure safe environments, and suggestions on how parents can talk about this sensitive subject with their children. The enhanced website also gives concrete steps that students, parents, educators, and community members can take to prevent and stop bullying.
From UCLA - RTI and Classroom & Schoolwide Learning Supports: Four Units for Continuing Education
Response to Intervention (RTI) initiatives wisely underscore the unacceptability of waiting for students to fail. However, as with so many other efforts intended to ensure all students have an equal opportunity to succeed at school, this budding movement often is pursued as just another piecemeal effort. Fragmentary endeavors cannot address the complex realities confronting teachers and student support staff. Moreover, as formulated and practiced the approach often is too limited in how it frames what needs to go on to enable learning, engage students, and keep them engaged. In particular, it pays too little attention to the need to strengthen the classroom and schoolwide context in ways that enhance the effectiveness of the strategy.
To help broaden the focus through continuing education, we have just completed four professional development units that are available to any and all. Click on the links to explore the set:
For School Social Workers: Testifying in Court
Although written with reference to Illinois state law, the article presents a helpful general perspective on testifying in court and lists several tips or lessons learned. It is not a legal guide to testifying in court and should not be misconstrued as one. Testifying. |
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Leadership News | |
8 Qualities of Remarkable Employees . . . or Board Members
Written to highlight best qualities of remarkable business employees, these qualities are some of those that heighten the contributions of board members and school employees, including school social workers. Leaders value these qualities in their organizations and appreciate that persons with these qualities can help leaders to be more effective. Read more.
Leadership Characteristics That Facilitate School Change
Leadership to promote and implement educational change has not been uniform. Knowledge about the qualities of the individuals who have successfully implemented such strategies has been minimal. If the educational community has knowledge of successful strategies and programs, why is there limited implementation? Did the leader make the difference? What are the characteristics these people possess that enabled them to change their districts and schools?
Although knowledge is limited on what types of leaders are needed, there are a number of assumptions about leadership. In educational organizations there is an assumption that leaders of educational change should be both leaders and managers. "We expect both leadership and management from the same individual" (Manasse, 1986, p. 153) . . .
Information about leaders who have guided or provoked their organizations to change is also beginning to emerge. These leaders began with having a vision, developed a shared vision with their co- workers, and valued the organization's personnel. Leaders who changed their organizations were proactive and took risks. They recognized shifts in the interests or needs of their clientele, anticipated the need to change and challenged the status quo. For a more in-depth discussion, click here. |
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Research Highlights | |
Social Work Research and Evaluation Tool - Jeopardy Template
Enjoy this quick game of Jeopardy and see what you know about Research and Evaluation. You can play in teams if you wish. Template. Build your own template.
7th-Grader Students Report Teen Dating Violence Behaviors and Risk Factors
A new study of 1,430 7th grade students reveals that many 7th-graders are dating and experiencing physical, psychological and electronic dating violence. More than one in three students (37%) surveyed report being a victim of 'psychological dating violence' and nearly one in six (15%) report being a victim of 'physical dating violence.' This study also found that while some attitudes and behaviors associated with increased risk for teen dating violence are pervasive, nearly three-quarters of students surveyed report talking to their parents about dating and teen dating violence. Parent-child communication is considered a protective factor that reduces the risk for teen dating violence. Executive Summary. Survey Instrument. Outcome evaluation baseline data.
Starting School at a Disadvantage: The School Readiness of Poor Children
Poor children in the United States start school at a disadvantage in terms of their early skills, behaviors, and health. Fewer than half (48 percent) of poor children are ready for school at age five, compared to 75 percent of children from families with moderate and high income, a 27 percentage point gap. This paper examines the reasons why poor children are less ready for school and evaluates three interventions for improving their school readiness.
Poverty is one of several risk factors facing poor children. Mothers living in poverty are often unmarried and poorly educated, they have higher rates of depression and poor health than more affluent mothers, and they demonstrate lower parenting skills in certain dimensions. In fact, the gap in school readiness shrinks from 27 percentage points to 7 percentage points after adjusting for demographic, health, and behavioral differences between poor and moderate- and higher-income families. Even so, poverty remains an important influence on school readiness, partly through its influence on many of the observed differences between poor and more affluent families. Higher levels of depression and a more punitive parenting style, for example, may result from economic stress and so models controlling for these factors may understate the full effects of poverty on school readiness.
In addition to poverty, key influences on school readiness include preschool attendance, parenting behaviors, parents' education, maternal depression, prenatal exposure to tobacco, and low birth weight. Complete paper here. |
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In the News | |
When Labels Don't Fit: Hispanics and Their View of Identity
It has been nearly four decades since the United States government mandated the use by federal agencies of the terms "Hispanic" or "Latino" to categorize Americans who trace their roots to Spanish-speaking countries, but the labels still haven't been fully embraced by the group to which they have been affixed.
Only about one-quarter (24%) of Hispanic adults say they most often identify themselves by "Hispanic" or "Latino," according to a new nationwide survey of Hispanic adults by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center. About half (51%) say they identify themselves most often by their family's country or place of origin-using such terms as Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Salvadoran or Dominican. And 21% say they use the term "American" most often to describe themselves. The share rises to 40% among those who were born in the U.S.
By a ratio of more than two-to-one, survey respondents say that the more than 50 million Latinos in the U.S. have many different cultures rather than a common culture. Full report.
Gender Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Recent findings have highlighted how Autism Spectrum Disorders manifest differently in boys and girls. One notable difference is the prevalence of the disorders, which appear more often in boys than in girls. More.
Supreme Court Reviews 2010 Affordable Care Act. Implications.
The Supreme Court will consider the constitutionality of two major provisions of the ACA: 1.) The individual mandate (requires most people to maintain a minimum level of health insurance coverage) and 2.) The Medicaid expansion (increases individuals that are eligible for Medicaid benefits). The Kaiser Family Foundation recently released a brief providing an overview of the pending case and identifies the major constitutional questions. Potential implications of the Supreme Court's decisions are also detailed. View report. Key moments related to ACA in the Supreme Court. |
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Webinars |
The Corporation for National and Community Service is pleased to announce Connecting Our Nation and Our Military: The Community Blueprint Network, a webinar on Wednesday, April 18, 2011 at 10:00 Pacific/1:00 Eastern. The Community Blueprint Network, a collaborative initiative administered by the Points of Light Foundation and developed in partnership with 55 plus national organizations and the White House Joining Forces initiative, provides volunteers with detailed promising practices built by a group of national experts in key areas such as education, employment, family strength, and housing. These practices provide a roadmap for community action and service to and with service members, veterans and their families. Join us in this webinar to learn more about practices that address issues in eight critical areas affecting veterans, active military and military families. Click to register. Session Number: 627 335 213. Registration password: veterans.
The HIPAA Privacy Rule was issued by the Federal Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). The Rule protects the privacy of individuals' health information and medical records. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. Both acts deal with student's confidentiality and privacy rights. Both are additionally immersed with legal complexities that baffle most health care providers. Please join NASBHC for the webinar "Student Confidentiality: HIPAA and FERPA in the School Setting." This FREE webinar will be on Thursday, APRIL 19 from 3:00-4:30 pm ET. Click here to register.
An Introduction to Secondary Data Analysis for Research on Children and Adolescents
The Research Council of the American School Health Association will host, An Introduction to Secondary Data Analysis for Research on Children and Adolescents, to help individuals learn how to use free data sets like the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and the National Longitudinal Survey on Adolescent Health (Add Health). This event will be held Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 1 pm ET. For more information and to register click here.
The Institute of Education Sciences will host a series of funding opportunities webinars in April - August, 2012. These webinars will focus on a wide range of topics for applicants to the FY 2013 grant programs, including the application process, grant writing, and overviews of specific funding opportunities. Full descriptions of the webinars are available and registration is now open. For further information and to register, click here.
ARCHIVED & AVAILABLE
This Teen Screen Webinar has been archived and is now available for your viewing. Listen to a discussion on the signs and symptoms of eating disorders, the latest treatment strategies, and co-managing these disorders with the clinical team to avoid relapse and achieve a successful outcome. Access archive.
ARCHIVED & AVAILABLE
Many schools and communities are struggling to find effective ways to prevent both bullying and suicidal behavior among youth. This webinar will provide the latest research and science on the relationship between bullying and suicide and will outline some of the shared risk and protective factors. The webinar also discusses the main principles of a comprehensive whole school approach to bullying prevention. This presentation was interactive, with opportunities to ask questions. Access here. |
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SSW Job Links | |
New this week: Central Falls, RI Clare, MI Idaho Falls, ID River Forest, IL
Continued this week: Arlington Heights, IL Arlington Heights, IL (bilingual Sp.)
Berwyn, IL Bronx, NY Budd Lake, NJ Burr Ridge, IL Cedar Rapids, IA
Cumberland, RI Danvers, MA Eau Claire, WI Gary, IN Highland Park, IL (3 PT interns)Midlothian, IL Milwaukee, WI Minneapolis, MN New Orleans, LA New York, NY
Northampton, MA Oklahoma City, OK Providence, RI Randolph, MA(autism)
Round Rock, TX (.5) Shawnee Mission, KS(SPED) Springfield, PA Wichita, KS
Connecticut (Various Locations)
IL PBIS Network, Research and Evaluation Director |
| Call for Papers | |
SSWR 2013
Deadline: April 30, 2012 The Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) announces its Seventeenth Annual Conference "Social Work for a Just Society: Making Visible the Stakes and Stakeholders" which will convene in San Diego, CA, January 16-20, 2013. You are invited to submit abstracts for one of the three types of presentations of original research: (1) oral paper presentations; (2) organized symposia; and (3) poster presentations. The conference will also include workshop and roundtable sessions for which you can submit abstracts. Click here for more information.
Special Edition of Social Work and Christianity: Towards A Christian Critique of Evidence-based Practice in Social Work
Deadline: September 1, 2012
Guest Editors: Michael S. Kelly, Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work & Cynthia Franklin, University of Texas-Austin
Evidence-based Practice (EBP) is now entering its second decade in social work scholarship and practice. This special issue seeks to add a Christian perspective to the literature on the implementation of EBP in social work practice, policy, and education. Many scholars and practitioners hail EBP's impact on client outcomes and argue that it represents a deepening of our ethical commitment to empowering practitioners with a process and tools that lead to the best possible client care, while other scholars point out the limitations of the EBP approach. This special issue of Social Work & Christianity seeks to expand the epistemological and practical discussions about EBP to add a further (and we believe, necessary) complication to the debate over EBP in social work: namely, how can EBP be practiced in the multitude of Christian social work contexts we see around the world? This special issue seeks to further debate the pros and cons of using EBP in social work by asking simply, "How can Christian social workers incorporate EBP into their work?" Papers for this special issue are encouraged to look at EBP as a process that integrates clinical expertise, client circumstances, research evidence, and client values and to formulate a paper discussing one or all of those dimension from a Christian perspective. Papers can employ a variety of methodologies, though special emphasis will be given to papers that use a conceptual lens to build a foundation to either critique or defend EBP from a Christian social work perspective. Papers can be up to 20 pages, double-spaced and in APA style (6th Ed.). Contact Michael Kelly at Loyola University Chicago with any questions and to submit papers as email attachments. |
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Grants & Funding | |
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.
Target Store Grant Program
Target stores will provide grants ranging between $700 and $2,000 through the Store Grant Program to schools and nonprofit organizations. Applicants that provide art, cultural experiences, and early reading programs to students between Kindergarten and 12thgrade are eligible to apply. Deadline: April 30, 2012. For more information and to apply click here.
ING Unsung Heroes Award
ING Unsung Heroes began in 1995as a way for ING to demonstrate its commitment to the education community. Grants are given to K-12 educators utilizing new teaching methods and techniques that improve learning. Each year, educators submit applications for an ING Unsung Heroes grant by describing projects they have initiated or would like to pursue. Each project is judged on its:
innovative method, creativity, and ability to positively influence the students. All K-12 education professionals, whether or not they are clients of ING, are eligible. Specifically, these individuals must be: (1) Employed by an accredited K-12 public or private school located in the United States, or (2) Full-time educators, teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, orclassified staff with effective projects that improve student learning. Deadline: April 30, 2012. Details here.
The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes
The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, founded by author T. A. Barron in honor of his mother, celebrates outstanding young leaders. Each year the Barron Prize honors 25 inspiring young people who have made a significant positive difference to people and our planet. These outstanding young leaders have focused on helping their communities and fellow beings and/or on protecting the health and sustainability of the environment. Maximum award: $2,500. Eligibility: youth 8-18. Deadline: April 30, 2012. Nomination information here.
OJJDP Announces Mentoring Research Funding Opportunity
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has announced the following funding opportunity: Mentoring Best Practices Research. OJJDP will fund as many as six research studies to enhance help fill gaps in the knowledge about the effectiveness of mentoring as a prevention strategy for youth who are at risk of involvement or already involved in the juvenile justice system. OJJDP is also interested in research that will help identify the components of a mentoring program that have the greatest impact on risk factors known to lead to delinquency and/or increase in the incidence of juvenile delinquency and offending. Deadline: 11:59 p.m. E.T., on April 30, 2012. Complete information. FAQs.
Youth Literacy Grant
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation's Youth Literacy Grants program will provide multiple grants up to $4,000 to applicants that provide literacy programs to students performing below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading. Schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations located in a state in which a Dollar General store operates are eligible to apply. Deadline: May 16, 2012. More information and application.
Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program Grant Competition
The Department of Education recently announced the FY 2012 ESSCP grant competition. Grantees under this competition will use funds to support counseling programs in target elementary, K-12, or secondary schools. Schools will establish or expand school counseling programs through hiring qualified school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, with a goal of expanding the range, availability, quantity and quality of school counseling services. School counseling services will use a developmental and preventative approach. This is a 3-year grant program and each annual award ranges from $250,000 - $400,000. Deadline: 05/25/2012. For more information view the Federal Register.
NFL Fuel Up to Play 60
The National Football League's Fuel Up to Play 60 will award grants up to $4,000 to K-12 schools enrolled in their wellness program. Grants may be used to support a variety of programs, activities, and tools including student engagement and motivation, family engagement, in-school promotions, staff development, and nutrition and physical education materials. The deadline to submit applications is June 1, 2012. For more information and to apply click here. |
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ACSSW Activities | |
ACSSW's present activities include:
- 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. |
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