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School Social Work Now!
Supporting Innovative Practice, Effective
Leadership & Applied Research
July 2012 - Vol 2, Issue 38 |
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Summer Schedule | |
The next issue of School Social Work Now will be August 16th. |
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Dear (Contact First Name), | |
The American Council for School Social Work extends its deepest sympathies to those who have been affected by the recent shootings in Aurora, CO. Tragedies such as this leave deep holes in our hearts and in our sense of personal safety and as a nation. An activity which begins with anticipation of fun and joy can quickly be turned into one of sorrow and fear due to the actions of even one unstable individual.
This reprehensible act only serves to underscore the need for early intervention in the area of mental health. Politics aside, unstable, stressed individuals and weapons do not mix. As citizens and as a society, we need to be more aware of those who may need help or who show signs of reaching their "limit", and we should not hesitate to intervene if we can.
I don't know if this senseless, horrific act could have been prevented. But I do know that we can rally around those who have been hurt physically, emotionally, and/or mentally and provide them with the love and support that is so necessary right now. Most particularly, the families of those who lost loved ones should be kept in our thoughts and prayers as we maintain an awareness of others who may be reaching a breaking point. Don't hesitate to reach out.
SAVE THE DATES!!
The next ACSSW professional development opportunity will be Monday and Tuesday, February 18th-19th in wonderful New Orleans, once again on the campus of lovely Tulane University.
Calls for Proposals are now being accepted; deadline to submit is September 30th. Louisiana practitioners and academics are particularly encouraged to submit, but all are welcome.
Make plans to come early and enjoy the prior weekend in this exciting Southern city! It is a city full of history, intrigue, and cultural diversity. The cuisine can't be beat! And who wouldn't mind a break from the challenges of cold winter weather? Start thinking about it now as hotel reservations may go quickly due to Mardi Gras. Watch the website in future weeks for more details on the conference and hotel, but reserve those dates now. District team discounts will be available.
Judith Kullas Shine
President |
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Recommended Read for July & August | |
The School Practitioner's Concise Companion to Mental Health
by Cynthia Franklin, Mary Beth Harris and Paula Allen-Meares
Published by Oxford University Press
From OUP: The School Practitioner's Concise Companions gives busy social workers, psychologists, and counselors a quick guide to accessible, proven solutions for their students' most common problems. Built around the expert advice from the acclaimed School Services Sourcebook, each volume is a rapid reference to a key school issue.
Here, readers will find an overview of adolescent mental health disorders and step-by-step guidelines for intervening effectively. This Concise Companion covers ten major mental health issues-from depression to ADHD to autism-as well as strategies for working with co-occurring disorders and managing psychopharmacological treatments.
Each chapter is filled with charts, checklists, and cases and is conveniently organized around What We Know, What We Can Do, Tools and Practice Examples, and Key Points to Remember. A portable catalog of best practices, it brings evidence-based practice within easy reach of school professionals. Features:
- Brings out one focused section from the acclaimed School Services Sourcebook
- An affordable resource for cash- and time-strapped school-based professionals
- Features the best of the Sourcebook but in a smaller size so people who only need a little of the information don't have to buy the whole thing
Product Details 272 pages; 5 1/2 X 8 1/4; ISBN13: 978-0-19-537058-4ISBN10: 0-19-537058-9
OUP-Franklin, Harris... Alibris-Franklin, Harris... |
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Practice Points | |
School Social Worker as WRAP Artist
Historically, WRAP services have been provided by an employee of the special education cooperative serving my school district. However, this past school year, my school district withdrew from that cooperative and elected to provide wraparound services through a school-district employee. Luckily, the special education employee who had been providing WRAP services to our district was hired as an administrator in our district. So we gained a wonderful administrator and a person with lots of experience in WRAP services. One year ago, I was selected as our school district's WRAP services facilitator. Our new, WRAP-experienced administrator was my go-to person as I took on this new role...
Once the process was defined, I discovered that there were really three levels of service I needed to provide. Consultation to administrators, teachers, and school social workers became the first level of service. Second, I provided individually designed, time-limited school social work services which required more time and intensity than building-based school social workers were able to provide. The third level of service became ongoing, multidimensional services provided to families with complex needs. Building-based school social workers were my point persons and gatekeepers of WRAP services, remaining always involved in the referral and in the planning of services. Learn more re: this new view.
Sight for Students
Sight for Students is a VSP charity that provides free vision exams and glasses to low-income, uninsured children. The program operates nationally through a network of community partners who identify children in need and VSP network doctors who provide the eyecare services. Parents and guardians interested in seeking assistance through the Sight for Students program must work through VSP's established network of community partners. VSP does not issue gift certificates directly to the public. Eligibility: There are five basic qualifications a child must meet in order to receive a Sight for Students gift certificate: family income is no more than 200 percent of federal poverty level (see website for chart); child is not enrolled in Medicaid or other vision insurance; child is 18 years old or younger and has not graduated from high school; child or parent is a U.S. citizen or legal immigrant with a social security number; and child has not used the Sight for Students program during the past 12 months. Deadline: N/A. More here.
Macro, Mezzo and Micro Social Work
Social work is often divided into three broad practice categories: macro, mezzo and micro. Macro level social work is interventions provided on a large scale that affects entire communities and systems of care. Mezzo social work happens on an intermediate scale, involving neighborhoods, institutions or other smaller groups. Micro practice is the most common, and is direct social work with an individual client or family. These three levels of social work practice at times overlap and always influence each other, so it is important to understand the distinctions between these social work approaches. Read the brief blog. |
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Leadership News | |
Managers often make the mistake of assuming that once a change is started, that employees will see that it is going to take place, and get on side. This is rarely the case. Because change causes fear, a sense of loss of the familiar, etc., it takes some time for employees to a) understand the meaning of the change and b) commit to the change in a meaningful way. It is important to understand that people tend to go through stages in their attempts to cope with change. Understanding that there are normal progressions helps change leaders avoid under-managing change or over-reacting to resistance. Learn about the stages.
In organizations, our success as leaders is measured by the degree to which we've mastered the external environment and delivered results in the form of revenues, profits, new product breakthroughs, cost savings, or market share increases.
External results, of course, are important. But trying to define leadership by its external manifestations misses the core question: What is the essence of leadership-the foundation that underlies external success and achievement?
After 20 years of wrestling with this question, I've come to this simple yet profound realization. Leadership is not simply something we do. It comes from somewhere inside us. Leadership is a process, an intimate expression of who we are. It's our being in action. At its deepest level, leadership is authentic self-expression that creates value. Full article.
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Research Highlights | |
Diagnostic History and Treatment of School-aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Special Health Care Needs
Early identification is an important step toward ensuring that children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families receive early intervention services. Results from a study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health found that a majority of school-aged children with special health care needs (CSHCN) and ASD were first diagnosed after age five and only one in five was diagnosed within the first three years of life. Click for data brief. |
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In the News | |
School Buses Breed Bullying
A video of students taunting, threatening, and degrading school bus monitor Karen Klein gave millions of people a 10-minute glimpse into a growing bullying epidemic. Roughly 30 percent of middle school and high school students are bullied, and nearly 10 percent of the abuse happens on the school bus, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
But the problem is likely much worse, since nearly two thirds of the incidents are never reported, the department estimates. Limited supervision and a confined environment make school buses a hotbed for bullying, a recent Slate article notes. Read more here.
Chronic Absenteeism Challenges City Schools
At School 28 in Paterson, N.J., 152 students were absent for 20 or more days during 2010-11, according to data compiled by the Paterson Education Fund (PEF), 30 percent of the school's enrollment. Five other elementary schools had more than 100 students with 20 absences that year. Overall, 15 elementary schools had ten percent of their students with 20 absences. "It's worrisome to realize we have kids whose families are struggling with whatever issues to keep them from getting their children to school,'' said Irene Sterling of PEF.
In the past year, officials have launched programs to reform the city's struggling district, with another wave of changes in September. But reforms won't work on empty desks. Absentee data show a correlation between worst-performing schools and those with worst attendance. The stakes could become much greater if the New Jersey education departments base state aid on local enrollment; Paterson could lose millions of dollars per year. Sterling said her group has not examined specific causes for absenteeism, but in some cases students have chronic illnesses or lack transportation. Some children are families' primary translators and kept home from school, and some parents are simply neglectful. Full article.
Slate of New Courses Set for Louisiana Schools
Louisiana is about to become what officials call the first state to launch a huge expansion of how courses are offered to public school students, with private firms, colleges and even former teachers expected to enter a revamped education system. State education leaders are touting the expansion as primarily another option for students in C, D and F schools, with the new course providers helping students to catch up with their peers and graduate on time, or to take classes not offered in their schools.
In addition, the new courses will help students who want to graduate early, earn college credit while in high school or take career and technical classes with specific jobs in mind. "It is about more choice for all students," said Dave Lefkowith, one of the officials working on the "course choice program" being set up by the state Department of Education. Continue.
Texas Special Education Numbers Drop
Special education students seem to be disappearing in Texas.
The Lone Star State diagnosed just 8.8 percent of its public school students as having special needs in 2011, down from 12 percent in 2000. Texas now has the lowest percentage of special education students in the nation - a full 4 percentage points below the U.S. average. Urban giants like the Houston and Dallas school districts identify even fewer children at 7.9 percent and 7.7 percent, respectively.
While some educators take the declines as a positive sign, advocates fear the state might be under-diagnosing to reduce costs or to circumvent accountability measures. Others worry that the growing immigrant population may be underserved by a system that's difficult for even the most knowledgeable parents to navigate. Read more. |
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Webinars | |
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
Rural and LGBTQ Youth Suicide The Children's Safety Network released an archived webinar on: Youth Suicide Prevention Community of Practice, Special Populations in Youth Suicide Prevention, and Rural and LGBTQ Youth. Presenters addressed two populations at increased risk for youth suicide and shared strategies to reduce these risks. Speakers also discussed obstacles and barriers unique to rural populations. To download the archived webinar click here. 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.
Engaging Parents in Schools and Student Learning
Sponsored by Education Week, Dr. Steven Sheldon(Center for Social Organization of School, Johns Hopkins University) and Dr. Karen L. Mapp (Harvard University) presented a webinar on "Engaging Parents in Schools and Student Learning." They presented why parent engagement matters, identified promising practices that schools and districts are using, and gave suggestions on how schools can move beyond these practices to develop systems that support the engagement of families and communities in students' education. To download the on-demand webinar presentation click here. |
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SSW Job Links | |
New this week: Jamestown, RI (.5 FTE) Lewiston, ME Schenectady, NY Woodridge, IL
Continued this week: Berwyn, IL Burr Ridge, IL Danville, CA
Dolton, IL Eau Claire, WI Evanston, IL Falcon, CO
Gages Lake, IL (SPED) Johnston, IA (PT) Lake Forest, IL Lawrence, KS
Pittsburg, KS Rush City, MN St. Johnsbury, VT
Topeka, KS Tucson, AZ White Bear Lake, MN
Connecticut (Various Locations) |
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Calls for Proposals |
Special Issue on School Social Work and Military-connected Schools: New Directions in Practice, Research, Policy and National Leadership
Deadline: February 28, 2012
Guest Editors: Ron Avi Astor, University of Southern California Schools of Social Work and Education & Rami Benbenishty, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
Children & Schools will publish a special issue on the needs of public schools serving military-connected students. These students experience multiple deployments, family separations, and other stressful life events that their non-military-connected peers do not undergo. Recent studies have shown that supportive schools can shield students from intense depression, conduct problems, feelings of alienation, anxiety, and school failure; however, for schools to serve as protective settings for military-connected students, school personnel need to be aware of both this population's presence and its particular needs. . .
School social workers can take a national leadership role developing and implementing practices and policies that address the needs of military-connected students. . .
The overarching goal of this special issue will be to present articles that describe the current state of
school social work knowledge and best practices in military-connected schools and provide insights
and implications that will help teachers, principals, school social workers, and other staff better serve military-connected students in the future. Manuscripts examining the perspectives of school staff, studewnts, and parents in military-connected schools and outlining best practices for such schools are encouraged. More information and to submit.
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 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.
Learning & Leadership Grants
The National Education Association Foundation will fund the Learning & Leadership grant to support public school teachers, public education support professionals, and/or faculty and staff in public institutions of higher education to improve practice, curriculum, and studentachievement. Grants will be provided to individuals (to fund participation in high-quality professional development experiences, such as summer institutes or action research) or groups (to fund collegial study, including study groups, action research, lesson study, or mentoring experiences for faculty or staff new to an assignment) in the amounts of $2,000 or $5,000 respectively. The deadline to submit applications is October 15, 2012. Click here for more.
Lowe's Toolbox for Education
Lowe's Toolbox for Education funds school improvement projects initiated by parents in recognition of the importance of parent involvement in education. Maximum award: $5,000. Eligibility: K-12 schools (including charter, parochial, private, etc.) or parent groups (associated with a nonprofit K-12 school). Deadline: October 12, 2012. Learn more.
Social Work Education, Research, and Practice Grant Program
The New York Community Trust will provide funding to academic institutions and nonprofits that partner with academic institutions both nationwide and in New York City that build an evidence base for social work intervention. Grants may be used to support projects that are innovative in both the classroom and field and connect training and research to communities, make macro practice a priority and improve training in policy, management, and leadership, and support research that helps social workers improve practice and addresses larger social issues. The deadline is September 28, 2012, although applications are accepted year round. Awards in December. For more information and to apply click here.
Good News for SSWs: Race to the Top Grant Applications
NAPSO co-chair, Myrna Mandlawitz, shared information on the new RTTT grant applications. The "eligible applicants" are school districts, consortia of school districts, and education service agencies. Applicants can focus in on a few schools within a district, specific grades, or even specific subject areas. The only caveat is that a school district can only be part of one application. The other important feature is the heavy emphasis on "personalizing" and "individualizing" education. In fact, "personalized learning environment" is an absolute priority all applicants must meet.
Applications are expected out in early July and will be due in October, with the hope of awarding of 15-20 grants in December. It is important to check if your school/district is applying for the grant. If so, it is an opportunity to "get to the table" and help the district to address the social and emotional needs of students and recognize that school social workers provide many services in these arenas. More information.
CVS/Caremark Community Grants
CVS/Caremark Community Grants are currently accepting proposals for programs, targeting children under age 21 with disabilities, which address health and rehabilitation services or enabling physical movement and play. Maximum award: $5,000. Eligibility: non-profits located in states that also have CVS stores. Deadline: October 31, 2012. More info. |
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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, February 18-19, 2013, in New Orleans, LA, at the Tulane University Lavin-Bernick Center.
- presenting the 4th National School Social Work Research Summit. Watch for details to come.
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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