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School Social Work Now!
Supporting Innovative Practice, Effective
Leadership & Applied Research
October 2012 - Vol 3, Issue 6 |
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| Greetings! | |
In most states that have school social work associations, an exemplary school social worker is honored at the state conference, being introduced as the "State School Social Worker of the Year." This is truly a marvelous way to highlight the accomplishments of these special individuals.
But ACSSW also knows that there are many, many school social workers who deserve that title but for whatever reason--lack of time, no state association, no one bothers to nominate--are not given the accolades they should. To this end, ACSSW is asking you, the practitioner who knows your colleagues best, to consider writing to us about someone who does their job with conviction, passion, expertise and creativity. The individuals whose stories are submitted will be highllighted in future issues of SchoolSocialWorkNOW. Please write no more than 2 pages and send submissions to Judie Shine.
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Be the anti-bullying leader in your school/district. PACER's National Bullying Center has numerous ideas, tools, and materials to help you reduce and prevent bullying in your school or district.
Speak Up at School contains videos and guides to help students--and staff--learn to speak up when someone uses biased language or stereotypes. The teacher guide is excellent and includes an appendix for students and for role playing. The pocket guide is a brief summary of strategies to use when faced with these situations. The guides and video are free online.
Many other websites offer ideas and programs from grades k-12. Check out "Quick Links" in the left column to find numerous free or low-cost activities. Help a child avoid the pain of being bullied.
SAVE THE DATES!!
ACSSW -- Louisiana Conference
February 18-19, 2013
Tulane University, Lavin-Bernick Center
New Orleans
Keynote highlights:
- Dr. Marleen Wong, director of the L.A.U.S.D. Trauma Services Adaptation Center for Schools, clinical professor with the University of Southern California, and a developer of the CBITS, addressing the subject of Children &Trauma.
- Steve Korr, trainer and consultant, Safer, Saner Schools Program with the International Institute on Restorative Practices, speaking on Restorative Practices.
Plan to come early and enjoy the prior weekend in this exciting Southern city! New Orleans 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?
District team discounts will be available. More information will be available shortly!
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Lastly, please follow us on Facebook and tweet us on Twitter! Help to "spread the word" and get the name of ACSSW out there! Links are below.
Judith Kullas Shine
President
  
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Recommended Read for October | |
The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander
by Barbara Coloroso
Published by Collins Living
It's the deadliest combination going: bullies who terrorize, bullied kids who are afraid to tell, bystanders who watch, and adults who see the incidents as a normal part of childhood. All it takes to understand that this is a recipe for tragedy is a glance at headlines across the country. In this updated edition of The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander, which includes a new section on cyberbullying, one of the world's most trusted parenting educators gives parents, caregivers, educators-and most of all, kids-the tools to break the cycle of violence. This compassionate and practical guide has become the groundbreaking reference on the subject of bullying.
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More Meditation Downloads | |
Meditations to help you to relax deeply, be more present and flow more easily with life. You'll find a variety of guided meditations with and without music, as well as instructions for meditations you can do on your own. |
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Practice Points | |
What Works for Male Children and Adolescents: Lessons from Experimental Evaluations of Programs and Interventions
As young people transition through childhood to adolescence, they often face developmental challenges that can impede their quest to become flourishing, healthy adults. While both males and females experience difficulties, there are certain risk factors to which males are more susceptible. Compared with females, males tend to be more likely to drop out of school, engage in delinquency, use alcohol, smoke cigarettes, and act out. They are also less likely than females to go to college. While a number of evidence-based programs have been found to be effective at reducing risk factors for children and adolescents, many programs have differential impacts for females and males. Understanding what works for male children adolescent is critical to improving outcomes for youth. This Fact Sheet and its companion Fact Sheet, focused on female children and adolescents, examine programs and strategies that work, as well as those that don't work.
This literature review synthesizes findings from 115 random assignment intent-to-treat evaluations of interventions that targeted male children and adolescents, or coed interventions that provide impact data specifically for male children and adolescents. Interventions were excluded from the review if they did not include at least 100 males in the evaluation sample. Complete report.
For SSWs: Child Centered Play Therapy
The purpose of this article is to describe CCPT, developed by Virginia Axline, in a simplified and practical format. The principles of CCPT described by Axline (1989) consists of the therapist developing a warm and friendly relationship, accepting the child for who he or she is, and does not attempt to direct the child's actions or conversations in any way. Landreth (2002) explained the goal of CCPT this way:
In this approach, the child and not the problem is the point of focus. When we focus on the problem, we lose sight of the child. Diagnosis is not necessary, because this is not a prescriptive approach. The therapist does not vary the approach to meet demands based on a specific referral problem. The relationship that develops and the creative forces this relationship releases in the child generate the process of change and growth for the child. (p. 85) More.
Unite Against Bullying School Planning Guide - FREE
Need help planning a student-led bullying prevention event? PACER has formed a partnership with Facebook to create a practical Student Event Toolkit that will make it easier to hold events in your school or community. This step-by-step guide will help you plan, promote, and execute a variety of events throughout the year using Facebook tools. Free Guide.
When Children Disclose Sexual Abuse
Many parents and caregivers (and some professionals) may still be in the dark about how to respond to a child's disclosure of being sexually abused. This article is intended for professionals to share with parents who may need resources after their child has disclosed sexual abuse.
A child's disclosure of sexual abuse is daunting. As a parent, try and remain calm. Don't "overquestion" the child, demand details, minimize information, overreact to the disclosure, criticize, or place blame on the child. Listen to the child and respect his or her privacy. Support the child and his or her decision to disclose the sexual abuse, no matter what the child says. Express support because a child needs to know he or she has done nothing wrong, that the situation was the offender's fault, not the child's. Read full article. |
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Leadership News | |
What Leadership Was and What It Has Become
Leadership was once about hard skills such as planning, finance and business analysis. When command and control ruled the corporate world, the leaders were heroic rationalists who moved people around like pawns and fought like stags. When they spoke, the company employees jumped.
Now, if the gurus and experts are right, leadership is increasingly concerned with soft skills - teamwork, communication and motivation. The trouble is that for many executives, the soft skills remain the hardest to understand, let alone master. After all, hard skills have traditionally been the ones which enabled you to climb to the top of the corporate ladder. Full article.
Why Most Leaders (Even Thomas Jefferson) Are Replaceable
Although many heads of organizations would like to think of themselves as truly indispensable-impact makers, history movers, culture changers-few reach the bar set by Steve Jobs, Napoleon, or Martin Luther King Jr., [Gautam]Mukunda says. (Even some people you might think would be shoo-ins for the indispensable category don't make Mukunda's cut, including Thomas Jefferson and Jack Welch. More on them later.)
Under most circumstances, a leader is elected or appointed. And it makes no difference who ends up in power so long as the person is experienced and is hired through the structured processes that most organizations use to vet everyone from CEOs to military officers to presidential candidates, Mukunda says. More.
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Research Highlights | |
Boosting the Quality and Efficiency of Special Education
It's a woeful fact: Few students with special needs achieve a high (or even modest) level of academic proficiency. The latest (2011) National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results show, for example, that 62 percent of eighth graders with disabilities fell below the "basic" level in reading, as did 64 percent in math.
At the same time, the lingering impact of the 2008 recession and the end of federal stimulus funds are squeezing school budgets even as special education (often referred to as SPED) spending consumes a growing share of the district pie. Based on a recent report by the Pew Center on the States, the total pie available, at least at the state level, is more likely to shrink than grow-making what is now a difficult challenge even more daunting in the future. Access complete study.
Teen Dating Violence: A Literature Review and Annotated Bibliography
Abuse in dating relationships is common among adolescents. In the United States, according to commonly cited figures, 10 to 12 percent of teens report physical abuse, and 33 percent report some kind of abuse. Other sources cite different figures, often higher. This dating abuse has a plethora of negative associated conditions or consequences. Despite the high prevalence rates and deleterious effects, however, teen dating abuse has been slow to gain recognition as a critical public-health and policy concern. Adult intimate-partner violence and marital abuse more generally have gained such recognition, as seen, especially in the past three decades, in policy, program, and legal responses, and in an extensive research literature base devoted to the problem. Adolescents, by comparison, were long overlooked as a population that suffers from relationship abuse. The research literature on this age-group, particularly, pre-college-age teens, has been sparse, notwithstanding indications that dating violence among teens is not only serious, but also exhibits unique features as compared with its manifestation at other life periods. Only recently, especially in the decade 2000 to 2010, has this neglect shifted, with teen dating violence moving higher on the policy and research agenda. This recent emergence of teen dating violence as a societal concern was confirmed and advanced by a recent gesture in the U. S. Congress. Read more. |
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In the News | |
 School Social Worker Helps in Sikh Shooting Aftermath
Oak Creek [WI] High School students and Sikh Temple members worked hand in hand to create a Prairie Garden on campus. Kanwardeep Singh Kaleka said, "It's really the life, the rebirth of something great after something tragic."
The deadly shooting has spurred a sense of unity in the community. The garden is made up of many different plants but for these folks the beauty of it is literal and figurative. [School Social Worker] David Timmer said, "This is symbolic of strength and diversity, there is beauty in it.This is about acceptance of different cultures, different races , different religions, different people, all walks of life." Timmer said it will be a prominent statement to the countless people who pass it, "How we rallied and stood up for what right in this community." Learn more.
New Definition of Autism Won't Exclude Most Children with Autism
Parents should not worry that proposed changes to the medical criteria redefining a diagnosis of autism will leave their children excluded and deemed ineligible for psychiatric and medical care, says a team of researchers led by psychologists at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Their new study, published in the October 1 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry, is the largest to date that has tried to unpack the differences between the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorders in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) and the proposed revision in the fifth edition (DSM-5), which is expected to be published in May 2013. These manuals provide diagnostic criteria for people seeking mental-health-related medical services. Complete article.
Parents May Be Teaching Teens to Be Bullies
While few parents aim to instill bad habits in their children, there are several ways they may inadvertently teach their teens to bully, says Jeff Brown, a licensed psychologist and assistant clinical professor of psychology in the psychiatry department at Harvard University. . .
Fostering a sense of entitlement in teens who excel academically or athletically is another way well-intentioned parents may inadvertently breed bullies, says Nicole Yetter, an educational consultant and high school guidance counselor in the Philadelphia suburbs. More.
One View of Parent Trigger Laws
Several states have passed what are known as parent-trigger laws, which give parents a path to make operational changes in failing schools. Education Week reporter Sean Cavanagh talks about where parent-trigger laws are in place and what we know about whether or not they are working. Read transcript of NPR conversation. |
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Webinars |
Dr. Rick Hanson presents a free seven-part video series, The Compassionate Brain,that explores effective ways to change your brain and heart and life.Each week Dr. Hanson will be joined by a world-class scholar/teacher, including Richie Davidson, Dan Siegel, Tara Brach, Dachar Keltner, Kelly McGonigal, Kristin Neff, and Jean Houston. They'll discuss different ways to use the power of neuroplasticity--how the mind can change the brain to transform the mind--to open the heart, build courage, find compassion, forgive oneself and others, and heal the world.
Can't make a live session? On-demand streaming videos will be available a few days after each session's conclusion. CE credits are available for this free Online Event Series. Weekly beginning October 8, 2012, 8 p.m. ET. For weekly topics and to register, click here.
Webinar: Assessment and Progress Monitoring in School-Based Mental Health
In collaboration with the IDEA Partnership, the Quality and Evidence Base Practice (QEBP)Practice Group will be hosting a webinar on Tuesday October 16, 2012 at 4:00pm Eastern Time titled Assessment and Progress Monitoring in School-Based Mental Health. The webinar will be presented by Dr. Aaron Lyon (Acting Assistant Professor, University of Washington School of Medicine), Jessica Knaster Wasse (Program Manager, Community & School-Based Partnerships Program, Public Health - Seattle & King County), and Dr. Kristy Ludwig (Research Associate, University of Washington School of Medicine).
The presentation will describe an ongoing initiative to implement feasible and effective standardized assessment and progress monitoring procedures in school-based mental health services. Current efforts include collection of stakeholder input, training in student outcome monitoring, and the iterative development of a computerized measurement feedback system.
Please follow these instructions to join the online meeting. For those unable to join the online meeting, we will have the webinar archived on the Center for School Mental Health website.
Implementing an Evidence-Based Positive Behavioral Support System
Cambium Learning Group is sponsoring a free webinar, titled, School Discipline, Classroom Management, and Student Self-Management: Designing and Implementing Evidence-Based Positive Behavioral Support Systems (PBSS). Participants will learn the six critical components of an effective PBSS system, including: social, emotional, and behavioral skills instruction approach, crisis prevention, intervention, response, and the importance of home and community outreach. This event will be held October 18th from 11am - 12pm EST. For more information on this series and to register, click here and scroll down to Howard Knoff. ARCHIVED & AVAILABLE
The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Healthy Students Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center is pleased to announce that the course, Large Events Emergency Management at Schools (K-12 population) is now being offered to provide emergency management training for schools. This course focuses on enhancing emergency management planning efforts throughout districts and schools by providing guidelines, checklists, and specific action items for school officials to consider. For more information and to access this course series, click here.
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. |
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SSW Job Links | |
New this week: Detroit, MI Haddonfield, NJ Hartford, CT 13-14 sy
Riverbank, CA
Continued this week: Aurora, IL Hopkins, MN(.5 FTE) Newark, NJ (HS)
Newark, NJ (MS) Peoria, IL Timonium, MD Vernon Hills, IL
Connecticut (Various Locations)
Dean, LSU, College of Human Sciences & Education |
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Calls for Proposals |
Dissertation Research for the 25th National Symposium on Doctoral Research in Social Work
Deadline: December 31, 2012
The College of Social Work and the Doctoral Student Organization (DSO) at The Ohio State University invites recent Ph.D. and D.S.W. recipients in social work to submit abstracts describing their dissertation research for the 25th National Symposium on Doctoral Research in Social Work held March 28, 2013, in the Ohio Union on the Ohio State University campus.
As part of the College's year long focus, the theme for this year's symposium keynote address will be "Be the Change." Dissertations completed between May 2011 and December 2012 are eligible for consideration. The authors of the selected abstracts will be invited to present their research at the Symposium, where a renowned researcher and scholar will deliver the keynote address. More info and submission guidelines.
Special Issue on School Social Work and Military-connected Schools: New Directions in Practice, Research, Policy and National Leadership
Deadline: February 28, 2013
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, students, and parents in military-connected schools and outlining best practices for such schools are encouraged. More information and to submit. |
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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.
Nestle Very Best in Youth Program Grants
The biennial Nestlé Very Best in Youth program was created to spotlight the best in youth leadership by identifying and honoring teenagers in the United States whose community service efforts are making a profound difference in the lives of others. Nestlé seeks to help young people who want to make a difference realize their dreams by donating $1,000 in the name of each winner to the charity of his or her choice. Nestlé also awards the winner a trip to Los Angeles, California, for the Very Best in Youth awards ceremony. More.
NEA Foundation-Nickelodean Big Help Grant
Sponsored by Nickelodeon and the NEA Foundation, NEA Foundation-Nickelodeon Big Help Grants provide up to $5,000 to K-8 public school educators in the United States. The Big Help Grants program is dedicated to the development and implementation of ideas, techniques, and approaches to addressing four key concerns - environmental awareness, health and wellness, students' right to a quality public education, and active community involvement. The grants target these four concerns as areas of great promise in helping students in the twenty-first century develop a global awareness that encourages and enables them to make a difference in their world. Applicants must be practicing U.S public school teachers or public school education support professional. The application process is the same as for the NEA Foundation's Student Achievement grants. Applicants should specify that their request is for the Big Help Grants program in their application. Application deadlines are October 15, 2012, February 1, 2013, and June 1, 2013. Link to RFP.
Milk Carton Art Contest
Made By Milk Carton Construction Contest, a unique nationwide design competition, promotes nutrition and provides educators with a platform to teach a valuable, hands-on lesson in recycling.Schools across the U.S. can win up to $5,000 by having classroom teams design and construct creations made from empty school milk cartons. Entry deadline is Nov. 16, 2012. Learn more.
Learning and 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.
Stop Bullying Video Challenge
Bullying can affect everyone- those who are bullied, those who bully, and those who witness bullying. The Federal Partners for Bullying Prevention is a workgroup comprised of 9 departments, with 34 offices within those 9 departments. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Federal Partners are launching this video challenge to help prevent and end bullying in schools and communities across the nation.
This challenge invites youth ages 13-18 to create a 30 to 60 second video that will inform and motivate youth to prevent bullying, and that promotes an environment where kindness and respect for others matters. Make your video creative, informative, smart, and entertaining! The focus should be on how youth can be more than a bystander, rather than a video that solely explains why bullying is wrong. Review the judging criteria for this challenge to learn how the winning videos will be selected. Grand Prize is $2000. Deadline to submit is October 14, 2012. Learn 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.
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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