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School Social Work Now!
Supporting Innovative Practice,
Effective Leadership & Applied Research
January 2013 - Vol 3, Issue 18 |
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Come on . . . Follow Us!! | |
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| Greetings! | |
Colleague and ACSSW member Steve Button is looking for a policy as well as district procedures for suicide prevention, intervention and postvention. The Lewiston, ID school district is revising and updating their documents. If you can help, please email your documents by clicking his name, Steve Button. If you prefer to send something "hard copy", mail to Steve at: Lewiston School District, 3317 12th Street, Lewiston, ID 83501. Thanks so much!
Before we know it we will be celebrating national School Social Work Week, March 3-9. Watch here for the 2013 school social work poster--and more!!--in the weeks to come. Start to plan how you will promote and highlight the profession!
Highlights of the ACSSW Conference in New Orleans
Monday's keynote presenter will be Steven Korr, of the International Institute of Restorative Practices. Tuesday will feature Dr. Marleen Wong, international expert and consultant on trauma in schools. The following is a sampling of the workshops being presented.
- Restorative Practices in Schools
- Boundaries & Ethics
- Transition: Taking a Different Approach
- Understanding Psychotropic Medications Used by Children & Adolescents
- LGBTQ Youth in Schools
- Serving Families in Poverty: Tools for Best Practice
- Innovative Social Skills Intervention: Use of Peer Training & Networking
- Interacting Effectively With Challenging Parents: Considerations and Strategies
- Psychological First Aid for Schools
- Early Childhood Literacy Playgroups
- Exploration of a Nine-Component Model to Create Aligned, Comprehensive Behavior Systems for Student Success
- School & Community Based Mental Health Programs: Breaking Barriers in Care through Collaborative Partnerships
- School Discipline Practices: Predictors of Patterns of Offending Among At-Risk Children
- Strengthening Our Voices: Heightening Influence Through Leadership Skills
More info below. See you in New Orleans!!
Judith Kullas Shine
President |
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Recommended Read for January | |
 Safer Saner Schools: Restorative Practices in Educationby Laura Mirsky & Ted Wachtel
This collection of articles from the Restorative Practices eForum - the IIRP's internet publication with thousands of subscribers around the world - conveys the power of restorative practices to transform schools into positive, vibrant communities while dramatically reducing discipline referrals, detentions and suspensions. The articles include accounts of personal experiences, implementation and research in schools from the United States and Canada to the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and Asia.
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ACSSW Conference in New Orleans
February 18-19 | |
Late fee effective February 1st
ACSSW -- Louisiana Conference
The Science & Art
of School Social Work
February 18-19, 2013
Tulane University, Lavin-Bernick Center, New Orleans
2013 NOLA Conference Brochure
Team discounts are available for groups of 3 or more from the same district/parish. Registrations may be made online at Conference Registrations. If you do not receive a return email confirmation, you are not registered. You may also download the registration page from the brochure and email or fax to the addresses on the page. Email/fax registrations will receive a confirmation within 48 hours of receipt. If you do not receive confirmation contact Sally Carlson, 414-659-5853 or sally.carlson@acssw.org. $25 late fee effective February 1st.
Drury Hotel Accommodations
Refer to American Council for SSW for the special rate of $104, single through quad. Reserve now. Deadline is February 1, 2013 but rooms are going quickly. Call 1-800-325-0720 and provide Group Code #2150627. For online reservations click "here"on the website page (just above the arrival date box) and enter the group code. Due to parking lot construction only valet parking is available, $25/night, with in/out privileges.
Holiday Inn Superdome Accommodations - SOLD OUT |
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Only 1 More Week! |
ONLY 1 MORE WEEK!! Persons who attended the ACSSW 2012 Summit or the Midwest School Social Work Conference in Wisconsin in November can join or renew membership with ACSSW between now and January 31, 2013 at a special rate of $75, a savings of $35!! Students and retirees still enjoy a low $60 rate.
AND names will be put into a drawing 5 times for a Color Nook, a retail value of $139. Get your name into the drawing. You will also receive a membership packet of "goodies." Don't delay. Join today! |
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Practice Points | |
School Reform and Mental Health Services for Students with Emotional Disturbances Educated in Urban Schools
Outcomes for students in special education continue to be disappointing and those having emotional disturbances (ED) continue to lag behind the other disability groups. In this study, school reform activities and the effects on students who are educated in special education programs for students who have ED were examined. Demographically similar elementary, middle, and high schools in urban communities were classified as either actively engaged in (HI) or not very engaged in (LO) reform activities. Findings indicated students with ED in the HI schools spent more time in academic general education classes with non-handicapped peers; had significantly higher achievement scores in math; and were more likely to receive mental health services from community agencies compared to students in the LO schools. Implications are discussed in terms of current developments in the school-based mental services research and provider communities to refocus interventions on learning, the core function of schools. Complete study.
Is There an ADHD Diet?
Scientific research on ADHD diets is limited and results are mixed. Many health experts, however, do believe that diet may play a role in relieving ADHD symptoms. WebMD's ADHD expert Richard Sogn, MD, points out that whatever is good for the brain is likely to be good for ADHD. Brain researcher and ADHD expert Daniel Amen, MD, offers some ADHD diet suggestions. Learn more.
Educating SWs for Child Welfare: The Status of Using Title IV-E Funding to Support BSW & MSW Education
For two decades, Title IV-E funding has been an important source of support for BSW and MSW students to be encouraged to puruse child welfare careers. The Social Work Policy Institute has created a new brief, Education Social Workers for Child Welfare Practice: The Status of Using Title IV-E Funding to Support BSW & MSW Education, that describes the current status of the use of Title IV-E funding in social work education, addressing the value of this funding to promote professional social work practice in public child welfare agencies and describing some of the policy implementation challenges. More.
Interested in learning more about the evidence-based assessment practices of your school mental health clinicians?
If you are a school mental health program with at least 15 clinicians and are interested in better understanding the assessment practices of your school mental health clinicians, read on!
The CSMH is doing a small study looking at evidence-based assessment practices in school mental health clinicians and would like to include your program. Clinicians in the program would take a 20-minute online survey; in return, we could provide you with:
- Individualized summary of your program data on which assessments your clinicians use, find easiest to administer, and find most useful for their practice, as well as reported barriers to collecting ongoing assessments from students, teachers, and families; and
- Electronic pdfs of 20 free assessment measures for internalizing and externalizing difficulties, with scoring instructions included.
If you are interested, please have your Program Director email Elizabeth Connors, and she will send you a link to share with your clinicians to complete the anonymous survey. Thank you for your interest!
from Liana Lowenstein's newsletter
Worry Dolls -- A Therapeutic Technique
This is another creative therapeutic technique from therapist Liana Lowenstein. It is designed to strengthen parent/child communication, increase feelings of intimacy and connectedness, promote empathic understanding within the family, and increase healthy coping skills. More.
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Leadership News | |
Blowing Your Leadership Horn
There are two streams of competitiveness running through every organization. The first goes outward: It's the organization's competitive activities toward its competitors. The second goes inward: It's the competitiveness of leaders inside the organization who are vying against one another for power, recognition, privilege and promotion.
To be successful in the second, leaders must not only do well in their jobs but they must also be able to have their bosses and colleagues perceive they do well. In other words, they must be able to publicize themselves.. or, to use the vernacular, blow their own horns.
I submit, however, that if one simply puts lips to the horn of publicity and blows hard -- i.e., makes an outward show of publicizing oneself, such efforts will turn out to be discordant and counterproductive. The result will be people turning their backs on you rather than having them hum your tune.
Though it is necessary to blow one's own horn as you climb your career ladder, it is also necessary to know how to do it. After all, there is an art to the effort. Read full article.
No Name-Calling Week Began January 21st
In your capacity as school change leaders, you can make a difference in the lives of students. This is National No Name-Calling Week designed to end name-calling. Lessons and activities are available for all grade levels. A Creative Expression Contest is open to students to submit poetry, essays, music and artwork centered around experiences with name-calling in schools. Contest deadline: March 1. |
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Research Highlights | |
Relationship Between Boys' Normative Beliefs about Aggression and Their Physical, Verbal, and Indirect Aggressive Behaviors
Over the years, a consensus has been established among researchers studying aggression: males tend to be more aggressive than females (Archer, 2004a; Archer, 2004b; Archer & Haigh, 1997; Bettencourt & Miller, 1996; Crane-Ross, Tisak & Tisak, 1998; Eagiy & Steffen, 1986; Tappere & Boulton, 2004). In a meta-analytic review of the social-psychological literature, Eagly and Steffen (1986) found that 89% of social-psychological reports indicated that males were more aggressive than females. Moreover, Bettencourt and Miller (1996) and Archer (2004a) obtained a close to moderate effect size of 0.33 and 0.42, respectively for the finding that males scored higher than females for general aggression.
Other studies examined different aspects of aggression such as indirect, verbal, and physical aggression and the findings suggest that sex differences may differ for each type of aggression. In one study, Crick, Bigbee, and Howes (1996) found that girls cited more indirect aggressive acts to express anger, as compared to boys. However, in a meta-analytic review of sex differences in aggression in real-world settings, measured using self reports, Archer (2004a) reported a negligible effect size of 0.02, illustrating that girls were not higher on indirect aggression compared to boys.
Past research on verbal aggression supported the consensus that males tend to be verbally more aggressive than females (Archer, 2004a; Archer 2004b; Tapper & Boulton, 2004). However, the magnitude of the effect sizes for the differences found in verbal aggression varied from study to study, even when similar methods were used. Read study.
Matrix of Children's Evidence-Based Interventions
. . .This matrix includes for each intervention a description, the evidence of its effectiveness, availability of technical assistance and training materials, the population and setting with which the program was tested, andsources that identified the program or intervention. Some of the information for specific interventions was derived from blending sources (i.e. the evidence, population, or setting of a particular intervention may come from different sources), or was expanded on by further search. Therefore, the information presented for each intervention is not necessarily uniform where the population, setting and outcomes may not all stem from the same study. Technical assistance and training materials for each program/intervention were sought, and those found are listed. The matrix does not contain all known information on the programs or interventions listed. . . The matrix contains 92 entries and several factors must be taken into consideration while using it. Read more.
Teen Rates of Suicidal Behaviors Similar to Adults
Suicidal behaviors are common in U.S. teens, primarily in those already seeking treatment for pre-existing mental disorders, according to a study published online Jan. 9 in JAMA Psychiatry. Matthew K. Nock, Ph.D., from Harvard University in Boston, and colleagues assessed information gathered from face-to-face interviews with 6,483 adolescents (aged 13 to 18 years) and their parents participating in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A). The researchers found that the estimated lifetime prevalences of suicide ideation, plans, and attempts among the respondents were 12.1, 4.0, and 4.1 percent, respectively. Continue. |
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In the News | |
Connecticut School Shooting National Position Statement
Nine school violence prevention researchers and practitioners nationwide have developed a position statement in response to the tragic acts of violence at Sandy Hook Elementary School. This position statement has been endorsed by more than 200 professional organizations, including ACSSW, and nationally recognized researchers and practitioners, including the Center for School Mental Health. The driving force behind the statement is to communicate scientifically informed principles and recommendations for practitioners, policymakers and the public at large. The co-authors' goal is to help build consensus on a course of meaningful action. Read statement.
from the Center for School Mental Health
President Obama's Gun Control Plan Includes Recommendations for Increasing School Mental Health Services
On January 15, 2013, Vice President Biden delivered his policy proposals to President Obama. The package of recommendations, released publicly January 16, 2013, details ways we can help keep guns out of the wrong hands, make our schools safer, and increase access to mental health services. Recommendations include:
The Administration is calling on Congress to help schools hire up to 1,000 more school resource officers, school psychologists, social workers, and counselors, as well as make other investments in school safety. We also need to make sure every school has a comprehensive emergency management plan so they are prepared to respond to situations like mass shootings. In addition, the Administration is proposing to help 8,000 schools put in place proven strategies to prevent violence and improve school climate by reducing bullying, drug abuse, violence, and other problem behaviors.
- Ensure quality coverage of mental health treatment, particularly for young people.
Though the vast majority of Americans with a mental illness are not violent, we need to do more to identify mental health issues early and help individuals get the treatment they need before dangerous situations develop. As President Obama has said, "We are going to need to work on making access to mental health care as easy as access to a gun." The Administration is proposing steps to identify mental health issues early and help individuals get the treatment they need before these dangerous situations develop. Full Administration Plan. |
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Survey Completion Request |
You are invited to participate in a brief 20 minute anonymous survey. The Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine is conducting this survey (a) to understand the barriers to engaging caregivers in school-based mental health treatment, and (b) to develop best practices for engaging caregivers in school-based mental health treatment. Mental health professionals who provide school-based mental health services are invited to complete this survey. Participation involves completing a 20 minute online survey of mental health professionals' experiences with engaging caregivers in school-based mental health treatment. Your participation in this survey is completely voluntary. In addition, your responses are completely anonymous and confidential. If you decide to participate, you may discontinue participation at any time, or if you feel uncomfortable answering any questions, you may choose "skip" as the answer or you may leave the text box blank. By completing the survey, you are providing consent to participate in this evaluation. Please contact Dr. Nicole Evangelista Brandt at nbrandt@psych.umaryland.edu or 410-706-0980 with questions. Thank you in advance! Go to School-Based Mental Health Survey. |
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Webinars | |
Understanding the Interconnected Systems (ISF) for Integrating Mental Health Supports in Schools
January 28, 2013, 2-3:30 ET
The Interconnected Systems Framework (ISF) is a structure and process for blending education and mental health systems through a multi-tiered structure in schools. By bringing school and community mental health providers into established school-wide systems of positive behavior supports, the ISF promotes a prevention-based continuum of mental health promotion and supports embedded in all 3 tiers of multi-tiered systems of behavioral support in schools. This webinar will describe the core features of the ISF as a blend of school-wide systems of positive behavior support and school mental health and introduce tools that can help develop the ISF in local communities. Examples of ISF implementation will also be shared. The target audience for this webinar includes all members of the IDEA PBIS/SMH community of practice and related stakeholders in states, districts and schools interested in expanding mental health services through the ISF. Opportunities for question/answer and sharing of experiences among participants will be available during the webinar. More information.
Preventing Underage Drinking
January 30, 2013, 2-3 ET
Nearly 10 million 12-20 year old youth in the United States are underage drinkers. National surveys indicate progress in decreasing underage drinking, but the rates are still high. The Interagency Committee to Prevent Underage Drinking is sponsoring a series on reducing underage drinking by hosting the first webinar of a series titled, Preventing Underage Drinking: Introduction and Series Overview. National leaders and experts will discuss the issue, lessons learned from research, and evidence-based strategies for addressing underage drinking. Register.
Child Maltreatment 2011 - Key Findings and Expanded Discussion
February 7, 2013, 1-2 ET
The Child Maltreatment report series presents national data about child abuse and neglect known to child protective services agencies in the United States. Presenters will discuss key highlights from the most recent report, Child Maltreatment 2011, and share additional findings that shed light on emerging issues and trends in child abuse and neglect. Child Maltreatment PDF & Excel Files. Register.
ARCHIVED & AVAILABLE
This session focused on strategies for preventing bullying, with a focus on enhancing overall school climate to minimize bullying behavior. In addition, participants explored practical approaches for recognizing the signs of potential bullying onset, risk analysis, support and interventions when such behavior does occur. Best practice guidelines for a comprehensive approach to addressing this issue were also explored. This Webinar is most appropriate for school administrators, professional and certified staff, guidance counselors, school climate team and social workers. Access Webinar. Presentation slides.
Young families who are homeless often have unique needs based on both the challenges of trauma and homelessness and their developmental stage. A developmental perspective is essential to tailoring services to meet the needs of this population. During the first session of this course, we will provide an overview of development from birth through young adulthood; child and adult brain development; expected behaviors and responses at each stage; and the impact of trauma on development. Register to access.
Understanding the Impact of Trauma in the Lives of Displaced Children and Families
The prevalence of traumatic stress in the lives of displaced children and families is extraordinarily high. Experiences of trauma can have a significant impact on how families interact with each other and with service providers. In this webinar, participants will learn about the connection between traumatic stress, displacement, and homelessness; the mind-body response to stress and trauma; factors that influence our responses to trauma, particularly cultural factors; and the impact of chronic trauma on all areas of functioning. Register here to access.
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. |
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SSW Job Links | |
Gages Lake, IL (sub) Newark, NJ (HS) Newark, NJ (MS)
Norridge, IL (Mat Lv) Peoria, IL Providence, RI 13-14 sy
St. Clair, MO Woodridge, IL
Connecticut (Various Locations) Louisiana (Various Locations)
Dean, LSU, College of Human Sciences & Education |
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Calls for Proposals |
Center for School Mental Health Call for Proposals
Deadline: February 4, 2013
Proposals are now being accepted for the 18th Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Healthto be held October 3-5, 2013 at the Crystal City Gateway Marriott Hotel (1700 Jefferson Davidson Highway) in Arlington, Virginia. The Conference is hosted by the Center for School Mental Health (CSMH) and the IDEA Partnership (funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), sponsored by the National Association of State Directors of Special Education). The theme of the conference is What Works in School Mental Health: Collaboration from the Inside Out. [ACSSW encourages school social workers to submit!]
The conference features twelve specialty tracks and this year will also include a special topic area on funding and sustainability in school mental health. The Annual Conference offers speakers and participants numerous opportunities to advance knowledge and skills related to school mental health practice, research, training, and policy. The conference emphasizes a shared school-family-community agenda to bring high quality and evidence-based mental health promotion, prevention, and intervention to students and families. The intended audience for the conference includes clinicians, educators and related personnel, administrators, youth and family members, researchers, primary care providers, advocates, and other youth-serving professionals. All proposals must be submitted via the online proposal form.
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 | |
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Accepting Minigrant Applications
Established by children's book author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats, the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation is accepting applications from public schools and public libraries anywhere in the United States and its territories for program or event mini-grants of up to $500. The mini-grants program is intended to support projects that foster creative expression, collaboration, and interaction with a diverse community. The funding program provides an opportunity for educators, whose efforts are often inadequately funded or recognized, to create special activities outside the standard curriculum and make time to encourage their students. For more information and application, click here. Deadline: March 15, 2013
NEA Learning & Leadership Grants
NEA Learning & Leadership Grants support public school teachers, public education support professionals, and/or faculty and staff in public institutions of higher education for one of two purposes. Grants to individuals fund participation in high-quality professional development experiences such as summer institutes or action research; grants to groups fund collegial study, including study groups, action research, lesson study, or mentoring experiences for faculty or staff new to an assignment. Maximum award: $5,000. Eligibility: public school teachers grades K-12; public school education support professionals; or faculty and staff at public higher education institutions. Deadline: February 1, 2013. Application.
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 February 1, 2013 and June 1, 2013. Link to RFP. |
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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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