April 2013 - Vol 3, Issue 26 

Preserving Commitment to Social Work Service through the Prevention of Vicarious Trauma   

  

The importance of self-care in social workers is now widely recognized. Yet, little is known about the specific ways in which helping professionals can and do manage stress when faced with client suffering or trauma. This article explores cognitive coping strategies used by practitioners-tools that may serve to buffer them from vicarious trauma, thus preserving their dedication to the social work value of service.  Full article.  

 

Motivational Interviewing with Academically Unmotivated Students      

 

". . . Literature from counseling and education suggests that Motivational Interviewing may have applications over a variety of settings. Although the number of studies are limited, research appears to suggest that Motivational Interviewing may be effective in addressing the academic motivation of students.

 

Through a multiple post series I hope to elaborate on the principles and techniques of Motivational Interviewing (MI) and how it can be utilized with under performing students. In this first post I will be discussing the spirit and general principles of MI.

 

The Spirit of Motivational Interviewing

Motivational Interviewing is more than a set of therapeutic techniques. MI is a "way of being" with students. It is both client-centered and directive. MI is based on three key elements: collaboration between the social worker and student, evoking or drawing out the student's ideas about change, and emphasizing the autonomy of the student."  Continue here.

 

Frameworks for RTI in Early Childhood: Description and Implications     

 

This jointly-developed paper (1) provides clarification and guidance on the relationship of Response to Intervention (RTI) to early childhood programs serving children from birth until school entry; (2) helps to dispel misunderstandings and misconceptions about the use of RTI in early childhood programs; and (3) promotes a broader understanding and discussion of the topic.  Complete paper here.

 

from Liana Lowenstein's newsletter   

Helping Children Overcome Negative Self-Talk  

 

What children say outloud gives one a window to what they are thinking.  Negative self-talk can be extremely hurtful, not only to them but also to the parents and adults who love them.  Learn a few strategies on how to approach children and turn things around.  More.

  

Transformative Leadership for Social Emotional Learning  

  

When it comes to the impact of mental health on academic outcomes, the research is finally catching up with veteran teacher leaders' observations: developing social-emotional competence is key to success in school and in life. SEL addresses the development of five key areas of social-emotional competence (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning [CASEL], 2003): self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. . .

 

Accomplishing the kinds of changes needed to integrate SEL into secondary schools requires transformative leadership: leadership that is willing to realign structures and relationships to achieve genuine and sustainable change. Although there are more elements of transformational leadership than we can elaborate here, we can describe some key aspects derived from education research and stories of successes (Bencivenga & Elias, 2003; Devaney et al., 2006; Elias & Arnold, 2006; Elias, Arnold, & Hussey, 2003).  Access full article. 

  

Causes of Gridlock and How to "Untangle the Knots"       

  

. . . functions and departments who need to coordinate become stuck, each unable to deliver on their goals and effectively forced to compromise on quality, schedules, budgets or all three. In its extreme form, the pattern can escalate to such heated conflict that entire projects or processes are paralyzed just as city drivers are by traffic gridlock. And just as with a traffic jam, if you look down at the pattern from above, you can see how a smooth flow becomes a tight knot of honking vehicles and frustrated drivers pulled tighter and tighter as each player tries to push forward.

 

Cross-functional gridlock can show up anywhere you need coordination across boundaries. Think of engineering working with manufacturing, sales working with service, central functions working with field departments, information technology working with business units, internal groups coordinating with external customers.  Though every project manager knows the importance of communication, cross-functional gridlock remains a persistent barrier. . .  Click here for more.

State Education Agencies' Acquisition and Use of Research Knowledge for School Improvement      

  

Over the last two decades, state education agencies (SEAs) have been given considerable responsibilities for improving low-performing schools and for adopting research-based practices in doing so. Yet we know little about how and where these organizations search for, select, and use research and other kinds of evidence. We examined these questions as they relate to school improvement designs and strategies in three SEAs using a combination of surveys and interviews conducted in 2010-11. We found that SEA staffs relied most heavily on their colleagues for information but that information often flowed across departments and offices, contrary to the usual image of the SEA as a segmented and siloed bureaucracy. A large number of external organizations were identified in SEA research advice networks and played a catalyzing role in the design or elaboration of research for policy. Although most sources were named by just one person, each SEA also had central internal staff who played an important role in brokering research on school improvement. Identifying and cultivating such influential actors, and connecting individuals who are now isolated or only weakly engaged in these communication networks, could create a more robust exchange of knowledge around school improvement.  Download PDF of report.

  

Mentoring Experiences and Outcomes for Youth with Varying Risk Profiles      

  

More and more, mentoring programs are being asked to serve young people who are considered "higher risk." While mentoring has a strong research base generally, relatively little is known about mentoring programs' capacities to serve and produce benefits for higher-risk youth. This report presents results from the first large-scale evaluation to examine how the levels and types of risk youth face may influence their mentoring relationships and the benefits they derive from mentoring programs. The study looked closely at the backgrounds of participating youth and their mentors, the mentoring relationships that formed, the program supports that were offered, and the benefits youth received - and assessed how these varied for youth with differing "profiles" of risk.

 

A Public/Private Ventures project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and distributed by MDRC, the study involved more than 1,300 youth, drawn from seven programs serving young people in Washington State. Oversight and support for the project were provided by Washington State Mentors.  Full document.  Executive Summary.

The Secret to Fixing School Discipline? Change the Behavior of Adults  

  

A sea change is coursing slowly but resolutely through this nation's K-12 education system. More than 23,000 schools out of 132,000 nationwide have or are discarding a highly punitive approach to school discipline in favor of supportive, compassionate, and solution-oriented methods. Those that take the slow-but-steady road can see a 20% to 40% drop in suspensions in their first year of transformation. A few - where the principal, all teachers and staff embrace an immediate overhaul - experience higher rates, as much as an 85% drop in suspensions and a 40% drop in expulsions. Bullying, truancy, and tardiness are waning. Graduation rates, test scores and grades are trending up.

The formula is simple, really: Instead of waiting for kids to behave badly and then punishing them, schools are creating environments in which kids can succeed.  Learn more. 

  

NRA School Safety Plan Emphasizes Armed Officers & School Employees     

  

. . things aren't much better for those lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students in physical jeopardy:

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 or 410-706-0980 with questions. Thank you in advance!  Go to School-Based Mental Health Survey. 

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