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School Social Work Now!
Supporting Innovative Practice,
Effective Leadership & Applied Research
June 2013 - Vol 3, Issue 35 |
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Greetings!
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ACSSW is collaborating with GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) and other prominent national education organizations on a research study of school social workers, counselors, and psychologists, and their roles in creating safe and affirming learning environments for our nation's youth. Please help by taking 20 minutes to complete the survey.
Save the date!! ACSSW is hosting a multi-professional Mental Health in Schools Institute in Milwaukee, WI, on September 30, 2013. Ten 3-hour seminars will focus on trauma, motivational interviewing, and ethics and boundaries in use of technology, to name a few of the exciting offerings. Designed for school social workers, this professional development program will also be open to all pupil service providers and community mental health providers. CEUs for social workers will be available. To learn more and to register, click here.
As we come to the end of the school year, this newsletter, School Social Work NOW, goes into its summer publication schedule. The next issue of the newsletter will be on June 20th and every two weeks thereafter until September when weekly issues will again commence.
Please keep promoting Mental Health Awareness. We can help to fight the stigma that many incur due to misinformation and fear. The new ACSSW Mental Health Awareness poster along with our Mental Health Awareness campaign materials can be downloaded for free. Green ribbon pins and the two pages of Talking Points sheets are available so, please contact us if you want to order. Wear the pins year round to promote student mental health!! If you can not get a pin, make green ribbons to wear.
Judith Kullas Shine
President
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Professional Development
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- updated -
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Recommended Read for June
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The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science
by Norman Doidge
An astonishing new science called "neuroplasticity" is overthrowing the centuries-old notion that the human brain is immutable. In this revolutionary look at the brain, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Norman Doidge, M.D., provides an introduction to both the brilliant scientists championing neuroplasticity and the people whose lives they've transformed. For school social workers, this raises interesting issues for students with learning problems.
"Only a few decades ago, scientists considered the brain to be fixed or 'hardwired' and considered most forms of brain damage, therefore, to be incurable. Dr. Doidge, an eminent psychiatrist and researcher, was struck by how his patients' own transformations belied this and set out to explore the new science of neuroplasticity by interviewing both scientific pioneers in neuroscience, and patients who have benefited from neurorehabilitation. Here he describes in fascinating personal narratives how the brain, far from being fixed, has remarkable powers of changing its own structure and compensating for even the most challenging neurological conditions. Doidge's book is a remarkable and hopeful portrait of the endless adaptability of the human brain." - Oliver Sack, MD
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Come on . . . Follow Us!! | |
Social media has become one of the prmary ways to communicate and advertise widely. Please help ACSSW to
become more widely known. Click on one or more of the links below and tell your friends about us. Thanks!!
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Practice Points
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from NASWIL
For School Social Workers: Old Tricks with a New Hat How SSWs Can Be Successful in the Mandates of Social Emotional Learning
In the world of response to intervention (RTI), school social workers and the profession of school social work has been subjected to waves of uncertainty. While the concepts of evidence-informed practice, interventions, and progress monitoring are not new to school social workers, it is relatively new to the field of education. Specifically social emotional learning (SEL) has been a staple responsibility of identified tasks of school social workers. However it's just been over the past two decades that the field of education has started to embrace the importance of social emotional learning as it relates to academic and behavioral performance. In general most major stakeholders would agree that incorporating social emotional learning as a part of a child's education is relevant and necessary. School social workers are well poised to take a leadership role in the implementation process; however there are several barriers that exist across all grade levels that make it challenging for school social workers to dig into their well-established "bag of tricks" to breathe life into the social emotional learning of a child in the school setting. Continue.
Schools Use Restorative Justice to Reduce Suspensions
After the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado left 15 dead, many schools in the nation adopted "zero tolerance." The term usually refers to automatic suspension or expulsion for students bringing drugs or participating in violence at school but critics contend the policy has grown to include lesser infractions. Who is subject to such discipline also has come under fire. Studies have shown that school suspensions are meted out disproportionately to minorities and students with disabilities. . .
In place of suspensions many districts are turning to a disciplinary method called restorative justice. Its goal is for the offender to accept responsibility for his or her actions while resolving the problem in a manner that is fair and acceptable to each party. Learn more.
School Social Work Practice Manuals
Earn Extra Income This Summer
As school social workers, we spend a lot of our "free" time developing curricula, group activities, interventions, worksheets, etc. Wouldn't it be nice to profit from those creations? With Teachers Pay Teachers you can sell your creations through an online marketplace. You simply upload your original files to the catalog and then set your own prices. They take care of the sales transactions and deliver instant downloads to buyers. It's very easy! Learn more.
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Leadership News
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The four pillars of an organization are Leadership, Management, Command, and Control. They are important for every leader and manager to understand because they directly drive the organization. Used properly, the business will grow; used improperly, the business will sink. These are not distinct processes, but rather concepts that all leaders perform in order to build and strengthen their organizations. . . the four pillars overlap, thus they are not separate processes. This blending gives the organization the ability to focus on opportunities and deal with threats. More.
The Qualities That Distinguish Women Leaders
Women leaders are more assertive and persuasive, have a stronger need to get things done and are more willing to take risks than male leaders, according to a new study conducted by Caliper, a Princeton-based management consulting firm, which has assessed the potential of more than two million applicants and employees for over 25,000 companies around the world, and Aurora, a London-based organization which advances women and comprises a 20,000 member businesswomen's network. Women leaders also were found to be more empathic and flexible, as well as stronger in interpersonal skills than their male counterparts. . .
While much research has been published comparing the leadership styles of women and men, this study specifically focused on the personality qualities and motivational factors which are at the core of the underlying gender differences. Read the study's findings.
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Research Highlights
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Pockets of Deep Poverty
Poverty is getting so concentrated in America that one out of five public schools was classified as a "high-poverty" school in 2011 by the U.S. Department of Education. To win this unwelcome designation, 75 percent or more of an elementary, middle or high school's students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch. About a decade earlier, in 2000, only one in eight public schools was deemed to be high poverty. That's about a 60 percent increase in the number of very poor schools! Learn more. Access full report.
Design-based Practice: A New Perspective for Social Work
Abstract: Evidence-based practice (EBP) has emerged as an alternative to traditional social work practice and has ignited a new round in the decades-old debate about the relationship between knowledge and practice in the field. This article identifies several limitations inherent in the EBP perspective and argues that it would be unfortunate if EBP were to become the new paradigm for social work practice and education. It also presents a new perspective for social work called design-based practice (DBP), which is based on the work of Herbert Simon and Mary Parker Follett, and compares this perspective with EBP and authority-based practice. DBP rests on the belief that knowledge is derived from experience and interactions between practitioners and clients and that professional practice should be primarily concerned with "how things ought to be." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Access Article.
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In the News
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Faculty Union Wants Counselors [Social Workers] Back on the Job
Faculty union members at Santa Maria High School are fighting for the jobs of two longtime Santa Maria High School counselors [trained school social workers] who were put on paid administrative leave May 9. District officials have said the decision to place Becky Dominguez and Sara Gulino on paid administrative leave last month and not rehire them next year, stems from a Santa Barbara County audit that revealed the two counselors have social work credentials instead of those required for counseling.
The employment change is about upholding credentialing requirements for all employees, said Tracy Marsh, assistant superintendent of human resources for the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District. He added that to allow some employees to work while they attain credentials would not be fair to other employees. Read more.
District Not Liable in Student Bullying, Appeals Court Rules
A Pennsylvania school district cannot be held liable for the bullying of a high school student by one of her peers, despite the fact that school officials re-admitted the perpetrator after she had been found delinquent and then continued to bully the victim, a federal appeals court has ruled.
The full U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, in Philadelphia, expressed sympathy for the victim and her family but said that under well-established precedents they could not prevail under two distinct theories in holding the district and one of its administrators legally responsible for the bullying. The court held 9-5 that despite compulsory education laws the school did not have a "special relationship" with its students that would give rise to a duty to protect them from harm from other students. Continue.
Dueling Plans to Replace NCLB Rolled Out
Republicans in Congress have rolled out legislation that would sharply limit the power of the executive branch and shrink the role of the federal government in public education in a rebuke to the Obama administration's influence over education from kindergarten through 12th grade. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats have unveiled their own K-12 plan, which would cede more control to states but still maintain some federal oversight, especially of the worst-performing schools.
This is the latest attempt by members of Congress to rewrite No Child Left Behind, the main education law that sets conditions and requirements for every public school receiving federal funds to educate poor students and those with special needs. Read about the plans.
CA: Who Is Responsible for Insuring Special Education?
California and federal laws allow students with disabilities to receive special education until age 22, but the laws are so vague about provision of service that many young inmates fall into graduation limbo, writes Joanna Lin on the Center for Investigative Reporting website. For instance, when Michael Garcia -- who was receiving special education -- was transferred from juvenile hall to the Los Angeles County Men's Central Jail at 18, his education abruptly ended. For the next 19 months, he was unable to work toward the diploma he'll need for most jobs and to attend college. He's spent five years in legal battles trying to hold someone accountable, and the California Supreme Court is expected to hear his case this year to determine whether an incarcerated student's local school district -- the one in which parents reside -- is responsible for his or her special education (the decision will come too late for Garcia, 23 this month). The case has implications for districts across the state that could be required to send teachers into jails to instruct special-education students. More.
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Survey Completion Requests
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Supporting Safe & Healthy Schools: A National Survey of School Counselors, Psychologists, and Social Workers
ACSSW is collaborating with GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) and other prominent national education organizations on a research study of school social workers, counselors, and psychologists, and their roles in creating safe and affirming learning environments for our nation's youth. Your participation in this survey can provide us with the tools to advocate for safer schools, strengthen school-based health and mental health services, and raise awareness to the important role that social workers play in students' healthy development.
If you are currently employed as a school social worker working with middle and/or high school students, please share your perspectives and experiences with us. You work with students each day who may benefit from the results of this survey! While this is a very busy time of year for school social workers, please carve out a few minutes to help us gather this important information. Survey participation is completely voluntary, and should only take about 20 minutes of your time. Be assured that your participation is confidential. Access survey and scroll to bottom of page to begin.
Smith College Study on SSW Practice
Sarah Wettenstein, a student at Smith College School for Social Work in Northampton, MA, is conducting a research study about how school social workers practice and the different types of interventions they use. In particular, she is interested in looking at the barriers to participation in different kinds of school social work practice.
This is yet another opportunity to inform the school social work and related educational communities about the profession! It costs nothing but your time--which often is in short supply. But original research about what we do and how we do it is so very important. Please assist in this research by learning about the projector, for more information,email Sarah or call 860-604-1204.
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Webinars | |
Archived
Creating Trauma Sensitive Schools
In collaboration with the IDEA Partnership, the Quality and Evidence Base Practice (QEBP) Practice Group hosted a webinar on Wednesday April 17, 2013 titled "Creating Trauma Sensitive Schools" that featured two presentations. The first presentation featured Nic Dibble from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction who shared how Wisconsin is building on existing mental health initiatives to use a Response to Intervention (RtI) framework to help schools support students affected by trauma. Mr. Dibble shared resources including Wisconsin's toolkit for schools, links to publications and websites that describe how schools can become more trauma-informed, and specific strategies schools can adopt to be more trauma-sensitive. The second presentation featured Erin Butts from the University of Montana Institute for Educational Research and Service who discussed secondary traumatic stress (STS), burnout, and self-care. She identified STS signs and symptoms, discussed their significance, and provided recommendations for self-care. Her presentation included an interactive exercise that can be used during stressful situations. The webinar recording as well as the powerpoint. Please note that the webinar recording started a few minutes late so the introduction and first few slides were not audio recorded. The PowerPoint slides include the entire presentation. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Comprehensive School Mental Health: A Partnership Among Families, Schools, and Communities (A PDF)
In a webinar sponsored by the Maryland Coalition of Families for Children's Mental Health (MCF), CSMH Co-Directors Nancy Lever, Ph.D and Sharon Hoover Stephan, Ph.D. hosted a webinar titled Comprehensive School Mental Health: A partnership among families, schools, and communities on March 11, 2013. Since 1995, the National Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine has been working to promote successful policies and programs to advance school mental health in the United States. The recent school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut has heightened the nation's awareness of the vulnerability of our children and communities to violent actions. However, it is important that we not respond by merely addressing security in schools. Rather, we must attend to comprehensive school mental health - promoting students' social-emotional learning, mental health and positive school climate; early screening and identification of youth mental health concerns; and effective school-based prevention and intervention. In this webinar, presenters discussed what comprehensive school mental health is and the role of families and schools in their partnership to address children's mental health. PDF here.
Free Podcast
Memories and experiences from childhood can have good and bad long-term effects on a person's physical and emotional well-being. A recent CDC study in five states found that more than half of respondents reported some type of adverse childhood experience that continues to affect them today. In this podcast, Dr. Valerie Edwards discusses the lingering effects of adverse childhood experiences. Access here. |
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Grants & Funding | |
Champion Creatively Alive Children
Crayola Creative Leadership Grants 2013
Crayola, in collaboration with the National Association of Elementary School Principals, is accepting applications for the 2013 Creative Leadership Grant program. The program will award up to twenty grants of $2,500 to elementary schools working to develop a team of leaders who can help increase arts-infused education within school and beyond. In addition, each program will receive an in-kind grant of Crayola products valued at $1,000.
Applications will only be accepted from principals who are members of NAESP. Every school that submits an application by June 10 will receive a Crayola product Classpack. Click to access application. Deadline: June 21, 2013. |
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ACSSW Activities
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ACSSW's present activities include:
- hosting a multi-professional Mental Health In Schools Institute in Milwaukee on September 30th that invites school and community mental health providers to participate;
- supporting 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,
- designing professional development opportunities that address current issues and real job challenges. Watch for details to come.
- staying on top of national educational reforms and trends.
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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