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School Social Work NOW!
Supporting Innovative Practice,
Effective Leadership, and Applied Research
Vol 4, Issue 2
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It's not too early to be thinking about how to make bullying prevention a priority in your school or district, especially during the month of October, National Bullying Prevention Month. PACER'S National Bullying Center is a wealth of information and resources for students K-12. Great ideas, programs and web pages for each grade group. October 9th is National Unity Day - Make It Orange, Make It End!
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September 30, 2013 -- Milwaukee, WI
Open to all school support staff.
Discounts available for teams of 3 or more.
ACSSW National School Social Work
Mental Health Institute
February 10-11, 2014 -- New Orleans, LA
Save the dates! Watch for details.
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With the start of the new school year come resolutions to provide better services to children, youth and their families. ACSSW can help you do that! Why not treat yourself well and join ACSSW now. We are extending the join/renew discount ($95 instead of $110 for active members) to September 30th. Fulfill that New [School] Year Resolution and support the efforts being made on your behalf. We can't do it alone!
Judith Kullas Shine
President
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Recommended Read for September
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 The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz
Barnes & Noble: "In The Four Agreements, don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love. The Four Agreements are: Be impeccable with your word, don't take anything personally, don't make assumptions, always do your best happiness, and love." This short book, 129 pages, can help you make long-lasting changes in your life.
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ACSSW's Mental Health in Schools Institute
Milwaukee - September 30th
Team discounts available
Avoid late fee - Register by 9/23
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Abstract: Society places great expectations on schools and teachers to provide a quality education for students. Students range in diversity not only in racial and ethnic identity, but in family income, geographical location, financial and emotional resources, and health and mental health status. Students in middle level schools are at a developmental point of physical, cognitive, social and emotional transition. Social identities, challenges and resources impact the learning experience for students, heightened for students in developmental transitions. Social workers are uniquely trained in these areas that present great challenges to learning. The six core values of the social work profession, including service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence guide the work of social workers in schools (National Association of Social Workers [NASW], 2008). Given the realities of the current educational climate, this paper will highlight the importance for collaboration between teachers and social workers in middle level schools. Such collaboration draws on the expertise of both the education and social work professions to enact goals set forth for educating adolescents by the Association for Middle Level Education (2009). It highlights the strengths that can be found in teamwork and cooperation in middle school environments, and provides an invaluable resource for middle school educators and social workers to support each other in a challenging work environment. Complete article.
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Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for High Schools was funded by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to help high schools, school districts, and their partners design and implement strategies to prevent suicide and promote behavioral health among their students. The information and tools in this toolkit will help schools and their partners:
**Assess their ability to prevent suicide among students and respond to suicides that may occur
**Understand strategies that can help students who are at risk for suicide
**Understand how to respond to the suicide of a student or other member of the school community
**Identify suicide prevention programs and activities that are effective for individual schools and respond to the needs and cultures of each school's students
**Integrate suicide prevention into activities that fulfill other aspects of the school's mission, such as preventing the abuse of alcohol and other drugs
Suicide prevention efforts in high schools are usually led by school counselors, mental health professionals, or social workers. But it is important to remember that no one--not the principal, not the counselor, and not the most passionate and involved parent--can establish effective suicide prevention strategies alone. The participation, support, and active involvement of others in the school and community are essential for success.
This comprehensive toolkit can be downloaded free at Preventing Suicide Toolkit.
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports: History, Defining Features, and Misconceptions
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) has been defined, described, and studied ever since its introduction in the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (1997). The purpose of this paper is to revisit PBIS with respect to its history, defining practices and features, and supporting evidence-base.
PBIS is an implementation framework that is designed to enhance academic and social behavior outcomes for all students by (a) emphasizing the use of data for informing decisions about the selection, implementation, and progress monitoring of evidence-based behavioral practices; and (b) organizing resources and systems to improve durable implementation fidelity. Access paper.
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. . . Frontline chooses to describe social work as a leadership profession. The ability to inspire others to act in emotional and sometimes hostile circumstances, continually adapting to new challenges, breaking inertia between a number of different agencies to bring about the best outcomes for children vulnerable to abuse or neglect. Social work is without doubt one of Britain's toughest jobs and it requires people with a special mix of skills and attributes that should be described as leadership potential.
It's important that we start to conceive of social work practice as leadership. Both amongst potential applicants and the wider public, appreciation for the work social workers do is too low. Demanding, prestigious, purposeful, rewarding and leadership are not words people would typically associate with social work. Given the important role social workers play in society and their direct impact on outcomes for abused or neglected children it is essential that we shift the public perception. More.
The democratic leadership style is a very open and collegial style of running a team. Ideas move freely amongst the group and are discussed openly. Everyone is given a seat at the table, and discussion is relatively free-flowing.
This style is needed in dynamic and rapidly changing environments where very little can be taken as a constant. In these fast moving organizations, every option for improvement has to be considered to keep the group from falling out of date.
The democratic leadership style means facilitating the conversation, encouraging people to share their ideas, and then synthesizing all the available information into the best possible decision. The democratic leader must also be able to communicate that decision back to the group to bring unity the plan is chosen. Continue.
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Abstract:
Background: It has recently been suggested that indicators of suicidality in youth may differ for different diagnostic groups [Horesh, N., Orbach, I., Gothelf, D., Efrati, M., Apter, A., 2003. Comparison of the suicidal behavior of adolescent inpatients with borderline personality disorder and major depression, J. Nerv. Ment. Dis. 191, 582-588.]. Aggression, impulsivity and risk-taking behaviors may be strong indicators of suicidality in children and adolescents with symptoms of bipolar disorder.
Methods: Parents completed the Child Bipolar Questionnaire (CBQ) via a secure, Internet-based data acquisition system. In multivariate modeling analyses, with age and sex as covariates, CBQ items that were most closely correlated with parent-reported suicide threat were identified. The strength of this multifactor association was then examined among subjects reported to have a community diagnosis of bipolar disorder compared to those who did not.
Results: In order of strength of association, the CBQ items most closely correlated with parent-reported suicide threat were: hallucinations, cursing/foul language, low energy/withdrawal, imagery-gore/violence, destroys property, poor self-esteem, excessive risk-taking, and excessive anxiety/worry. Of these 8 CBQ items, 3 (low energy, poor self-esteem, and anxiety/worry) have a dysphoric orientation, but the items with the strongest associations are related to psychosis, aggression and impulsivity. The association of the 8 CBQ items with suicidal threats was found to be much stronger in subjects with a reported prior or current bipolar diagnosis, compared with all other subjects. Full study.
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Many persons incorrectly assume that the sequester cuts are a one time occurrence. The cuts, however, may continue each year for ten years if Congress doesn't act to correct this. PEN: Across the country, advocates for children with disabilities are struggling with the impact of sequestration, writes Adrienne Lu for Stateline. Many schools have fewer speech, occupational, or physical therapists, or social workers and school psychologists. Students who had received speech therapy twice a week now get it once week. And some general education classrooms that had two teachers -- one for the whole class and one specifically to support students with special needs -- have had the special education teacher eliminated. Although cuts took effect March 1, the impact is felt this school year because of how programs are funded. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that the sequester cut $579 million in federal funding for IDEA Part B. The National Education Association calculates that if states and local school systems do not replace funds lost through sequestration, nearly 300,000 students receiving services will be affected. Up to 7,800 jobs could be lost. It is unknown how many states or districts will replace some or all of that money from other sources, such as new taxes or cuts to other programs. They may hesitate to replace funding, since by law, states and districts that increase funding for special education and then later reduce it can see federal funding cut, a rule known as maintenance of effort. Read more.
This fall, many schools are opening their doors with a new safety measure that is less controversial or costly than arming teachers: panic buttons. Meredith Rutland explains on The News Hub. Photo: Kendrick Brinson for The Wall Street Journal. Watch video.
As more districts adopt four-day weeks to cope with budget crunches, one rural Iowa district says it is embracing the practice for a different reason: to squeeze more time out of the school calendar for student enrichment and teachers' professional development.
Starting this school year, students in the 550-student WACO community school district will attend school Monday through Thursday, spending an hour longer in class each day so that no classes will need to be held on Fridays. Students in the district-which serves the communities of Wayland, Crawfordsville, and Olds-have the option of attending remedial or enrichment classes every other Friday or to enroll in college-level classes. More courtesy of Ed Week.
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Target Field Trip Grants fund scholastic outings for visits to art, science, and cultural museums, community service or civic projects, career enrichment opportunities, and other events or activities away from a school facility. Funds can cover field trip-related costs such as transportation, ticket fees, food, resource materials, and supplies. Maximum award: $700. Eligibility: teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, and classified staff in K-12 public, private, or charter school in the U.S. Deadline: October 1, 2013. Learn more.
NEA Learning and Leadership Grants
NEA Foundation 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: $2,000 for individuals and $5,000 for groups engaged in collegial study. Eligibility: public school teachers grades K-12; public school education support professionals; or faculty and staff at public higher education institutions. Deadline: October 15, 2013.
CVS Caremark Community Grants
CVS Caremark Community Grants give funds to nonprofit organizations for programs targeting children with disabilities, programs focusing on health and rehabilitation services, public schools promoting a greater level of inclusion in student activities and extracurricular programs, and initiatives that give greater access to physical movement and play. Maximum award: $5,000. Eligibility: nonprofit organizations with programs targeting children with disabilities; public schools with programs for children under age 18 with disabilities. Deadline: October 31, 2011. Requirements & Application.
Children's Foundation Medical Grants for Children in Need
These grants are designed to cover financial expenses for a child's medical needs beyond a family's health benefit plan. Families can directly apply online for these grants of up to $5,000. Details.
Do Something Seed Grants
Do Something Seed Grants for youth can be used towards project ideas and programs that are just getting started, or to jump-start a program and realize ideas for the first time. These grants can also be used towards projects that are already developed and sustainable, towards the next steps of a project and organization as it looks to expand and grow impact. Maximum award: $500. Eligibility: community projects that are youth-led and driven. Deadline: rolling. Application.
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Providing Culturally Responsive School Mental Health Services: Success Stories From Across the Country
September 23, 2013, 1 - 2: 30 pm ET
Leaders in the field of School Mental Health from across the country will share practical information about providing culturally responsive services to children/youth, families and school personnel in school and community settings. Dr. Dana Cunningham will introduce this webinar by covering essential components of culturally responsive school mental health practices and will provide closing comments aimed at summarizing "take home" strategies for everyday practice. Complete information.
Improving School Climate by Supporting Implementation of Evidence Based Practices (EBPs) in High (Secondary) Schools
September 26, 2013, 3 - 4:30 pm ET
This webinar will provide participants with a definition of school climate that can serve as a structure for targeting areas of need in a school, selecting EBPs that align with the need, and measuring improvement. More details.
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