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School Social Work NOW!
Supporting Innovative Practice,
Effective Leadership, and Applied Research
Vol 4, Issue 26
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On October 6th, ACSSW will be hosting its 2nd annual Mental Health in Schools Institute in Pewaukee, WI, just west of Milwaukee. This will again be a multi-disciplinary event and will include community mental health providers. Details are still being finalized, but topics will include: anxiety and school refusal, boundaries/ethics and technology, Signs of Suicide Program, bullying prevention, assisting students in military families, managing conflict in the workplace, and more! Click here to learn more.
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Save the dates--January 26 and 27, 2015! ACSSW is once again heading to beautiful New Orleans for the 4th annual National School Mental Health Institute for School Social Workers. Watch the newsletter and ACSSW website for more news in the future!
Judith Kullas Shine
President
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 ReMoved: An Incredible Film
Nic Dibble, Education Consultant for School Social Work at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, highly recommends this film. Take the time to watch the full video. Nic writes: "This is a link to an award-winning video on a child's experience with complex trauma and journey in foster care that is now available to watch on-line. You can't help but be moved. This could be a great training resource, as it shows how adults who try to help and support this child unwittingly trigger the child's trauma response." Access here.
There has been much talk recently about who can legitimately call themselves social workers. What training is required? Which licenses are needed? And, there have been many discussions about the variations of social work licenses that exist in different states. License or no license, we know that many social workers are "hiding" in non-clinical environments where it doesn't seem much social work is happening in places like Congress, the World Bank and federal agencies such as the departments of Labor, Housing, Education and Health and Human Services (HHS). In many of these settings, social workers operate under cover. They often do not identify themselves as social workers and they have little or no connection to professional social work organizations. Yet, they are trained social workers with a B.S.W, a M.S.W., or a Ph.D. from an accredited social work school, but you would never know. Full commentary.
U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder, has called the rise in overdose deaths from heroin and prescription painkillers an "urgent public health crisis." According to the CDC, one in five high school students has taken prescription drugs without a doctor's prescription. And heroin abusers often report that their foray into heroin began with prescription drug abuse. Despite what people think, heroin is an equal opportunity destroyer. Addiction to heroin and other opiates (such as oxycodone, Oxycotin, Percocet and Vicodin) impacts Americans in urban cities, the suburbs and rural areas in every state. Heroin overdose deaths increased 55% between 2000 and 2010 and continue to rise. Many people hold a misconception that drug dependence is a voluntary behavior and moral failure. However, addiction is actually a complex medical issue, not a moral issue. No one starts off saying, "I want to be an addict and live a life of pain." In fact, addiction is a brain disease that can be diagnosed and treated, and treatment makes a difference. Scientific evidence suggests that substance abuse causes changes in the brain that make it difficult for individuals to stop using. Read more. Related interview.
When Cory Monteith died in July of an accidental overdose of heroin and alsochol, people were shocked because the 31-year-old actor, well known for his portrayal of a high school athlete on the TV show, "Glee," didn't fit the stereotype of a heroin user.
The fact is that 3 in 100 U.S. high school students have used heroin. This alarming statistic comes from the Centers for Disease Control's most recent survey of 15,425 students in grades 9-12 from 42 states. Keep in mind that the students surveyed were in school - teenagers who are truant may be at higher risk. Read more.
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"'Closure' is a term I have heard bandied about by many of my friends over the years, but I have always wondered what it really means. For example, after my friend Daphne's long-distance boyfriend broke up with her over the phone, she told me she needed to fly from NYC to London to see him in person to "get closure." Even after she saw him in person, she still didn't feel like things were really over. The meaning of closure is something I have grappled with when trying to make sense of one of my own past relationships. I spent the better part of 10 years trying to get closure with The Question Mark so that I could move on, trying everything from writing him long treatises on why our relationship could never work, to hashing things out in person in order to finally say 'goodbye.'" Learn more.
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Positive and negative thoughts can become self-fulfilling prophecies: What we expect can often come true. If you start off thinking you will mess up a task, the chances are that you will: You may not try hard enough to succeed, you won't attract support from other people, and you may not perceive any results as good enough. Positive thinking, on the other hand, is often associated with positive actions and outcomes. You're drawn to, and you focus on, the positive aspects of a situation. You have hope and faith in yourself and others, and you work and invest hard to prove that your optimism is warranted. You'll enthuse others, and they may well "pitch in" to help you. This makes constructive outcomes all the more likely. Take the quiz.
The Flip Manifesto 16 Counter-intuitive Ideas About Motivation, Innovation, and Leadership by Daniel Pink
"Have you ever suspected that some of the advice you've been getting has been wrong? Not wrong as in a 'little bit off' or 'not quite right.' But just plain wrong-flatly, flagrantly, fatally incorrect.
Me too.
So I decided to do something about it. The manifesto you have here offers 16 pieces of advice that run counter to-indeed, that often directly contradict-what you might have heard elsewhere. I proffer this contrarian counsel not for the sake of being clever or controversial, but because in my travels and research, I've found that the individuals and organizations doing great things have often flipped the conventional wisdom. They've taken age-old beliefs-and turned them upside down. What they're doing, and what I'm advising based on their success, represents smarter advice-despite (perhaps because of) running counter to what many others believe. In the pages that follow, we'll look at:
* why you should continue doing what you're doing-just in reverse order
* why doubting yourself is often wiser than believing in yourself
* why trying to find your passion is a stupid idea
* and why maximizing shareholder value is a worse idea still." Read more here.
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 with thanks to the Center for School Mental Health Newsletter
Child Trends created a short online document that summarizes in five points new research and policy on school discipline. The document provides links that direct readers to additional manuals and resources regarding strategies for improving school discipline and reducing disproportionality in administration of school discipline. Strategies include direction on working with the school administration, training teachers, collaboration development between school administrations and the community, and support social-emotional development in the classroom. PDF publication.
Integrated student supports (ISS), sometimes referred to as integrated student services, represents an emerging field of practice that aims to address persistent disparities in educational achievement and attainment. ISS is a school-based approach to promoting students' academic achievement and educational attainment by coordinating a seamless system of wraparound supports for the child, the family, and schools, to target student's academic and non-academic barriers to learning. Programs that fall under an ISS umbrella have arisen in communities around the count ry. Child Trends summarized the existing research on ISS in this recently released report, which reviews the underlying framework for ISS and empirical findings about successful programs implementing this approach. Full report |
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Recommended Read for April
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Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking
by Malcolm Gladwell
Blink is a book about how we think without thinking, about choices that seem to be made in an instant-in the blink of an eye-that actually aren't as simple as they seem. Why are some people brilliant decision makers, while others are consistently inept? Why do some people follow their instincts and win, while others end up stumbling into error? How do our brains really work-in the office, in the classroom, in the kitchen, and in the bedroom? And why are the best decisions often those that are impossible to explain to others? - gladwell.com
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Free 1.5 CEUs for School Social Workers
ACSSW is very pleased to offer an opportunity for any school social worker to earn 1.5 FREE CEUs due to ACSSW's sponsorship of an excellent program:
Plan, Prepare, Prevent: The SOS Online
Gatekeeper Training Module
The SOS Signs of Suicide® Prevention Program is an award winning, nationally recognized program designed for middle and high school-age students. The program teaches students how to identify the symptoms of depression and suicidality in themselves or their friends, and encourages help-seeking through the use of the ACT® technique (Acknowledge, Care, Tell). This course is available free to school social workers. With sponsorship from ACSSW, all learners will receive 1.5 contact hours upon completion. Click to Learn More. To register call 781-239-0071 or email SOS Registration and mention that you'd like to register.
Columbia University Teachers College Press published 4 guides geared to support teachers, administrators, student personnel staff, and parents. For a limited period, and as supplies last, TCP has agreed to provide FREE copies of the guides to social workers and educators working with military kids in schools including: teachers, school administrators, PPS workers, and military parents. School social workers should be aware of this wonderful, time-limited, FREE offer from TCP. Many school social workers will benefit from these guides.
The process is simple. Each individual desiring a free book would need to click on the link, select the type of book s/he desires, and fill out name, mailing address, etc. on the Qualtrix form after selecting the book desired. The book will be mailed in a few weeks.
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School Social Work Positions
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Continued - listed by state abbreviation
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Bethel, AK
Phoenix, AZ
Tucson, AZ
East Palo Alto, CA
Denver, CO
North Haven, CT
Connecticut (various)
Heartland, IA AEA
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Elgin, IL
Lake Bluff, IL
Lombard, IL
Northbrook, IL
Rockford, IL anticipated
Garden City, KS
Boston, MA
Fitchburg, MA
Dearborn Heights, MI
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Moorhead, MN
Washington, MO
Kinnelon, NJ
Bronx, NY
Providence, RI
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Chances are some people still remember the name of that bully who stole their lunch money or pushed them down the stairs 30 years ago. While the psychological effects of bullying in adolescence are well documented, a new study published Thursday in The American Journal of Psychiatry shows harmful effects can extend decades after the initial bullying. Researchers found those bullied in childhood had lower levels of education, greater physical and cognitive health problems, and poor social functioning throughout their lives, compared to those who were not bullied. For five decades, the National Child Development Study followed almost 8,000 participants of children born in England, Scotland and Wales. More. NPR-related article.
Half of All Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities Accept Teen Clients
The SAMHSA report also showed that 4,008 facilities not only accept teens, but also offers support groups for them as well.
"Teens who seek substance abuse treatment have complex needs which require special services," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde. "This report tallies the number of programs that are specifically targeted to teens. Many more are needed to address the psychological, emotional and physical challenges of large numbers of young people dealing with substance use issues across our nation." More. SAMHSA Report.
Third-grade Peers Learn About Classmate's Down Syndrome
Jack Teegan doesn't seem to have any problems making new friends. He approaches new people with a smile and offers up a high five. But the 8-year-old's classmates might have questions about why he struggles with speech, why he needs physical therapy and why he does different school work in class.
So Libby Teegan, Jack's mother, invited representatives from the Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin to speak last week at Holmen's Evergreen Elementary, where Jack goes to school. Continue.
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May 6th, 3-4 p.m. ET -- Free!
The school-to-prison pipeline is a metaphor for the pathway traveled by students who because of their demographic, behavioral, and educational characteristics are at risk of school failure and exclusion, and involvement with the juvenile justice system. The multi-tiered framework of behavioral support, also known as positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), has been widely advocated to address key points along the pipeline, from preventing entry to improving outcomes for adjudicated youth. This webinar will:
(a) describe critical points along this pipeline continuum;
(b) overview the basic principles and concepts of PBIS; and
(c) explain how PBIS can help prevent entry and improve services and outcomes for affected youth.
Click to learn more and register.
SAMHSA launched the Girls Matter! webinar series to discuss challenges, opportunities, and strategies for supporting adolescent girls. Professionals working with adolescents will have a chance to learn more about the unique needs of girls ages 12-18, and how those needs impact their behavioral health and development. Each month, Girls Matter! features a free 90-minute webinar, which covers a related behavioral health topic. Review archived webinars and register for the next 2. Next webinar is May 20th.
Archived
The CSMH and the IDEA Partnership presented a webinar, School Mental Health: A Federal Perspective, on January 30, 2014. Following the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, the President put forward a number of initiatives aimed at making schools and communities safer and to increase access to mental health services in his plan, Now is the Time. As he said, "We won't be able to stop every violent act, but if there is even one thing we can do to prevent any of these events, we have a deep obligation, all of us, to try." This webinar provided an overview of federal efforts that have already been put in place, as well as those that have been proposed for the upcoming years. Presenters David Esquith, Director for the Office of Safe and Healthy Students (OSHS) Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), U.S. Department of Education, and Ingrid Donato, Branch Chief, Mental Health Promotion, Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), provided participants with information about other existing federal initiatives to prevent youth violence and promote positive student outcomes. Strategies that support students, schools, and communities as well as the importance of cross-system partnerships were highlighted. The webinar recording is available as well as the PowerPoint. Access here.
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Libri Foundation Books for Children Grants
The Libri Foundation Books for Children Grants donate new, quality, hardcover children's books for small, rural, public libraries across the country. Maximum award: varies. Eligibility: Libraries should be in a rural area, have a limited operating budget, and an active children's department. The average total operating budget of a Books for Children grant recipient must be less than $40,000. Deadline: May 15, 2014. Details.
from Nic Dibble, WI Education Consultant for SSW
The purpose of this program is to assist local educational agencies to begin to support the training of school personnel and other adults who interact with youth in both school settings and communities to detect and respond to mental illness in children and youth, including how to encourage adolescents and their families experiencing these problems to seek treatment. The training for staff provided through the grant must be Mental Health First Aid or Youth Mental Health First Aid. Award amount: Up to $50,000/year. Deadline: June 16, 2014. Eligibility. More info.
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.
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