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School Social Work NOW!
Supporting Innovative Practice,
Effective Leadership, and Applied Research
Vol 5, Issue 2
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Whew! It's been a busy three weeks. ACSSW has had the opportunity to exhibit at and participate in two excellent conferences at which we promoted school social work and networked with those who want to know more about us. The first, at the Center for School Mental Health Conference in Pittsburgh, PA resulted in new resources that we will share over time. l-r: Fred Pinkney & Darryl Gates, NEA; Sally Carlson, ACSSW, George Miller, Conference Artist; Sally Baas, NASP, Judith Kullas Shine, ACSSW
The second, the Midwest School Social Work Conference in Louisville, KY offered outstanding speakers and presenters which invigorated our spirits and made us prouder than ever to be school social workers advancing the profession for you. Eleven State School Social Workers of the Year were honored. Tina Johnson, president of the Midwest Council, received the Council's Career Achievement Award. Congratulations, Tina and honorees! 
Tina Johnson, President Midwest School Social Work Council
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October is National Bullying Prevention Month
Across the country schools and communities are engaging in activities and educational programs aimed to reduce and eliminate bullying. The theme this year is The End of Bullying Begins with Me. ACSSW is proud to stand with the National Bullying Prevention Center in combating this hurtful and harmful behavior. We encourage you to visit their website and become a "Champion Against Bullying" along with your school or district. October 22nd is National Unity Day. Visit the national website to see what you can do to stand together and eradicate bullying.
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"The roles of the support professionals are different from those of teachers, but what they do has an impact on student learning-whether it is attendance, social-emotional issues or health," said Lisa Foehr, director of the Office of Educator Quality and Certification for the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE).
RIDE convened a small working group of representatives of each profession and conducted focus groups around the State to design the system. In talking to support professionals across Rhode Island, State officials learned that the performance of many support professionals wasn't being evaluated at all, Foehr said.
Under the new system, Rhode Island support professionals collaborate with their supervisors to establish SLOs and SOOs. Both SLOs and SOOs should be "specific and measurable, based on student information, and aligned with standards, as well as any school and district priorities where applicable," according to the System's guidebook. More.
Risk and Protective Factors Associated with the Bullying Involvement of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
In previous reviews, we examined the complexities of bullying and social aggression within the context of social status (Faris and Felmlee 2011) and the 13 predictors of school bullying (Cook, Williams, Guerra, Kim, & Sadek, 2010) which include both individual student characteristics (externalizing and internalizing behaviors, social competence, self-related and other-related thoughts and perceptions, and academic performance) and contextual aspects (family and home environment, school climate, community factors, peer status, and peer influence). Current educational research similarly illustrates that bullying is a dynamic process where individual students can play different roles in the bullying interactions based on both individual and contextual factors.
One of the constructive trends in the research is the move from viewing bullies and victims of bullies in a more fluid way: all students are quite capable and often do play either of these roles. Continue.
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It has increasingly become accepted that emotional intelligence is an important factor in our success and happiness, not only at work, but in our relationships and all areas of our lives.
So what sets emotionally intelligent people apart? Here are seven habits that people with high EI have:
While not ignoring the bad news, emotionally intelligent people have made a conscious decision to not spend a lot of time and energy focusing on problems. Rather, they look at what is positive in a situation and look for solutions to a problem. These people focus on what they are able to do and that which is within their control.
2. They surround themselves with positive people Learn more.
While this is certainly not an exhaustive list, here are some leading practices to help your virtual meetings run more smoothly and effectively.
Be early. Get the most out of your meetings by being on time, which actually means starting the log-on process before the meeting's start time. It usually takes a few minutes to log-on to a collaboration tool like WebEx and dial-in with your phone. As the meeting's host, you should log-on 5 minutes before the session starts, so that you are prepared to start the meeting promptly when the other attendees join.
Follow an agenda. Set an agenda and send it along with any other documents for review or discussion to the attendees prior to the meeting. Make the agenda actionable by specifying discussion times, identifying topic owners/presenters, and then facilitating to keep the meeting on track.
Get an assist. Help yourself to be successful by asking for help. Since you are tasked with running the meeting, delegate a responsible attendee to take meeting minutes and send them to all attendees afterwards. And more.
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It's no secret that trauma impacts people differently. Some people cope with and overcome the stressful events in their lives, while others suffer physical and emotional consequences that can last a lifetime.
A new report issued by the Administration on Children, Youth & Families, or ACYF, explores the factors that make children and young people more able to cope with the trauma they face. Promoting Protective Factors for In-Risk Families and Youth: A Brief for Researchers (PDF, 496k) focuses on five populations that are often victimized the most:
- Infants, children, and adolescents who are victims of child abuse and neglect
- Runaway and homeless youth
- Youth in or transitioning out of foster care
- Children and youth exposed to domestic violence
- Pregnant and parenting teens More.
. . . Too often, the extraordinary role played by African American girls and young women4 in the fight for civil rights and for educational equality goes unrecognized. In fact, girls like Linda Brown and Barbara Johns, and women like Daisy Bates were key architects of some of the greatest efforts to obtain access to high quality education for all children. Yet today, many African American girls and women face significant barriers to educational achievement.
This report seeks to expand conversations around educational opportunity by taking a comprehensive look at the barriers African American girls face and the educational and economic outcomes that result. One important barrier is the prevalence of stereotypes that adversely impact the educational experiences of African American girls. Structural and institutional barriers examined in this report - such as under-resourced schools, disparate discipline practices, gender-based violence and harassment, and lack of support for pregnant and parenting students - further compromise educational outcomes for African American girls. Access report.
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January 26-27, 2015
ACSSW 4th National SSW Institute on Mental Health
Standing Up for Children's Mental Health in Schools
Tulane University -- New Orleans, LA
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Recommended Read for October
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School Bullying New Perspectives on a Growing Problem
by David R. Dupper
Bullying is one of the most prevalent and insidious forms of school violence today, impacting the learning environment of schools in profound ways. Victims of chronic bullying have poorer grades, increased rates of truancy, increased rates of dropping out, loss of self-esteem, feelings of isolation, depression, and increased risk of suicide attempts.
. . .Consistent with an ecological systems perspective, this book utilizes a whole school approach as a framework for developing and implementing comprehensive evidence-based interventions to combat bullying in schools. The result is a must-have resource for both undergraduate and graduate students in social work courses, school psychology courses, and education courses, as well as student service workers in secondary schools. (Oxford University Press)
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This toolkit assists high schools and school districts in designing and implementing strategies to prevent suicide and promote behavioral health. It includes tools to implement a multi-faceted suicide prevention program that responds to the needs and cultures of students. Toolkit.
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.
Helping Traumatized Children Learn, vol. 1 & 2, are available for purchase or free download on the website. Click here to learn more about this.
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School Social Work Positions
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Continued - listed by state abbreviation
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Mt. Diablo, CA
Denver, CO
Connecticut (various)
Washington, DC
Savannah, GA
Chicago, IL #2
Evanston, IL
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Framingham, MA
Turner, ME
Dearborn Hts, MI
Brewster, NY
Ohio Univ Lecturer of Human Services Technology-Lancaster, OH
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Ohio Univ Assist/Assoc/Full Prof-Athens, OH
Austin, TX
Dallas, TX
Georgetown,TX
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Using out-of-school suspension has not been effective in any research related to reducing tardiness. In fact, the use of suspensions for these nonthreatening behaviors in particular is linked with lower achievement and higher risk for drop out.
Suspending students for being tardy is contradictory to the goal here: having students in class and participating in the learning environment. Using a negative consequence by itself does not address the underlying issues.
First, students may be tardy for a host of reasons, which should be a consideration in a schoolwide plan. What are the incentives (other than avoiding punishment) for prompt class arrival? Continue blog.
"F" Is for Firearm: More Teachers Authorized to Carry Weapons in Classroom
"Stop. Drop your weapon. Don't shoot."
Kasey Hansen yelled as she pointed the barrel of her loaded handgun at a target's chest at a shooting range outside Salt Lake City.
Hansen, a special needs teacher in Utah, is prepared to take down any armed gunman that barges through the doors of one of her classrooms. Hansen carries her pink handgun "Lucy" with her every day in each of the 14 schools at which she teaches. The 27-year-old teacher works with elementary, middle and high school students with hearing impairments in the Granite School District. Learn more here.
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Giving Voice to the Last Silent Victims: Working With Male Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse
Thursday, October 16th, 1 - 2 pm CT
Male survivors of child sexual abuse are among the most underserved of all victim populations. Although as many as 1 in 6 boys may experience sexual abuse, the vast majority never reveal their abuse in time to seek a criminal justice response, and many go through adulthood without seeking counseling or assistance. Many are also burdened by myths, cultural limitations, expectations about masculinity, and other issues that keep them from seeking help. Working with male victims of sexual abuse at any age requires a thorough understanding of these dynamics so communication can proceed, healing can take place, and when possible, justice can be sought through either the civil or criminal process. This Webinar will address common dynamics associated with male victimization, common tactics that predators use against boys, and how these issues can be overcome. Register.
Part I - Cancer in the Classroom: Caring for Students After Diagnosis
Wednesday, October 22nd, 3 - 4:30 pm ET
Part 2 - Cancer in the Classroom: Reintegration into the Classroom
Monday, November 3rd, 3 - 4:30 ET
On October 22 and November 3, CureSearch for Children's Cancer will host two webinars for school social workers and other school personnel on how to care for a student with cancer in the classroom. The goal of these webinars is to provide practical information from clinical experts on how to support a students and family during treatment, strategies for reintegrating a student with cancer into the classroom, and helping staff and families work together to support children. We invite school social workers, school nurses, teachers, and families to join us in learning how to provide compassionate and constructive classroom support when a child has cancer. More information.
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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Grants of up to $500 are available for "innovative programs, events, or projects" from the Meemic Foundation. Apply online using their easy application that takes less than 30 minutes to complete. These grants are open to any employee of a K-12 public or private school. Universities and colleges may also apply. Fill-in-the-blank application.
Grants are accepted year round, but the third quarter cycle ($500 max per grant) ends September 30. Funds will be available in mid-November.
The foundation says it supports "basically anything that supports teachers and enhances the student's educational experience" - from field trips to books to behavior modification programs; science, music, or art equipment to professional development.
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