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School Social Work NOW!
Supporting Innovative Practice,
Effective Leadership, and Applied Research
Vol 5, Issue 5
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As I write, the nation is again hit with the sorrow and outrage of another incomprehensible school shooting, this time in Maryville, WA; once again by an individual no one would have thought could do this. Since school social workers well know the culture of schools, it is especially shocking. Our thoughts and condolences go out to the Maryville community and all who are affected by this tragedy. May they have the strength to go through the next weeks and months with courage and resolve, allowing healing to occur over time.
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While it is not "The Answer" to such horrible events, ACSSW endorses and encourages use of the document, A Framework for Safe and Successful Schools, which "provides a framework supported by educators for improving school safety and increasing access to mental health supports for children and youth. Efforts to improve school climate, safety, and learning are not separate endeavors. They must be designed, funded, and implemented as a comprehensive school-wide approach that facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration and builds on a multitiered system of supports."
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Early Bird Registration for the January 26-27, 2015 National SSW Institute on Mental Health is nearing the deadline--November 15th!! Save a buck. Register today. (See below for more information).
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Have you been thinking of joining the American Council for School Social Work but have been putting it off? Trying to decide what professional organizations meet your needs? Decide now. If you've enjoyed the direct services of ACSSW (for example, this newsletter or one or more of the many professional development offerings) or have benefited from articles on the website or responses to your emailed questions, it's time to decide how much you value those services--and how much you believe in expanding your professional knowledge and growth. Take a stance for school social work--a stance for yourself--and join today!
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October is National Bullying Prevention Month. atHealth is offering a free download of a White Paper on Cyberbullying. To receive your free copy, click here and follow the directions.
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Despite the variability in the literature, scholars agree that bullying experiences include not only physical aggression, but also verbal aggression, including verbal harassment, spreading rumors, or social rejection and isolation. Moreover, research suggests that boys are more likely to engage in physical aggression, while verbal aggression, often called relational aggression, is more common among girls (e.g., Baldry & Farrington, 2000; Nansel et al., 2001; Rivers & Smith, 1994).
Studies indicate that bullying experiences are associated with a number of behavioral, emotional, and physical adjustment problems. Adolescents who bully others tend to exhibit other defiant and delinquent behaviors, have poor school performance, be more likely to drop-out of school, and be more likely to bring weapons to school (e.g., Berthold & Hoover, 2000; Nansel et al., 2003; Nansel et al., 2004; Sourander, Helstela, Helenius, & Piha, 2000). Victims of bullying tend to report feelings of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and isolation; poor school performance; suicidal ideation; and suicide attempts. . . the experiences of bystanders-that is, individuals who watch bullying happen or hear about it-have largely been overlooked. . . Learn more.
Bullying behavior is an immoral action, because it is in contrast with children's right of not being humiliated and oppressed. For this reason, an important area of research to understand and tackle this phenomenon deals with the relation between bullying and morality.
Morality can be conceived as the ability to decide on wrong and right issues within social relationships, and to behave accordingly, mostly with reference to the system of rules regulating the social interactions within communities. Along with morality, guilt also plays a major role in behavioral regulation (2). Individuals who are more prone to guilt are less aggressive and less likely to act out behaviors (3). In contrast, having lower feelings of guilt could 'enable' individuals to act aggressively. Thus, children who bully their peers might either have distortions in morality and perceive moral rules preserving from harming others as more breakable than their peers do, or be able to self-justify to avoid feelings of guilt. Continue.
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A lot of digital ink has been spilled regarding Millennials and how they are reshaping and reordering the workplace. . . The influx of Millennials into the workforce tops virtually any short list of today's business trends. No doubt, Generation Y is poised to make a big impact on the world of work. But are the supposed differences of the most tech-savvy generation in history all they are cracked up to be? Even more importantly, how will generational differences play out when it comes to leadership development, workplace culture and recruiting? Here are a few points worth considering. . . Read more.
Leaders operate in challenging circumstances. They need to advocate for their ideas as well as for the people in the teams they lead. It takes an individual with the courage of convictions to push forward, sometimes against big obstacles, in order to achieve success.
Leaders must also persevere. There is no shame in being knocked down; it is what happens next that defines your character as well as how others perceive you. Roll over in defeat and no one will want to follow your lead. Get back up again and continue the struggle and people will pay attention to you.
At the same time, savvy leaders learn from experience. They may have been flattened for good reason. Their ideas may not have been well developed, or their perceptions of themselves was overblown. Too much ego and not enough awareness! For more, click here.
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 School social workers help support student learning and well-being through direct service, service coordination, and advocacy in an academic setting. School social workers provide a comprehensive approach to support the psychosocial and mental health needs of schools, students, and families so that they can best meet their academic mission of educating students. . . Research consistently states that there is a relationship between addressing the social outcomes of children and subsequent positive academic outcomes. Social competence and academic performance have been positively correlated in many studies (Hoagwood et al., 2007). The research infrastructure for conducting research on school social work practices and the number of rigorous experimental studies that have been conducted over its 100-year history, however, is extremely modest. The recent creation (2007) of a special interest group on school research through the Society for Social Work Research (SSWR) may serve as a catalyst for better research on social work practices in
schools and may further help respond to the need for outcome research. Complete analysis.
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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
Connecticut (various)
Savannah, GA
Chicago, IL #2
Waukegan, IL
Weston, MA
Ann Arundel County, MD
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Turner. ME
Dearborn Hts, MI
Camden, NJ
Sewell, NJ
Brewster, NY
Ohio Univ Lecturer of Human Services Technology-Lancaster, OH
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Ohio Univ Assist/Assoc/Full Prof-Athens, OH
Dallas, TX
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The 2014 National Leadership Summit on School Discipline and Climate was designed to continue the conversation that began with the March 2012 National Leadership Summit on School-Justice Partnerships: Keeping Kids In School and Out of Court, where the New York Permanent Judicial Commission on Justice for Children convened teams from 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands to discuss how to improve school discipline practice, and reduce student entry into the juvenile justice system.
During this summit, state and local teams had an opportunity to deepen partnerships and develop concrete steps to further advance school discipline and juvenile justice reform in their communities. . . Over the past year, States, localities, and organizations have achieved major milestones in their efforts to provide safe, supportive, and fair school climates for all youth. Summit partners hope that these efforts will continue and that the teams will engage new partners, begin new efforts, and ensure that current successes and new reforms are sustained over time. Access Presentations and Resources.
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Promoting Trauma Informed Learning Environments
Monday, October 27th, 3 - 4:30 PM ET
Mariola Rosser, EdD, IDEA Partnership: "We now know that trauma exposure affects many children and we know the impact of that exposure may result in interference with a child's ability to learn. Teachers, administrators, and other school and community personnel in partnership with families can make a difference in creating a "trauma informed" learning environment so that children are more able to focus and take advantage of the academic opportunities. This webinar will explore a variety of resources including video clips of educators and providers sharing their expertise on creating trauma-informed schools by training staff, partnering with mental health services, and creating a safe environment."
Presenter: Sherry Peters is currently a Senior Policy Associate at Georgetown University's National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health where she served as the Director of the Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) Waiver Initiative from 2010 until the waiver ended in September of 2014. Sherry worked in Pennsylvania for 18 years on statewide children's mental health policy and program development. In her early career she worked as a therapist in residential and community settings in Pennsylvania and New York. In addition, she held a national position in Chicago developing behavioral health resources for faith-based entities. Registration information.
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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