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School Social Work NOW!
Supporting Innovative Practice,
Effective Leadership, and Applied Research
Vol 5, Issue 8
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The holidays are nearly upon us. Please, as we go through this busy time of year that can stress us professionally and personally, take the time to care for yourself as well as everyone you love or work with. YOU are as important as all the others!
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Through the years, ACSSW has encouraged school social workers to stay abreast of current issues and trends that affect education. One way to do this is by reading. The ACSSW website has our list of recommended books.
This month we are asking you, the reader, to send us your list of books that have impacted you and/or your practice. The books can be academic or fiction and can cover any issue or topic that school social workers might encounter (including how to handle difficult people!). Please forward your recommendations and watch for them to be featured in the coming months. Click here to send your list. Please put "Books" in the subject line. Thanks!!
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Please note that School Social Work NOW! will not be published the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. We hope you enjoy the holidays fully with family and friends!
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Standing Up for Children's Mental Health in Schools
Tulane University
New Orleans, LA
January 26-27, 2015
ACSSW 4th National SSW Institute on School Mental Health
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Children with attachment disorders can be quite difficult to handle in the classroom. Here are some school-based interventions for attachment disorders that can be used by teachers.
An attachment disorder is a condition that occurs in children who have had negative experiences in early childhood. Under this condition, the child finds it difficult to trust people, and thus is not able to build healthy, loving relationships with the adults in their life. These children are often controlling and manipulative, because they attempt to control people and situations around them in order to be safe. Children with attachment disorders may also show violence, cruelty and other negative behaviors like lying, stealing and temper tantrums. They are very impulsive and lack self-control. They also have a poor self-image. Learn more.
from naswil
Social worker or miracle worker? Some days it is difficult to tell the difference. As a school social worker, one is often pulled in fifty different directions within an hour's timeframe. From calling a mother to discuss her child's body odor, to organizing a conflict resolution peace meeting, to teaching a fifth grade lesson on empathy, school social work is not entirely about Individualized Education Plans (IEP) and special education.
In fact special education often takes the least amount of time out of a school social worker's day. The approach of "when all else fails, call the social worker" is frequently a leading reason why a school social worker is always busy.
Why the philosophy? The reason is not always clear. School social workers have developed relationships with a large number of students, so teachers may view social workers as a useful platform for their agenda. Empathy and compassion are typically strong characteristics in a school social worker which makes understanding difficult situations easier. Or maybe it is the mentality of public service and always being available to help that makes a school social worker one of the first points of contact. Continue.
Children Who Experience Early Childhood Trauma Do Not "Just Get Over It"
If we have to dodge a falling object, jump out of the path of a speeding car, keep very still to avoid being seen, run for the hills from a predator, or get someone potentially threatening 'onside' we need this to happen fast. If a baby is scared, cold, hungry, lonely, or in any way overwhelmed this triggers their survival system and they cry to bring an adult to them to help them survive.
If a baby is repeatedly scared and emotionally overwhelmed and they do not get their survival brain soothed, so they can cope, they begin to develop a brain and bodily system which is on hyper alert and the World seems to be a scary place. Sadly, this not something they can 'just grow out of'. Far from it as what neuroscience is showing us from all the recent findings. An early experience has a profound effect on the way in which a child's brain forms and operates as the survival brain is on over drive and senses threat everywhere so works too hard, too often, for too long. More.
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You are invited to participate in an anonymous, brief survey to provide your perspectives on the inclusion of eating disorder services in school mental health. Please participate in this important work. It will take only 10-15 minutes.
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(Blog) The building conversation about introverts in the business world strikes a chord. Though few who have met me in person would guess it, I am one, with a capital "I." Interestingly (and fortunately), using social media has been key for finding the balance that lets me think, work and connect most productively. Thanks to this tool, my ability to build a profile in my particular focus area, sustainability, is not hindered by the fact that I live in "remote" Seattle (compared to cities like NYC, Boston or San Francisco, I mean). Even with my strong introvert tendencies, I still feel very connected the 70 percent of time I'm alone in my office working. Read more. [Just close the "subscribe" box.]
Leading When Fogged In
It happens to every leader eventually. The path forward is obscured as if by fog. Changes beyond one's control make it impossible, at least for a while, to identify what to do next. . .You can't go forward, because each step can be perilous when you can't see your hand in front of your face. Neither can you go back. But time moves on. In fogged in situations, your followers still expect leadership from you. Continue.
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Abstract: Drawing on previous research establishing the effects poverty on children's mental health and behavioral problems, exposure to violence and aggression, and lower school achievement, this research sought to examine whether any differences exist in the challenges faced by students living in poverty in urban settings versus students in rural settings from the perspective of school social workers... Findings supported previous research in that mental health, violence and aggression, and low school achievement were problems faced by students in both rural and urban community settings. The findings did not indicate a statistically significant difference between challenges faced by students living in poverty in rural settings and those living in poverty in urban settings. Community collaboration and working with students on resiliency factors were noted as essential to intervention by school social workers in both community settings. Qualitative responses indicated an understanding of challenges unique to each community setting, including a lack of available resources in rural settings and limited resources due to high demand in urban settings. Full study.
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Recommended Read for November
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MOXIE: The Secret to Bold and Gutsy Leadership
by John Baldoni
Leaders today need to be mindful of their circumstances as well as mindful of their own strengths and shortcomings. They need to have the disposition to succeed as well as the inner resourcefulness to persevere. Leaders must be willing to do things differently but also draw on tried and true traits, such as courage and gumption.
Moxie is a concept that the modern leader is wise to adopt-one part courage, one part can-do spirit, and one part recognition. In Moxie: The Secret to Bold and Gutsy Leadership, author John Baldoni uses concrete, tried-and-true steps to bring out the inner leader in everyone. For management and employees alike, Moxie provides a roadmap to inspire innovation and effective leadership. Whether you're already at the helm of your organization or still looking for a way up the ladder, Moxie is the leadership tool you can't do without. Built on the MOXIE framework, leaders learn how Motivation, Opportunity, an "X" factor, Innovation, and Engagement work together for success. Learn More.
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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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Brighton, CO
Connecticut (various)
Chicago, IL
Lisle, IL
Waukegan, IL
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Dearborn Hts, MI
Grosse Point, MI
Sterling Heights, MI
Rochester, MN
Camden, NJ
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Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee County, WI
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As Pam Buschle walked down the hall of Challenger Elementary on two prosthetic legs, without using a crutch or a walker, a third-grader called out, "Wow, Mrs. Buschle, that takes grit." Buschle, [a school social worker] who became a quadruple amputee nine months ago, is a living, walking example of "grit" for her students, said Principal Mark Bea. Read this remarkable story and watch the video.
Illinois has hit a milestone it was not trying for.
Numbers released by the Illinois State Board of Education in its annual school report card show that-for the first time ever-low-income children now outnumber middle-class students in the state's public schools. It's a trend that could affect everything from the state's economic competitiveness to college-going rates to concerns over upward economic mobility in a time of increasing income inequality.
Around 1.05 million kids qualified for free or reduced-price lunch during the 2013-14 school year. Read more.
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Child Trafficking and Juvenile Justice
Wednesday, November 19th, 3 - 4:15 p.m. ET
This Webinar will focus on the nature of child sex trafficking, its impact on victims, and the history of U.S. responses. Presenters will discuss the intersection of trafficking with juvenile and criminal justice, particularly for high-risk populations, such as runaway and homeless youth; describe current federal and state laws to prevent the criminalization of trafficking victims; and highlight current efforts of juvenile justice agencies, state advisory groups, and other stakeholders. Register.
Sexting and Sextortion: Keeping Kids Safe
Thursday, November 20th, 1 - 2 p.m. CT - Free
This webinar will focus on sexting and sextortion. ICAC will describe what sexting is and how to help parents, teachers, counselors, coaches, and school resource officers understand the dangers of sexting. In addition, helping youth say no to sexting and set boundaries with other youth pressuring them to sext will be explored. The FBI will then explain sextortion and the dangers involved, laws related to sextortion, and tools and resources available to those who work with youth. A question and answer session will conclude the event. Register.
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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Sodexo: Steven J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarship
Deadline: December 5, 2014
The Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholarships recognize and reward students who have made a significant impact in the fight against hunger. The scholarship recipients each receive $5,000 for their education as well as a matching grant in their name for the hunger-related charity of their choice. The Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholarship is named for the Sodexo Foundation's founder and former president, who was an unstoppable champion in the fight to end hunger. Thanks to Steve's efforts, which made these scholarships possible, an emerging generation of leaders will be cultivated in the fight against hunger. Criteria and application.
4th Quarter Deadline: December 31, 2014
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 fourth quarter cycle ($500 max per grant) ends December 31st. Funds will be available in February-March.
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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