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School Social Work NOW!
Supporting Innovative Practice,
Effective Leadership, and Applied Research
Vol 5, Issue 14
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Another successful ACSSW has been put to rest! School social workers from across the country attended the 4th National Institute on School Mental Health for School Social Workers. They were invigorated and inspired by keynote Stephen R. Sroka, PhD, and The Power of One, and learned about a collaborative model of leadership, Leading by Convening, provided at a luncheon keynote by Joanne Cashman, EdD. Workshops and networking were fantastic! Many handouts are on the ACSSW website. Conference participants may still join ACSSW for $95!! Join today.
Judie Shine, ACSSW President; Dr. Joanne Cashman; Dr. Stephen Sroka
Hope we see you at the next event! Watch this newsletter and the website for future developments.
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February is National Black History Month. Learn more and get ideas to celebrate from NEA. Check out the month's themes. Have you ever thought that most persons of color learn virtually nothing of their heritage or contributions to the growth of the U.S. in their history courses? This is a gap which much be corrected, not only during this month of February but in the texts and curricula that schools employ.
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Request for Proposals:
20th Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health
Proposals are now being accepted for the 20th Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health, Getting Jazzed about School Mental Health, to be held November 5-7, 2015 at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana. The deadline for submissions is February 20, 2015.
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Steve Whitmore, Oakland Schools (MI) Social Work Consultant, is interested in applications and websites used on I-pads and other tablets that address the learning, practice and/or improvement of specific skills, resources, functions and tasks. Please take a few minutes to help with this research. Deadline is February 28th--but why not do it today?
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Gaslighting in this day and age can exist simply by an abuser denying the confirmation of reality to a target. . . Typically, such a lack of validation or confirmation of reality is a slow or insidious process wherein the targeted person gradually comes to doubt his or her sense of what is. Initially, the abused person may question if he or she misunderstood the situation, and often believes that the abuser knows better and has superior comprehension of the circumstances. With time, self-esteem is also stripped of the abused person until he or she realizes he/she has been denied trust and honesty with a loved one. . .
Cognitive dissonance can be one of the results of the emotional abuse tactic of gaslighting. . . With the help of a skilled therapist who knows how to support survivors of narcissistic abuse, people can thrive and restore their confidence in themselves. Mastering the trauma by narrating a story helps to synthesize facts. . . Full article.
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I was 20 years old when I realized that I had spent the previous seven years of my life mentally and physically abusing myself. It was a daunting realization - almost surreal. I was an educated, intelligent, sensitive and accomplished young woman, bewildered that I had ended up in such a predicament. I was also terrified.
This is the story of how eating disorders tore my life apart, and how I found the courage to put the pieces slowly back together and change my life for the better.
Although this story is unique to me, it is not uncommon. Hundreds of thousands of women across this country could tell you how they developed eating disorders while struggling with the cult of thinness in our culture, their battered self-esteem, and a need to control their turbulent lives. Read the story.
Workload Approach: A Paradigm Shift for Related Service Providers
Although this presentation is not developed by school social workers, there is much to learn from the idea of shifting from caseload to workload in our daily practice. Many school social workers are overwhelmed with the medical approach of "caseload." The workload approach may offer some relief as well as better explain our services and time limitations to administrators and others. This presentation, done with the support of the IDEA Partnership, runs 1.5 hours.
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The Social Work Strategy [United Kingdom] hosted their first flagship conference to showcase leadership in social work, particularly future leadership among first line and aspiring managers. . . Attended by almost 200 people and very positively recieved, the event was structured around the concept of the 5 V's of Leadership: Vision, Voice, Vitality, Value Base and Visibility. This concept constituted the theme of the day and provides a framework for the future development of leadership in social work. Learn about the 5 V's.
Creativity is essential for driving innovation and a commercially competitive spirit. Yet, as organizations grow, the structures they put in place to improve productivity and efficiency often stifle creativity.
When organizations focus on productivity, they impose rigid procedures that make it difficult for team members to be creative, so it's important that managers support creative thinking. According to business and management professors Nora Madjar, Greg Oldham and Michael Pratt, employees who felt they were supported in their creative endeavors demonstrated significantly greater creativity than those who didn't.
Research also shows that managers who make it clear that they expect team members to work creatively are perceived as being more supportive of new ideas. One way to do this is through creative thinking exercises that enhance and encourage creativity in your team. Continue.
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A Study of Select Barriers to Grief Counseling Groups for Adolescents by School Social Workers in Georgia Public Schools
Abstract: This study explores select barriers to grief counseling groups for adolescents by Georgia public school social workers. The purpose of this study is to determine if there are select barriers in place in school systems that may prevent school social workers from conducting grief counseling groups within the school setting for adolescents. Seventy five (75) survey participants were selected for the study utilizing non probability convenience sampling from among the participants of the selected Savannah site for the study. The survey participants were composed of school social workers who are members of the state chapter of School Social Workers Association of Georgia (SSWAG) organization, which is the state charter of the larger School Social Workers Association of America (SSWAA), national organization. The research study employed a survey questionnaire entitledA Study of Barriers to Grief Counseling Groups for Adolescents in School and a four point continuum Likert scale. The findings of the study indicate that there is no statistical significance between select barriers: amount of time provided during a school day, administrative support, and social work case loads when compared to conducting grief counseling groups. The data indicates that there is no relationship between the selected barriers and conducting grief counseling groups. However, responding school social workers agree that grief impacts adolescents and interferes with teaching and learning in school and that a comfort level with the topic of grief is required in order to conduct grief counseling groups. The overall findings of this research study indicate that grief counseling groups are underutilized interventions by Georgia public school social workers, who are members of the School Social Workers Association of Georgia organization. Although Georgia public school social workers recognize the importance of grief counseling groups as effective interventions for adolescents, based on the frequency distribution data grief counseling groups are not being conducted at higher levels by school social workers for adolescents. Full abstract. Contact Kiana Battle for more information.
. . . "The only thing the history book mentions about Black culture is slavery."
"The history I know is about White culture; I don't know [anything] about my culture!"
Every year I go to the educational research conference where Alma presented, and I see a lot of presentations intended to influence what happens in schools. However, few of the presentations have the urgency this one did. The presentation was transformative in that it featured researchers who are often the objects of research-high school Students of Color-which infused a much-needed perspective into education reform discourse. Student-driven research, especially coming from Students of Color or other marginalized populations of students, has the incredible potential to spur school change and promote race and class equity.
I have become convinced of the need to radically rethink whose voices should drive educational change because of my participation in youth participatory action research (YPAR). More.
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Recommended Reads for February
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10 Recent Non-Fiction Books to Read for Black History Month
- Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward
- The Warmth of Other Suns: the Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson
- The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable
- Mo' Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove
by Ahtnir "Questlove" Thompson and Ben Greenman
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How to Be Black by Baratunde Thurston
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The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
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White Girls by Hilton Als
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How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America by Kiese Laymon
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Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America by Gilbert King
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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. Or 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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Social Work Members of Congress Launch Social Work Day on the Hill
Spearheaded by former Congressman Edolphus "Ed" Towns and joined by former Congressman Ronald V. Dellums and current Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA13), Tuesday March 17, 2015 has been declared Social Work Day on the Hill. A reception will be held in Room B-340 of the Rayburn House Office Building from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. to highlight the day dedicated to celebrating contributions social workers make to Congress and the federal government. The event's theme is Engaging Congress in the Pursuit of Social Justice. More than two dozen social work organizations and schools are collaborating to create the event in conjunction with the Congressional Social Work Caucus, founded by Mr. Towns in 2010 during the 111th Congress. Congresswoman Lee chairs the Social Work Caucus. A focal point of the day will be stepping up efforts to pass the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act. Read more. |
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Behavioral Health Needs of Adopted Children and Youth
Thursday, February 12, 2015 | 2- 3 p.m. ET
Approximately 135,000 children are adopted in the United States each year. Children and youth who are adopted experience various levels of trauma and neglect, and adoptive families are three times more likely than birth families to seek out clinical services for behavioral health. SAMHSA invites you to participate in a live, interactive webisode, Behavioral Health Needs of Adopted Children and Youth, which will explore strategies for supporting the unique behavioral health needs of adopted children and their families. Access.
Archived by SAMHSA & KSOC-TV
Various Archived Webinars from the Center for School Mental Health, University of Maryland
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1st Quarter Deadline: March 31, 2015
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 first quarter cycle ends March 31st. Grants are up to $1000. Recipients will be notified by May 15th.
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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