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School Social Work NOW!
Supporting Innovative Practice,
Effective Leadership, and Applied Research
Vol 5, Issue 19
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School Social Worker Honored with Educator Award
 Lewiston, ID, school social worker, Steve Button, will be presented on March 17th with the 2014-15 Martha S. Baskin Outstanding Elementary Teacher Award. The bestowing of this award on Steve, an ACSSW member and long-time school social worker, indicates that ancillary service providers are beginning to be recognized as "teachers" and demonstrates an understanding that students are taught and supported in ways that do not show up on standardized tests. Nominations were taken from fellow teachers and the general public. The applications were reviewed, and the final selection was made by retired educators. CONGRATULATIONS, STEVE!
Culturally Competent & Responsive Social Assessments
A member has inquired whether any individual or district is using, or aware of, a culturally sensitive/responsive assessment tool or social development template when evaluating a student, particularly for special education. Of special interest is a strengths-based tool that can provide evaluation teams the necessary information to address challenging issues in a positive way. If you use such a tool or have a social assessment template that seems to fit this request, please email to me. And thanks in advance!!
Thunder Clap and Twitter Storm
Congressman Loebsack (D-IA) will be introducing a SISP resolution recognizing April 13-17th as National Specialized Instructional Support Personnel Awareness Week. Please contact your Congressmen and ask them to support this resolution. The National Alliance of Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (NASISP--formerly the National Alliance of Pupil Service Organizations) is working hard toward this end.
As part of the celebration, NASISP--of which ACSSW is a member--is hoping to do a Thunder Clap and a Twitter Storm on April 13th. "A what?!" you may ask. I will confess to still being in the learning process, but it is group action to get SISP trending on Twitter. More information will follow shortly, but it is a quick and enjoyable way to get the word out about school social work and our related professional colleagues. Stay tuned and get those smartphones ready!
April is National Autism Awareness Month
If you have helpful resources or information regarding autism and children/youth that you would like to share with colleagues from across the country, please email to me. Perhaps there is an article or book you would like to suggest. We will post them or links to them in this weekly newsletter. This is your newsletter. Feel free to contribute!
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. . . The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services sponsored a study indicating that children at risk of emotional/behavioral difficulties "could be identified through universal screening, and more significant disabilities prevented through classroom-based approaches involving positive discipline and classroom management." A Great Smokey Mountains study suggests there is a two- to four-year window between when someone starts showing symptoms of emotional/behavioral disorders and a diagnosis is made from the DSM III (now DSM V). The study indicates that prevention during that window of time is critical.
Universal screening is used in the areas of academics and behavior in Tier I of the Response to Intervention (RtI) model to identify students who are at risk of academic failure or emotional/behavioral issues. The results of screening help direct intervention choices and needs. Read on.
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from the Liana Lowenstein website
Relaxercise Technique
This strategy can be used for ages 5 and above. The goals of this technique are to:
- increase awareness of physiological states;
- identify the differences between feeling stressed and relaxed;
- understand the use of relaxation and coping skills; and
- learn to use strategies for reducing physiological arousal. Learn more
Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) has been identified as a treatment with the greatest empirical support for use with traumatized children. . . Each of the factors seen as necessary for healing was developed into the components of TF-CBT. The components of TF-CBT are: psychoeducation and parenting skills, relaxation, affective modulation, cognitive coping/processing, trauma narrative, in vivo mastery, conjoint child-parent sessions, [and] enhancing future safety. . . The components were developed to address what is thought to be important in healing traumatized children; there is flexibility to address each component in the manner most helpful for the individual client. Access article.
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We've all experienced varying degrees of meeting ineffectiveness. Poorly run and managed meetings are a waste of staff time and the organization's money, considering lost hours of productivity. How can you help make your meetings a success? The first step, says Andy Goodman, director of The Goodman Center, a communications firm focused on helping organizations have more impact, is to create a great agenda. "If you read the literature about meetings, almost everyone agrees that a well-planned agenda is critical to a meeting's success," says Goodman. "It's a plan of action, a blueprint, and the more time you put into it, the better use you make of the time at the meeting."
But the agenda has to have all the elements outlined . . . to be more than simply a list of topics to be covered. Learn more. Sample Meeting Agenda.
The Great Power of Connecting Passion with Purpose
Every individual has gifts and talents that can make a lasting impact. However, only a minority of people utilize those gifts and talents to live up to their full potential. Tying your gifts and talents with your personal purpose not only leads to a more successful career, but a significant one. Many Boomers, as they begin to approach the end of their career, are looking for greater significance. Interestingly, many Millennials, at the other end of their careers, are also looking for significance right out of the gate. As leaders, helping others find their passions and help them have significance at work are becoming bigger parts of our job. And as Millennials continue to make up an increasing part of our workforce, this trend will only become more important. More.
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Abstract: Experiences of trauma, loss, and grief have been shown to increase the likelihood of developing serious mental health difficulties and to decrease academic performance, which in turn can be harmful to an individual's success. This research study examined the perceived prevalence of traumatic loss and grief within inner city high schools, as well as the methods used by inner city high school social workers to address traumatic loss and grief experienced by students, through the use of an online mixed-methods survey. Results showed that all participants perceive a percentage of their student population have experienced traumatic loss and grief, some reporting rates as high as 95%. Findings also showed the sample frequently identifies students in need of traumatic loss and grief services through referral, assessment, and building relationships. However, school social workers lack a standardized method for identifying youth in need of services. Many participants reported providing school-based traumatic loss and grief interventions that were brief in nature, however also reported referring students on to other school professionals or to outside resources. Lastly, findings demonstrated that participants find school-based traumatic loss and grief services to be beneficial to the student population. There are implications to the research findings, including the small sample size and low response rate, however the research sparks numerous questions regarding school-based services for trauma, loss, and grief. Full study.
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Recommended Read for March
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recommended by reader Kelly Ohme, Waukesha, WI
The Compassion Fatigue Workbook
By Francoise Mathieu
Google Books: The Compassion Fatigue Workbook is a lifeline for any helping professional facing the physical and emotional exhaustion that can shadow work in the helping professions. Since 2001 the activities in this Workbook have helped thousands of helpers in the fields of healthcare, community mental health, correctional services, education, and the military. In addition to a comprehensive description of compassion fatigue and vicarious traumatization, The Compassion Fatigue Workbook leads the reader through experiential activities designed to target specific areas in their personal and professional lives. It provides concrete strategies to help the reader develop a personalized plan for identifying and transforming compassion fatigue and vicarious traumatization.
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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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Bethel, AK
Tucson, AZ
Montebello, CA
Denver, CO
Connecticut (various)
Barrington, IL Summer
Chicago, IL
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Lisle, IL
Palatine, IL '15-'16
Schaumburg, IL
Waukegan, IL
Evansville, IN
McPherson, KS '15-'16
Topeka, KS
Boston, MA '15-'16
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Southfield, MI
Kansas City, MO
New York, NY
Utica, NY
Columbus, OH
Milwaukee, WI
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Minnesota Near the Bottom in On-Time Non-White Graduation Rates
For the third year in a row, Minnesota lags the rest of the country in on-time graduation for students of color.
Fewer than 60 percent of the state's black and Hispanic students graduate in four years, according to an MPR News analysis of the most recent federal data on state graduation rates, from the 2012-13 school year. The rate for the state's Native American students is the second worst in the nation at 49 percent.
Minnesota has the worst or second-worst graduation rates among reporting states in all four non-white student categories. No other state is in the bottom five in all four groups, and only Oregon comes close with three races in the bottom five. Click for full story.
White House Issues Veto Threat Against House GOP NCLB Rewrite
In the biggest unsurprise of the day, the White House is threatening to veto the Student Success Act aka the House Republican's partisan bill to rewrite the No Child Left Behind Act. The Obama administration issued a very similar threat against a very similar bill the House considered it in 2013.
So why doesn't the administration like this bill? For one thing, they're not happy about what they see as a big step on back on accountability, particularly for the poor and minority kids that NCLB was designed to help. Read more.
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Elaine Chapin Fund Accepting Applications for 2015 Scholarship Program (for students affected by MS)
Deadline: April 30, 2015
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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