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School Social Work NOW!
Supporting Innovative Practice,
Effective Leadership, and Applied Research
Vol 5, Issue 26
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The end of the school year nears. In most districts across the country there is a barely a month of school left, perhaps 4 or 5 weeks. And in most districts across the country there remains much to be done: resources to find for students and families, assessments to complete, reports to write, meetings to attend, and more.
It has been the intent of ACSSW, via this newsletter, to provide you with current strategies, resources, and research to assist in these processes. It has also been our intent to offer occasional "food for thought" and to keep you abreast of issues and educational reforms that impact, directly or indirectly, the provision of school social work services.
We are interested in hearing what you would like to see featured in the coming months as well as the next school year. Tell us what your interests are and what may have been missing. This newsletter must be responsive to your needs and interests or it's not worth doing! Just email me by clicking on my name, below!
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Children's mental health is a topic that is constantly at the forefront of positive and successful school functioning and general student well-being. Get a free poster on Student Mental Health and a Fact Sheet by clicking here.
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...The stigma surrounding mental health issues can be a significant barrier to care. Unfortunately, many people unknowingly contribute to the stigma simply with their everyday language choices. A poor choice of words not only stigmatizes, stereotypes, and creates unrealistic assumptions about certain people, but also can trivialize serious mental health conditions and their accompanying experiences.
While society tends to tread lightly around language concerning disabilities, race, or religion, it seems that we do not apply the same sensitivity to language involving mental health. For example, while you might be a little taken aback by someone who uses the word "retarded" to refer to a poor decision, you likely wouldn't think twice about someone calling a peculiar behavior "crazy" or saying out loud that someone's "OCD" is the cause for an orderly office. Read more.
Living with Adoption's Dichotomies and Myths
Imagine sharing your feelings of missing your deceased father (or brother) and hearing: "Be glad you still have your mother (or sister)" as if your loved ones are interchangeable.
Such a response would be off target, dismissive, and totally lacking in compassion.
Yet it seems acceptable, or at least commonplace, to tell adoptees who courageously share the difficult aspects and challenges of living life adopted that they should be "grateful" because they were "chosen" and are "better off."
...In recent weeks, three adoptees -- ranging in age from a pre-teen to adult -- shared online their intimate, heartfelt accounts of what being adopted feels like for them; living life as a person cut off from their biological heredity. Each encountered thoughtless comments. Consider.
Counseling Adolescents Who Engage in Nonsuicidal Self-injury: A Dialectical Behavior Therapy Approach
...Because of its prevalence, severity, and onset during a high-risk period of development, it is important for mental health counselors to have a model for understanding the complex functions of this behavior [NSSI] and be familiar with effective approaches to treatment that address the unique needs of adolescents. Unfortunately, counselors report general uncertainty about conceptualization and treatment of NSSI (Healey, Trepal, & Emelianchik-Key, 2010). To help resolve this problem, this article describes research-based models for understanding the onset and maintenance of NSSI and how the dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) treatment approach can be applied in working with adolescents who engage in NSSI. Learn more.
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There are many different power bases that a leader can use and exploit.
These include problematic ones such as the power of position, the power to give rewards, the power to punish and the power to control information. While these types of power do have some strength, they put the person being lead in an unhealthy position of weakness, and can leave leaders using these power bases looking autocratic and out of touch.
...However there are three types of positive power that effective leaders use: charismatic power, expert power and referent power .
This article teaches the technique of building expert power. Learn more.
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"The purpose of this paper is to report the results of the 2nd National School Social Work Survey. Here, we review the responses of 3,769 school social workers using descriptive and bivariate statistics to better understand the current state of school social work in the United States. We also describe the characteristics and utilization patterns of students accessing school social work services, summarize the level (primary prevention versus secondary/tertiary) of practice focus of school social workers, and review practitioner responses to items summarizing their utilization of resources to identify, implement, and evaluate evidence-based practices. In addition to these descriptive analyses, we report bivariate analyses that aim to examine the relationship between prevention orientation and caseload, grade level, community setting, geographic region, and licensure status. Results suggest the workforce characteristics and service provision trends of school social workers remain largely unchanged from 2008, and that students accessing school social work services are exposed to many factors placing them at increased risk for school failure. Pre and post service training recommendations arise from our assessment of the state of school social work in America to better serve children and youth who struggle with mental and behavioral health issues." Access the paper. Click on "read paper" and do a search for "Michael S. Kelly."
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There Are No Children Here:
The Story of Two Boys Growing Up In the Other America
By Alex Kotlowitz
There Are No Children Here...chronicles the true story of two brothers coming of age in the Henry Homer public housing project in Chicago over a two year period. Lafeyette and Pharoah Rivers, their mother and siblings struggle to survive gun battles, gang influences, overzealous police officers, and overburdened and mismanaged bureaucracies to simply survive.
Lafeyette and Pharoah Rivers are eleven and nine years old when the story begins in the summer of 1987. They live with their mother LaJoe and six siblings, through the three oldest come and go. Their father Paul is rarely around due to his drug habit. Summer is the most dangerous season as shootings are constant. The family's safe place to avoid stray bullets is in the narrow hallway of their apartment. Read more.
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Viewing Violent News on Social Media Can Cause Trauma
...Dr Ramsden explained: "The negative effects of exposure to other people's suffering have long been recognised in roles such as professional healthcare workers. Various studies have documented the negative psychological reactions following indirect exposure to traumatised people called vicarious traumatisation."
"Social media has enabled violent stories and graphic images to be watched by the public in unedited horrific detail. Watching these events and feeling the anguish of those directly experiencing them may impact on our daily lives. In this study we wanted to see if people would experience longer lasting effects such as stress and anxiety, and in some cases post-traumatic stress disorders from viewing these images." Continue here.
Smart-Shaming: Sorry but Your Child Is Too Smart to Qualify for Help
...about 10 years ago things changed.
A perfect storm was unfolding. Following on the heels of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2001, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was re-written and re-authored in 2004. A new program called Response to Intervention (RTI) came to the fore, and then the U.S. Economy, and the education budget, was in decline.
The goal of RTI was to intervene in the classroom for all kids who were having problems learning and not performing to grade level standards, rather than waiting for them to qualify for special education. This program was created to help struggling learners receive intervention early, and in their classrooms, in order to keep up with grade expectations. This program served several purposes - it helped all kids who were identified as struggling learners and reduced the need for comprehensive assessment from school psychologists to determine the presence of a disability. This program has worked for many children, but has largely failed the kids we call and categorize as 2e (twice-exceptional).
Why? Read more.
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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
Connecticut (various)
Boise, ID pool
Pocatello, ID
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Barrington, IL Summer
Chicago, IL
Tinley Park, IL soc/emot coord
Basehor, KS
DeSoto, KS
Junction City, KS
Topeka, KS
Wichita, KS
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Needham, MA
Murray, UT
Barre, VT
Spanaway, WA
Casper, WY
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Death and grief will affect the lives of almost all children at some point, often leading to struggles with academic performance, social relationships, and behavior. The death of a loved one is immensely challenging for anyone, but children and teens can find it particularly difficult. Scholastic.com, through the generosity of the New York Life Foundation, hosted a live, interactive webcast on the subject of Children and Grief. Using actual scenarios from children and parents, childhood grief expert, pediatrician, and author Dr. David Schonfeld, MD, and Chris Park, president of the New York Life Foundation, talked about misconceptions, and imparted valuable advice on how educators and all other caring adults can best support grieving children-whether it's right after the loss or years later. Download webcast.
Archived by SAMHSA & KSOC-TV
Various Archived Webinars from the Center for School Mental Health, University of Maryland
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SchoolGrants
SchoolGrants was created in 1999 as a way to share grant information with PK-12 educators. Grant writing can be intimidating to those who are new at it. SchoolGrants helps ease those fears by providing online tips to those who need them. Finding suitable grant opportunities requires a great deal of time and research - SchoolGrants reduces the effort by listing a variety of opportunities available to public and private nonprofit elementary and secondary schools and districts across the United States. Sample grants are available as well as the opportunity to sign up for a listserv and newsletter. More info.
2nd Quarter Deadline: June 30, 2015
Grants of up to $1000 are available for "innovative programs, events, or projects" from the Meemic Foundation for Michigan, Wisconsin or Illinois. 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 second quarter cycle ends June 30th. Grants are up to $1000. Recipients will be notified by August 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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