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School Social Work NOW! Supporting Innovative Practice, Effective Leadership, and Applied Research
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ACSSW Mental Health Awareness
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With this issue of
School Social Work Now! we launch the mobile friendly edition. Any glitches? Any suggestions? Let us know what you think. Please share any errors you encounter so that they can be corrected. Also, note that most of the links in the left-hand column are not underlined as they are in the white blocks, but they are active. This is for easy reading.
A search feature has been added to the ACSSW website. While we strive to have everything working correctly, it would be considered a great favor if you let us know about something that isn't as it should be. Additionally, if there are search terms that you think should be added, please send your list to me by clicking my name below. The website is for your use and should be functional for you.
Next week's edition of the newsletter will begin the summer schedule of every other week. Weekly mailings will be resumed in early September. However, if you find you are not receiving the newsletter for several weeks, please let us know so that we can search for the problem. Sending a back copy to you is easy, and you should get them on schedule.
President
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Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is beginning to be recognised as one of the most common psychiatric illnesses affecting children and adolescents, and the World Health Organization rates it as one of the 20 most debilitating diseases. It was previously thought to only affect adults, but is now accepted as affecting children as young as six or seven years old. It occursin one in 100 children, and most adults report onset symptoms in childhood or adolescence.
Paediatric and adult OCD share similarities, but differ in a number of ways. Read full article. [corrected]
School refusal behavior refers to child-motivated refusal to attend school and/or difficulty attending classes for an entire day (Kearney& Silverman, 1996). As such, the term represents an umbrella construct for many historical ones that have been used to describe youths with problematic absenteeism, including truancy, psychoneurotic truancy, school phobia, separation anxiety, and anxiety-based school refusal. School refusal behavior refers to a spectrum of problematic, illegitimate absenteeism that includes youths who miss school for extended periods of time, youths who miss school sporadically, youths who skip certain classes or who are tardy to school, youths with severe morning misbehaviors to attempt to miss school, and youths who attend school with great anxiety and somatic complaints that precipitate ongoing pleas to miss school in the future (Kearney, 2003). More.
Sometimes, anxiety feels a lot like a little mouse running on a wheel inside our heads and chattering incessantly. It gets ahold of a particular thought or fear and spins on it nonstop. It's frustrating and exhausting, and it can feel out of our control.
The temptation in that situation is to do one of two things to feel better: (1) distract ourselves from the thoughts or (2) indulge them. Distraction maneuvers include watching television, calling a friend, taking a pill, or checking Facebook. Indulging behaviors might look like making endless lists and notes about anxious thoughts, researching whatever the issue is for hours, or calling people to talk through the same problems over and over. Read here.
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State, Regional & National
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When we think about leaders, we almost always think about people who have or had formal positions of power -- politicians, corporate executives, sports coaches, etc, probably because it is those people who garner the most publicity. However, it's a huge mistake to think that leadership actually requires formal power and authority for it to create positive outcomes. Learn why.
The Leadership Motivation Assessment
The first and most basic prerequisite for leadership is the desire to lead. After all, it takes hard work to become an effective leader; and if you are not prepared to put this work in, or if, deep down, you're not sure whether you want to lead or not, you'll struggle to lead people effectively.
So, how much do you want to lead? This assessment helps you find the answer. Read more.
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Over the last three decades, street gangs have seeped into rural areas-including Native reservations, where youth gang involvement has been steadily rising since the 1990s.
In a recently published study, UNL sociology graduate student Dane Hautala examined several risk factors for future gang involvement among Native youth. Using longitudinal data collected from 646 North American indigenous youth over eight years, Hautala focused on 18 different possible factors.
Some of the strongest predictors for future gang involvement are low family income, decreased parental monitoring, perceived racial discrimination, depressive symptoms, tobacco and alcohol use, and general delinquency.
Most surprising, though, was how much individual characteristics like mental health issues-specifically perceived discrimination-could predict future gang involvement. More.
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Recommended Read for June
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Remnants of a Life on Paper
By Bea Tusiani, Paula Tusiani-Eng and Pamela Tusiani
The book tells the story of a young woman suffering with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), a psychiatric illness characterized primarily by mood swings, unstable relationships, depression and self-destructive behavior. Pamela Tusiani's copious journals, moving artwork and poetry provide an intimate glimpse of her battle with a personality she could not control. Intertwined with Pamela's voice, Bea Tusiani tells the story of her daughter's struggle and the roller-coaster effect it had on her family. The two points of view present a unique insight into Pamela's state of mind. Based on Bea's and her husband's notes, taken during conversations with Pamela, her doctors and other healthcare providers, this book allows the reader to live through Pamela's day-to-day ordeal and experience the anxiety, love and fear of her family members. This is not just the story of one vibrant, gifted young woman and her courageous family. It is a real life account of an illness that irreparably changes one's world. Download a Clinical BPD Teaching Guide.
Amazon-Tusiani, Tusiani-Eng & Tusiana Goodreads-Tusiani, Tusiani-Eng & Tusiani
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For far too many students attending urban schools in the U.S., learning takes a back seat to what's going on outside the classroom -- namely, violence at home and in the community -- and few schools are equipped to help students cope.
That could start to change in the near future. A federal class-action lawsuit filed last week alleges that California's Compton Unified School District has failed to properly address its students' experiences of trauma. School districts, the lawsuit argues, are obligated under federal disability law to offer support for students who have experienced trauma. More.
Restorative Practices Change Student Behavior
Staffers at the Brooklyn school were professionally trained in Restorative Practices and wanted to share it with the Buffalo students. It was accomplished with the help of two sisters. One who works at the Buffalo school, the other at the Brooklyn school.
"And we saw that they were having a lot of success and wanted to learn more about how they did it, similar population in their school as we have in ours," said Liese Zilberleyt, Social Work at Science Magnet. She contacted her sister, Emilie Mittiga, Assistant Principal at the Brooklyn school.
"I think one of the things that's been really exciting in the trainings we've been doing is we both experienced separately when you get trained often by outside organizations, they're not people that are in school, so they are not necessarily experiencing the day to day reality of the behavior, the needs of what students and staff are walking into the buildings with," said Mittiga. Continue.
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Archived
This webinar begins with a brief overview of the fundamental aspects of autism - characteristics of people on the spectrum, appropriate terms for working in the field, common myths and approaches, as well as new diagnostic criteria. When the DSM-5 was published in 2013, one of its most important changes was in its understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder. This webinar will review those changes that include the removal of pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified and Asperger's, new diagnostic criteria, and implications regarding communication. It will also consider critiques and frequently asked questions regarding the Autism Spectrum Disorders. Learn more.
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
Trauma Informed Approaches for Caring for Every Child's Mental Health
One Hour in Duration
This archived wepisode describes SAMHSA's definition of trauma, the long-term effects of unaddressed trauma, and ways communities can work together to minimize the impact of trauma.
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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.
Meemic Foundation Grant
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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American Council for School Social Work |
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