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School Social Work NOW!
Supporting Innovative Practice,
Effective Leadership, and Applied Research
Vol 5, Issue 33
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Can you believe that summer is half over? Only a few more weeks until the school bells rings and we begin anew.
BUT before that happens, take time to care for yourself: have fun with family, relax, dance, travel, sing, paint! Do whatever you enjoy that rejuvenates and "clears the cobwebs" in your mind. Only then can you fully re-engage in the serious and necessary work that you do!
Early Bird Registration for the 2015 ACSSW Mental Health in Schools Institute, September 28th, is still available through July 31st. Groups of 3 or more from the same district/school/agency are eligible for a group discount. Don't delay. Read the brochure and register online today!
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At their best, DSM diagnoses help social workers and other mental health professionals understand clients, guiding their interventions from an evidence-based perspective. Diagnosis helps professionals with goal setting, treatment planning, and determining a client's prognosis. Having a common nomenclature for diagnoses also facilitates research. Despite the widespread use of the DSM, social workers should be cognizant of the ethical issues that may arise in the context of using this diagnostic tool.
This article explores the DSM in relation to ethical concerns such as demonstrating respect for the dignity and worth of all people, empowering clients, practicing within one's professional competence, and owing a primary duty of care to one's clients. This article also provides suggestions for addressing these ethical concerns, allowing social workers to promote social work values and ethics even when using the DSM poses certain risks. Continue.
Painful Lessons: Discovering the Gifts in Our Suffering
As human beings, we have all had to deal with our share of suffering. The causes of our suffering may change, but the experience remains the same. For some, their struggle may be with depression, anxiety, or having experienced abuse or trauma, whereas others may have to deal with a serious illness, chronic pain, an addiction, or the death of a loved one. In all cases, we may ask ourselves why we have been given this cross to bear and whether the pain will ever go away.
In most cases, we tend to make our suffering worse by our ongoing negative thoughts and ruminations about the situation. We create worst-case scenarios in our minds or believe that our agony will never subside. In so doing, we perpetuate and amplify our suffering, remaining attached to our pain rather than looking for life lessons or gifts that may be present within the experience.
What are some ways we can choose to heal from our afflictions and discover the gifts they may have to offer? Complete article.
How Emotionally Intelligent Are You?
We all know people who are in full control of their emotions. They're calm in a crisis, and they make decisions sensitively, however stressful the situation.
We also know people who can read the emotions of others. They understand what to say to make people feel better, and they know how to inspire them to take action.
People like this have high emotional intelligence (EI). They have strong relationships, and they manage difficult situations calmly and effectively. They're also likely to be resilient in the face of adversity.
So, how emotionally intelligent are you, and how can you develop further? Find out below. Find out.
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If you want to be a leader whom people follow with absolute conviction, you have to be a likeable leader. Tyrants and curmudgeons with brilliant vision can command a reluctant following for a time, but it never lasts. They burn people out before they ever get to see what anyone is truly capable of...
Becoming a more likeable leader is completely under your control, and it's a matter of emotional intelligence (EQ). Unlike innate, fixed characteristics, such as your intelligence (IQ), EQ is a flexible skill that you can improve with effort. More.
All successful managers need to negotiate, whether it's to hammer out the terms of a contract, to gain people's agreement in a meeting, or to agree deadlines with team members.
You will struggle in your career if you can't negotiate effectively. For example, you might lose business or the respect of your team members. Or, you might fail to solve problems that better negotiators can breeze through.
In this article, we look at 10 common negotiation mistakes - in no particular order - and discuss how you can avoid them. Full article.
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Deep Breathing and Downward Dog: Supporting Students with an EBD through Yoga
Abstract: The purpose of this research project was to explore how school social workers are utilizing yoga as an intervention for youth who have an emotional/behavioral disorder (EBD). This research project was qualitative in design and seven school social workers from Minnesota were interviewed. Participants interviewed were school social workers from Minnesota that discussed how yoga was being used in schools to increase mindbody awareness and self-regulation among youth who have an emotional/behavioral disorder. Six themes emerged from the data including: normalizing yoga, benefits, yoga curriculum, feedback, barriers, and suggestions. Previous research has indicated that yoga is beneficial not only for the physical body, but for the mind as well, was found in the findings. The findings suggest the need for further research to be conducted relating to altering the use of yoga as an intervention in a more systematic way as well as how to adapt the yoga interventions to meet the needs of the group. Full paper.
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Signs of Suicide Program & Gatekeeper Training Module 1.5 CEUs. Free.
from Teachers College Press. A hard copy will be mailed to you. Free.
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Recommended Read for June-July-August
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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 othe r 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.
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| Professional Development Opportunities |
Identity, Race and the White Problem
Many of us watched, in utter astonishment, at the unfolding story of Rachel Dolezal and her misrepresentation of her race. For those who may not have heard of Rachel Dolezal, she was, until her recent resignation, the president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Spokane, Washington. Dolezal was forced to resign after allegations emerged that she was not an African American, as she had purported to be, but in fact, is a white woman. Whilst there is a whole debate to be had around her right to be able to self-define her race, I can see an argument for being able to self-define your race, but I do not see a justification for lying about your race in order to gain a position in an organization such as the NAACP where authenticity is essential to its success. However, that is a discussion for another time. Read more. Ground-breaking School Choice Law A groundbreaking law in Nevada allows virtually all parents of K-12 students to opt out of public school but use their children's state education dollars for a customized education, including private or religious schooling, online classes, textbooks, and dual-enrollment college credits.
The money goes into an education savings account (ESA), and dollars not spent by the parent in a given year roll over for future spending - until the student finishes high school or opts back into public school. With this move - GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval signed the legislation Tuesday - Nevada has made itself, in some ways, the educational-choice capital of the nation. And it has added new layers to the long-standing debates about whether funneling public dollars to private school options is a catalyst for improvements or damaging to public schooling. Complete article. |
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School Social Work Positions
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Continued - listed by state abbreviation
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Los Angeles, CA
Colorado Springs, CO
Connecticut (various)
Dalton, GA
Chicago, IL
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Junction City, KS
Pollock, LA
Beverly, MA
Nashua, NH
Rocky Mount, NC
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Houston, TX
Murray, UT
Yorktown, VA
Spanaway, WA
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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.
3rd Quarter Deadline: September 30, 2015
Grants of up to $500 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 third quarter cycle ends September 30th. Grants are up to $500. Recipients will be notified by November 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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