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School Social Work NOW!
Supporting Innovative Practice,
Effective Leadership, and Applied Research
Vol 6, Issue 2
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As ACSSW enters its 6th year of operations we want to thank those of you who have been our members and supporters. Without you, we would not be here!
It takes a great deal of time, determination, persistence, and creativity--to name a few elements--to keep a national organization up and running. It requires a constant focus and an unwavering belief that the purpose we serve is important and worthy.
Thank you for your belief in what we do and for the willingness to back up that belief with your membership. With this issue, we extend to non-members the invitation to join ACSSWand become part of a national group for school social workers that understands why it is important to keep the profession vital, current, and in the forefront of educational services.
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Screening for Mental Health would like you to join them on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 2 p.m. EDT for a webinar with former Boston Red Sox pitcher John Trautwein about the role coaches can play in youth suicide prevention. Please invite coaches at your school to join, too!
High school students often feel pressure to do everything right -- get good grades, look appealing to college admissions counselors, and be well-liked among their peers. For high school student athletes, there is the added stress brought on by playing sports. For some students, athletic pressures can exacerbate an existing mental health concern. And yet, team sports and other extracurricular activities can help students form relationships with trusted adult mentors and build lasting bonds with peers as "Life Teammates." Find out more.
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There's still time to Register for the 2015 ACSSW Mental Health in Schools Institute, September 28th. Groups of 3 or more from the same district, school,or agency are eligible for a group discount. Don't delay. Read the brochure and register online today! Avoid a late fee by registering prior to September 23rd. This year's presentations will provide tools that are immediately applicable to your practice. Review the program and see if you don't agree.
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Mix It Up At Lunch Day encourages students to identify, question and cross social boundaries with a goal of reducing prejudice and racism. This year, MIUAL Day occurs on October 27th. Learn more, start planning, and get ideas that can be easily and practically implemented.
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American school social work enters its second century as a profession that can proudly claim over 30 state associations, three national associations devoted--at least in part--to school social work, and a growing research-driven knowledge base about effective school social work practices . . . In addition, the increasing use of evidence-based practices . . . and multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) . . . such as Response to Intervention and Positive Behavior Interventions and Support, are growing in the fields of school mental health and school social work. As such, the current study builds on previous efforts to understand the direction and nature of school social work practice, with particular attention to service delivery in the context of national trends to use EBPs within the context of MTSS. Full article.
Abstract: Bullying is the most common form of violence in schools and has been shown to disrupt the emotional and social development of both the targets and the perpetrators of bullying (Raskauskas & Stoltz, 2007). Bullying can be physical, verbal, relational, and direct or indirect. There are well-established age and sex trends (Olweus, 1993; Smith, Madsen, & Moody, 1999). There has been considerable research on bullying-prevention programs and scholarship on best-practice guidelines for school social workers (Dupper, 2013). An emerging concern is with the use of electronic and Internet devices in bullying, referred to as "cyberbullying." In this article we define bullying and cyberbullying; discuss risk factors associated with being a bully, a victim, and a bully-victim; describe prevention and intervention programs; and discuss emerging trends in both bullying and cyberbullying. More.
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One of the first steps a work team or group should make is to determine how decisions will be made by the group and members of the group. We are going to look at four different ways of coming to decisions. . .
Decision-making is a core process in the workplace. Decision-making processes that are ineffective, or inappropriate to the kinds of decisions made can result in higher stress levels,negative perceptions of the workplace, and in the long term, can destroy the ability of work teams to work effectively in a coordinated manner.
Before we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the four modes of decision-making we should point out that it is probably NOT desirable for a team or group to make decision using only a single mode, regardless of type of decision. Access here.
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Since Congress amended the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1997, Positive Behavioral Supports has held a unique place in special education law. PBIS, referred to as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports in IDEA, is the only approach to addressing behavior that is specifically mentioned in the law. This emphasis on using functional assessment and positive approaches to encourage good behavior remains in the current version of the law as amended in 2004. . .
Congress' reasons for encouraging the use of PBIS are clear and stem from (a) the historic exclusion of individuals with disabilities based on unaddressed behavior and (b) the strong evidence base supporting the use of PBIS. In 1972, the court in Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia (348 F.Supp. 866 (D.D.C. 1972)) found that students with disabilities were being excluded from educational opportunities for issues related to behavior (among other reasons). Congress intended to address this exclusion in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, as the Supreme Court in Honig v. Doe (484 U.S. 305 (1988)) clarified. More.
This report from Attendance Works and Healthy Schools Campaign shows how disparities in school attendance rates starting as early as preschool and kindergarten are contributing to achievement gaps and high school dropout rates across the country. The report also highlights the connection between health and attendance and the power of states to tackle absenteeism by tapping key champions, leveraging data, and learning from places that have improved attendance despite challenging conditions. Full Report. Executive Summary.
This issue highlights recent research on disasters and their relationship to traumatic stress, suicide rates, and suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts. It examines how rates of suicide, and suicidal thinking and behaviors, have changed-or not-following disasters both natural and human caused. The bulletin covers post-disaster traumatic stress and related conditions.
In addition, it reviews evidence on populations that may be most (or least) at risk for traumatic stress and suicide after disasters. This issue features some findings that may surprise you, as well as more evidence of the resilience of individuals and communities as they rise to the challenges disasters involve. Download PDF.
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The Community-Partnered School Behavioral Health Modules
~ Free Training Series and CEUs Offered ~
www.mdbehavioralhealth.com
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 September
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Swept Under the Rug: A Story from Two Sides of a Long Lasting Heroin/alcohol Addiction
By Alex Person
Amazon: A heart-wrenching, true story, told through memories of a young teen dealing with an older brothers long lasting heroin addiction. This book gives the readers a unique perspective of two sides of a heroin addiction. One side told through the younger brothers (Author) memories growing up as a young teen. One side told through the poems and songs written by the older brother (Addict).
The purpose of this book is to bring to light drug abuse. If this book helps one person either help themselves or another, the job has been done.
If you are looking for, books about drug addiction, heroin abuse, family addiction to drugs, alcoholism stories, or general drug abuse reads, this book will give you a taste of all of it.
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| Professional Development Opportunities |
Handcuffed for Making a Clock, Ahmed Mohamed, 14, Wins Time with Obama
Ahmed Mohamed's homemade alarm clock got him suspended from his suburban Dallas high school and detained and handcuffed by police officers on Monday after school officials accused him of making a fake bomb. By Wednesday, it had brought him an invitation to the White House, support from Hillary Rodham Clinton and Mark Zuckerberg, and a moment of head-spinning attention as questions arose whether he had been targeted because of his name and his religion.
As a result, a 14-year-old freshman at MacArthur High School in Irving, Tex., who is partial to tinkering, technology and NASA T-shirts and wants to go to M.I.T., found himself in a social media whirlwind that reflected the nation's charged debates on Islam, immigration and ethnicity. Continue.
The number of homeless children in public schools has doubled since before the recession, reaching a record national total of 1.36 million in the 2013-2014 school year, according to new federal data. The latest homeless count, an 8 percent increase over the 2012-2013 school year, is a sign that many families continue to struggle financially even as the economy recovers from the housing collapse of 2008. And it offers a glimpse of the growing challenges that public schools face nationwide as they seek to educate an increasing number of low-income children. The impact is profound on public schools, which struggle to try to address the needs of homeless children. Teachers often find themselves working not only to help children learn but also to clothe them, keep them clean and counsel them through problems - including stress and trauma - that interfere with classroom progress. Read more.
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School Social Work Positions
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Continued - listed by state abbreviation
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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
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. View webisode.
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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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