|
School Social Work NOW!
Supporting Innovative Practice,
Effective Leadership, and Applied Research
Vol 6, Issue 4
|
|
Sadly, we once again face the aftermath of a senseless mass shooting. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and families of Umpqua Community College, Oregon.
The time is now to ask how we, as individuals, can change the culture of gun violence that appears to be growing rampantly across the United States. Perhaps we can't all get immersed in another "cause." We really are already busy, giving people. But we can do small things: lock up guns, keeping them out of the hands of young people; hold conversations with our children about why guns and violence are not answers to hurts and anger; engage other adults in discussions about the need to find reasonable gun control; write and call legislators, telling them we want change. Small steps, maybe. But we need to begin somewhere. We can not afford to lose our young people. We can not afford to have families endure this endless pain.
* * * * *
ACSSW is pleased to be able to offer school social workers the opportunity to purchase professional books from Springer Publishing Company for a reduced cost. Receive a 20% discount and free shipping!! Explore now. Use promotion code ACSSW-20 when placing your order.
* * * * *
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.
|
|
When Sigmund Freud reportedly said, "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar," the key word was "sometimes," because sometimes a cigar is more than a cigar. Sit it is with understanding misbehavior.
Sometimes the reason for misbehavior is very different than the obvious and requires a totally different intervention than the usual consequences. It is never easy to determine why children do the things they do.
The following are examples of seeing misbehavior from a new perspective. In each of these cases, diagnosis is very difficult -- as are the remedies. Full article.
. . . almost everyone has experienced negative consequences from evaluation. Those evaluated often are harmed, and consumers of evaluation reports frequently are misled. Evaluations create tensions and dilemmas and can be misused to create undesirable degrees of uniformity and conformity. Ultimately, we should be as concerned with the consequences of evaluation as we are with improving our evaluation capability.
All this said, perhaps the biggest concern about evaluating and holding schools accountable is that, too often, the processes have not truly improved schools and advanced knowledge.
Evaluation can be the door to a better future. It is more than ironic when prevailing policies and practices close rather than open that door. Read paper.
The death of a child is possibly the most profound human experience. Bereaved parents describe their devastation, their grief and their isolation. This isolation can be helped by a "wish list" written by bereaved parents, for bereaved parents to give to others.
Bereaved parents want to talk about their child. At a time when their need for understanding and support is paramount, they tell us that their family and friends are clearly uncomfortable talking about the child who has died. They usually understand the reason: people do not know what to say, but this does not mean the hurt parents feel is any the less. they sometimes describe avoidance behaviour where friends will cross the street so as not to engage them in conversation.
In order to gain support, bereaved parents may need to become the teacher themselves and educate their family and friends about what they are experiencing and need. Complete article.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Social workers provide guidance and support in hospital rooms, classrooms, boardrooms and courtrooms, making a difference in the lives of individuals, families and organizations. It is often this type of micro social work that informs public perception of the field. But you can also find social workers in positions of leadership in government, education, health care and corporations, using the skills they've built in their social work careers to help make important decisions and manage institutions.
Training in social work can be valuable for leaders of all kinds and in all fields because the core values of a social worker are often the same qualities that make a good leader. So what, exactly, are these values? Read more.
It's become trendy to talk about Millennials - those in their 20s through mid-30s - as a different species in the workplace. Millennials can't take criticism, they want constant acclaim, they are entitled. They are too attached to their devices. They expect a job to be fulfilling.
Assumptions and stereotypes, anecdotes and personal experience can fuel these perceptions among older managers and, yes, even talent professionals. It may surprise you that Millennials want essentially the same things most employees want. Recent studies point to no generational differences in key areas.
A 2012 analysis of 20 studies and 19,691 people found that generation had nothing to do with employees' job satisfaction, organizational commitment or turnover intentions. Learn more.
|
. . . Policymakers and educators, among others, are beginning to question the harsh discipline policies and practices that have in recent decades became popular in certain districts, too. Research shows that the reliance on punitive school discipline like suspensions, expulsions, and school arrests --"school pushout"-- deprives students of learning time and takes the greatest toll on nonwhite students, students with disabilities, LGBT youth and other vulnerable student groups. Suspensions can even harm the education of non-misbehaving students, according to some research.
The data on the shortcomings of zero-tolerance discipline is clear and overwhelming, and with increasing regularity and in increasing numbers school districts and states are responding to calls for reform. A wide range of approaches to address discipline concerns with new policies and laws are being tested across the country-including in New York City-with varying degrees of success and enthusiasm. Continue.
|
|
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.
|
|
Recommended Read for October
|
The New Bullying -- How Social Media, Social
Exclusion, Laws and Suicide Have Changed
Our Definition of Bullying, and What to Do
By MSU School of Journalism
Amazon: This book is primarily concerned with the issue of how bullying has changed from about 1997 to 2012. The authors' thesis was that bullying has changed considerably, but that some adults are not aware of the change. This book is intended to document that change. Among the changes that were examined are the rise of cyberbullying, social exclusion as a form of bullying, new laws about school bullying, computer crimes and threats and a growing willingness on the part of the public to talk about bullying and its perceived connection to suicide and violence, especially in schools.
|
| Professional Development Opportunities |
|
Survey Participation Request
|
|
School Mental Health Professional Survey
School Mental Health Professionals (e.g. school counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, school nurses and others) are invited to take an anonymous survey about inter-professional collaboration between school mental health clinicians and pediatric primary care providers. Participation involves answering questions about your current practices, comfort in collaborating with pediatric primary care providers, training needs, and beliefs about inter-professional collaboration. If you participate in this study you will have the option of providing your email address to be entered into a raffle for one of two $50 gift cards.
The survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. By completing the survey, you are indicating your consent to participate in our study. Please contact Prerna Arora, Ph.D. with questions. Access survey. |
|
After nearly a year of deliberation, the state Supreme Court ruled 6-3. . . that charter schools are unconstitutional, creating chaos for hundreds of families whose children have already started classes.
The ruling - believed to be one of the first of its kind in the country - overturns the law voters narrowly approved in 2012 allowing publicly funded, but privately operated, schools.
Eight new charter schools are opening in Washington this fall, in addition to one that opened in Seattle last year. It was not immediately known what would happen with the schools that are already running. The parties [had] 20 days to ask the court for reconsideration before the ruling becomes final. Read more.
The heroin epidemic that has been taking the lives of teenagers for years is creeping into even younger age groups and putting pressure on the nation's schools to keep a fast-acting overdose antidote within reach of every nurse and teacher.
Although overdoses at school are rare, nurses are increasingly thinking of the drug naloxone as an essential part of their first-aid kits. Administered via syringe or a nasal spray, it works almost immediately to get an overdose patient breathing again, and it does not create a high or have major side effects. Click to continue.
|
|
School Social Work Positions
|
Continued - listed by state abbreviation
|
San Jose, CA
Connecticut (various)
Washington, DC
DeKalb, IL
|
Lumberton, NC
Las Vegas, NV
Albany, NY
Bronx, NY
|
Cleveland, OH
Nashville, TN - #1
Nashville, TN - #2
|
|
|
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.
|
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.
|
|
|
|
