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School Social Work NOW!
Supporting Innovative Practice,
Effective Leadership, and Applied Research
Vol 6, Issue 9
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Last week ACSSW had the opportunity to participate in the University of MD's Center for School Mental Health annual national conference, Advancing School Mental Health, in exciting New Orleans. We were able to co-facilitate discussions, along with former NASP president, Sally Baas, on the importance of collaboration--true collaboration--among school providers and with community mental health professionals. The dialogue sharing was fantastic. ACSSW also presented a workshop on the Signs of Suicide program that our partner, Screening for Mental Health, developed. Further, we had the good fortune of talking with many mental health and related providers at our exhibit table, sharing with them why school social work is vital to the school system. It was a very busy several days, but we were privileged to represent our members at this large event--approximately 1,000 attendees!
You, the school social worker, are NEEDED! The National School Mental Health Census is about to begin. Schools and districts across the country will be surveyed about the services provided by their CSMHS (comprehensive school mental health system)--or lack of the same. This national census is critical to gain a complete national picture of school mental health structures and services at the ground level. We know, piecemeal, what is being done but understanding the full picture is essential to the mental health well-being of children and youth in schools.
Each school/district that participates will develop a team to respond to the census questions. This team should include administrators, teachers, parents, school personnel/mental health providers, community providers, and others who have a stake hold in mental health in schools. As a school mental health provider you, the school social worker, must step up to the table and be one of the voices on your school/district team. Learn more and promote participation in the census. In order to know where we need to go, we must know where we are in school mental health. Educate yourself and encourage your colleagues to form a team now!
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This Resource Guide was developed to support service providers in their work with parents, caregivers, and their children to prevent child abuse and neglect and promote child and family well-being. It was created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau, Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, its Child Welfare Information Gateway, the FRIENDS National Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention, and the Center for the Study of Social Policy-Strengthening Families. The resources featured represent the work of a broad-based partnership of national organizations, Federal partners, and parents committed to strengthening families and communities. Download Guide.
"The activities in this publication have been divided into the following sections: Engagement and Assessment, Feelings Expression, Social Skills, Self-esteem, and Termination. the book begins with several assessment activities providing clinicians with diagnostic tools to assist in treatment planning. The remaining sections provide activities to help clients master key emotional and behavioral competencies, such as identifying and expressing feeling states, strengthening interpersonal skills, and enhancing self-esteem. A variety of activities are provided within each section, so that practitioners can choose interventions that suit their client's specific needs. The last section of the book presents interventions that can be incorporated as part of the client's termination process." View or download.
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Behavior-based competencies have been the foundation for developing leaders - a reasonable approach. Behaviors are the most tangible, visible and measurable aspects of leadership. But
what happens in a leader's mind also plays an important role in effective leadership.
There's sometimes a disconnect between how we talk about leadership qualities (we tend to use words like authority, power, and emotional intelligence) and what we actually require from the people leading teams and other working groups (arguably, competence and a deep knowledge of the specific work that needs to get done). In a forthcoming Journal of Applied Psychology article, researchers from Stanford and Erasmus University explore which set of qualities matters most to team performance. The paper also looks at when power differences contribute to team success, and when they damage it. Continue.
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A higher-than-average prevalence of traits associated with autism is correlated with greater participation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers, according to a study of half a million people published in PLOS ONE.
Though diagnostic criteria for autism frequently focus on ways autism can limit potential, researchers are increasingly looking at the link between autism and beneficial skills. According to the United States Department of Commerce, STEM workers earn an average of 26% more than non-STEM workers.
Most autism researchers treat autism as a spectrum or continuum, suggesting that even people without autism may have some personality traits associated with autism, such as difficulty understanding a different point of view or increased attention to detail. The Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ)-a set of 50 questions designed to tease out personality traits associated with autism-is often used in studies of both autism and personality. More.
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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 November
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The School-to-Prison Pipeline
by Christopher A. Mallett
"The expanded use of zero-tolerance policies and security measures in schools has exponentially increased arrests and referrals to the juvenile courts-often for typical adolescent developmental behaviors and low-level misdemeanors. This is the first truly comprehensive assessment of the "school-to-prison pipeline"-a term that refers to the increased risk for certain individuals, disproportionately from minority and impoverished communities, to end up ensnared in the criminal justice system because of excessively punitive disciplinary policies in schools. Written by one of the foremost experts on this topic, the book examines school disciplinary policies and juvenile justice policies that contribute to the pipeline, describes its impact on targeted-both intentionally and unintentionally-children and adolescents, and recommends a more supportive and rehabilitative model that challenges the criminalization of education and punitive juvenile justice. . . The book is a vital resource for undergraduate and graduate students of social work and criminal justice as well as for juvenile court and school personnel and policymakers." Sample chapter.
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| Professional Development Opportunities |
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Survey Participation Request
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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. |
Schoolkids in Handcuffs NY Times Editorial
The video that went viral last month showing a white sheriff's deputy in a Columbia, S.C., classroom throwing and dragging an African-American student across the floor may well be indicative of a deeper problem with the security program in that school district. . .
The violent video shows starkly a problem that has grown worse in the United States since the 1980s, when the country started to put more police officers in schools. In many places, the shift created repressive environments where educators stepped back from managing schools and allowed police officers to set the tone, even when that meant manhandling, handcuffing and arresting young people for minor misbehaviors that once would have been dealt with by the principal. Complete editorial.
After her family moved from suburban New Hampshire to the wind-whipped plains of southeastern Wyoming, Monica Morin embraced small-town life, forging lasting friendships and celebrating her own quirky style. Dark-haired, with hipster glasses and a disarming sense of humor, Monica was a "why-not kind of kid," her mother, Kim Morin, said. The kind who would wear a giraffe costume to the grocery store, just because.
Last year, during Monica's sophomore year of high school, her mood began to darken. She turned to alcohol and marijuana, and some days withdrew from the close relationship she had always had with her parents, who, although long divorced, remained friends and partners in raising their only child. After her descent into drinking, she started cutting herself. Read more.
Homelessness in Hawaii has grown in recent years, leaving the state with 487 homeless per 100,000 people, the nation's highest rate per capita, above New York and Nevada, according to federal statistics. Since 2010, the rise has come even as the national rate has fallen.
The increase, driven by years of rising costs in the island chain, low wages and limited land, thrust the image of people sleeping on beaches alongside the state's famed one of a relaxing tropical paradise. Continue.
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School Social Work Positions
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Continued - listed by state abbreviation
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November 17, 2015 - 4:30-5:30 pm CST ~ Free
Beyond the Bus, a special publication of the Teaching the Movement initiative, brings together several resources Teaching Tolerance developed to help educators recognize and fill instructional gaps in their coverage of the civil rights movement. In honor of the 60th anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, we'll apply these key resources to the story of Rosa Parks. Join us to learn how you can apply Beyond the Bus to your civil rights instruction. Register.
November 17, 2015 - 2:00-3:00 pm CST ~ Free ~ CEU available
More than one-third of sexual offenses against children are committed by other youth. When youth engage in problematic sexual behaviors (PSB), they typically do so with other children in their family or extended social networks. Families are often bereft of what to do when PSB occur within the family and how to address safety and the treatment needs of all the children, as are professionals across systems who may be mired in misconceptions. While evidence-based practices (EBP) exist to address PSB, most communities either do not have access to or are faced with many challenges to implement EBP and to provide comprehensive services to families. Register.
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.
4th Quarter Deadline: December 31, 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 fourth quarter cycle ends December 31st. Grants are up to $500. Recipients will be notified by February 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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