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School Social Work NOW!
Supporting Innovative Practice,
Effective Leadership, and Applied Research
Vol 6, Issue 16
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Sending a second call! Proposals are now being accepted for the 21st Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health to be held September 29-October 1, 2016 in San Diego, California. The conference will be hosted by the CSMH and the National Community of Practice on Collaborative School Behavioral Health. ACSSW is an active participant, raising the voice of school social work in the planning and program development. The theme of the conference is Shape the Future of School Mental Health: Advancing Quality and Sustainability.
The conference will emphasize a shared family-school-community agenda to bring high quality and evidence-based mental health promotion, prevention, and intervention to students and families.
This is a perfect opportunity for school social workers to highlight their work and experiences to school and community providers and researchers. Click to view the Request for Proposals and to submit an abstract. The deadline for submissions is February 29, 2016. All proposals must be submitted online.
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Over the past decade, schools and other youth-serving organizations have become increasingly focused on social and emotional learning (SEL) as a way to help young people develop skills that contribute to academic achievement and career and college outcomes. This focus is supported by strong empirical evidence indicating that SEL programming leads to significant improvements in these areas. But SEL is about more than just improving academic achievement-it is also a powerful mechanism for improving children's mental health. Focusing on helping young people develop SEL skills provides a strength-based, developmental approach to addressing the high rates of mental health challenges and increasing young people's resilience so that they are better equipped to handle future challenges. . . . Increasingly, professionals in the United States have begun conceptualizing children's mental health (CMH) through a public health lens. In contrast to medical practice, where intervention happens at the individual level, public health practice focuses on the population level. Continue.
from Liana Lowenstein
This technique is recommended for persons aged 10 years and older in individual or group sessions. The [child] is asked to come up with 10-15 feelings, thoughts, events, and actions they have experienced over the course of their life. Ask the [child] to write one item on separate strips of paper. The goals include identifying strengths and weaknesses, increase the ability to develop a positive self-image, explore and discuss internal and external locus of control, explore and discuss the stages of change model, and discover how the stages of change theory can be applied. Learn this technique.
Abstract: Classrooms are not culturally neutral terrains, but rather are constructed around sets of norms, values, and expected behaviors that are culturally bound. Low tolerance levels and expectations are an indication of the incongruence between the education strategies utilized by teachers and the cultural and linguistic differences of students that are served in an educational system in which they are required to perform based on standards that are not similar to their own. Combining Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS) with cultural and linguistic variables will help to enhance positive behavior of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students. This paper describes Culturally Responsive Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (CRPBIS) as a system that specifically acknowledges the presence of CLD students and the need for them to find relevant connections among themselves and with the behavioral goals and objectives that schools ask them to perform. Suggestions are offered that support the infusion of culturally responsive practices throughout the implementation of PBIS. More.
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As the title suggests, this chapter is about culture and leadership. Like the previous chapter, this one is multifaceted and focuses on a collection of related ideas rather than a single unified theory. Because there are no established theories of cultural leadership, our discussion in this chapter will focus on research that describes culture, its dimensions, and the effects of culture on the leadership process. . . This chapter is devoted to a discussion of how culture influences the leadership process. The chapter begins by defining culture and describing two concepts related to our understanding of culture. Next, we describe dimensions of culture, clusters of world cultures, and the characteristics of these clusters. We then learn how leadership varies across cultures and which specific leadership attributes cultures universally endorse as desirable and undesirable. Finally, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of this body of research. Learn more. |
Abstract: Schools in the UK looking for solutions to concerns about indiscipline have been enthused by the basic premise of restorative practice; the need to restore good relationships when there has been conflict or harm; and develop a school ethos,
policies and procedures that reduce the possibilities of such conflict and harm arising.
In 2004 the Scottish Executive funded a national pilot project on restorative practice and commissioned a team at Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities tocarry out a two-year evaluation of the pilot. In this paper, we discuss staff and pupil understandings and offer some exploration of the underpinning principles of restorative practice as it has developed thus far in schools. We explore the successes and challenges schools experienced and discuss the potential contribution of restorative practices for schools in challenging times. Finally we relate our findings to some critical arguments about the meaning and purposes of discipline and control in schooling. Study.
Caregivers often recognize the signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in their child before age two, yet, they often do not receive a diagnosis until after the child is four years old. Preschool teachers have high levels of exposure to the developing child and so are in an ideal position to identify children who may have ASD and refer them for assessments which may lead to access to early intervention services. This research sought to better understand whether or not preschool teachers are familiar with signs of ASD in young children, comfortable discussing concerns with parents, and knowledgeable about services to which young children with ASD may beneift. This research is important to the social work field because it is imperative to ensure public agencies are working to help families gain access to services which will aid their children in reaching their full potential. Full paper.
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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 January
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The World Café: Shaping Our Future Through Conversations That Matter
by Juanita Brown & David Isaacs & the World Café Community
Review by SSW Pat Beauchemin, LICSW, Rhode Island
"School social workers know about group processes and have honed their skills in drawing out the best thoughts and ideas of those invited to participate, whether the group is comprised of eighth grade students or parents in an education support group. In assuming more of a leadership role in their schools and districts, school social workers may want to read a wonderful book to assist them in their facilitative capacities to enhance conversations that occur in meetings or other group settings. . .
As I read, I became more excited as the book offers many possibilities using the 7 World Café principals in designing a café process. The authors have come to realize through their own and others experiences that a "collective intelligence" is the magic that emerges through table conversations offering participants an opportunity to reflect on meaningful questions, make important contribution to the intimate dialogue and serve as "ambassadors" by bringing forth the salient points of the dialogue to others, as people move from table to table in a powerful exercise.
The reader will become highly motivated to experiment with different forums as well as connect with others who "do" world café experiences, as the resource section identifies organizations dedicated to enhancing and shaping a myriad of conversations that can make a difference."
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| Professional Development Opportunities |
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For more than a year, the first charter school in Schuylkill County, Gillingham Charter School in Pottsville, has been working to implement a method of student discipline which is not traditionally used in public schools.
"It's called restorative practices," Nicolle M. Hutchinson, the school's CEO and director of education, said Wednesday.
"These practices consist of relationship building and student problem solving, while encouraging students to hold each other accountable for their actions and take responsibility to fix problems," Storm Hutchinson III, a student coach at Gillingham and the school's restorative practices coach, said.
And he said it's an effort to get away from conventional detentions or in and out of school suspensions. Article.
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School Social Work Positions
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Continued - listed by state abbreviation
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Webisode: Behavioral Health Concerns in Classrooms
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) latest webisode recording with Knowledge Network for Systems of Care TV (KSOC-TV) addresses the topic of identifying and managing behavioral health concerns in elementary school classrooms. The panelists, including Center for School Mental Health affiliate faculty, Dr. Kimberly Becker, provide specific strategies on how students, parents, teachers, and administrators can work together to support positive mental health among elementary school students. Watch by clicking here. Approx. 1 hr.
Webisode: Expulsion and Suspension Policies in Early Childhood Settings
The Child and Family Policy Consortium webinar features presentations on expulsion and suspension policies in early childhood settings. Speakers include Dr. Walter Gillian (Yale University) and Dr. Oscar Barbarin (University of Maryland - College Park). Click here to watch. Approx. l hr.
Archived --
Archived by SAMHSA & KSOC-TV
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1st Quarter Deadline: March 31, 2016
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 first quarter cycle ends March 31st. Grants are up to $500. Recipients will be notified by May 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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