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School Social Work NOW!
Supporting Innovative Practice,
Effective Leadership, and Applied Research
Vol 6, Issue 21
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Plan today! March is national social work month, and March 6-12 is National School Social Work Week. As school social workers, we tend to advocate for our students, their families, the teachers and even, at times, for the administrators. Isn't it time we advocate for ourselves and celebrate our work? Let's get going!
Create a meme, download the ACSSW free poster and use the ACSSW celebration ideas to begin your plan to share the good news about school social work. Let your school board, building administrators, teachers, other staff--and the community--know about the great work you do. School social workers are leaders in the school and should promote and educate others about school social work. Have fun with this!
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The past four decades have seen a rapid decline in marriage rates and a rapid increase in nonmarital births. These changes have had at least three worrisome effects on children. Scholars disagree about the magnitude of these effects, but surveys and other research evidence appear to definitively establish that the nation has more poverty, more income inequality, and less salutary child development, especially as a result of the rise in nonmarital births and single-parent families.
Ron Haskins examines whether and how government policies could do something to reverse these trends, or deal with their consequences if they can't be reversed. He finds evidence that some policies could produce enough impacts to be worth pursuing further, at the very least by developing and testing pilot programs. Full article.
... Just as the phrase middle class tells us little about a person, the wordpoverty typically tells us little about the students we serve. We know, for example, that the poor and middle classes have many overlapping values, including valuing education and the importance of hard work (Gorski, 2008). But if poor people were exactly the same cognitively, socially, emotionally, and behaviorally as those from the middle class, then the exact same teaching provided to both middle-class students and students from poverty would bring the exact same results.
But it doesn't work that way... Seven differences between middle-class and low-income students show up at school. By understanding those differences and how to address them, teachers can help mitigate some of the negative effects of poverty. More.
...Cognitive restructuring is a useful technique for understanding unhappy feelings and moods, and for challenging the sometimes-wrong "automatic beliefs" that can lie behind them. As such, you can use it to reframe the unnecessary negative thinking that we all experience from time to time.
Bad moods are unpleasant, they can reduce the quality of your performance, and they undermine your relationships with others. Cognitive restructuring helps you to change the negative or distorted thinking that often lies behind these moods. As such, it helps you approach situations in a more positive frame of mind. Learn more.
Resources from the Coalition to Support Grieving Students (CSGS) #4
The CSGS continues to share mini-papers on the concepts of death and grieving in children. This week's mini-paper is on Coordinating Services and Supporting Transitions. Use and share these papers as you wish. They are designed to be used: by practitioners, in-service trainings, as reference, as guidance for parents, and many other avenues.
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...The lessons on ultimate accountability and the many examples and approaches of leadership in action are incredibly relevant for all of us.
The theme of "extreme ownership" is an appropriate clubbing over the head that you as the leader own every problem, miscue, misfire and general problem on your team. It's not the fault of your team members if something goes wrong, it's your fault as the leader. If the results fall short, it's not because your team members failed, it is because you failed to plan, clarify, communicate, teach, train or guide execution properly. Read more.
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It all started when psychology professor Walter Mischel was watching his four closely-spaced daughters growing up. He realized he had no idea what was going on in their brains that made it possible for a child who at one moment had no impulse control and just a few months later could inhibit her emotions, wait for things and have conversations. He became curious about how children develop these skills, which led to the famous marshmallow experiment conducted at the Bing Nursery School on Stanford's campus, where Mischel was a professor. That study has become famous over the last 50 years, leading to many hilarious YouTube videos (none of which are the original test subjects) and a lifetime's work examining how various strategies can help both adults and children learn to delay gratification. Access full article.
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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 February - National Black History Month
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The Warmth of Other Suns - The Epic Story of America's Great Migration
by Isabel Wilkerson
"In this epic, beautifully written masterwork, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson chronicles one of the great untold stories of American history: the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities, in search of a better life.
From 1915 to 1970, this exodus of almost six million people changed the face of America. Wilkerson compares this epic migration to the migrations of other peoples in history. She interviewed more than a thousand people, and gained access to new data and official records, to write this definitive and vividly dramatic account of how these American journeys unfolded, altering our cities, our country, and ourselves. With stunning historical detail, Wilkerson tells this story through the lives of three unique individuals..."
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| Professional Development Opportunities |
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Children with attention-deficit problems improve faster when the first treatment they receive is behavioral - like instruction in basic social skills - than when they start immediately on medication, a new study has found. Beginning with behavioral therapy is also a less expensive option over time, according to a related analysis...
The new research, published in two papers by the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, found that stimulants were most effective as a supplemental, second-line treatment for those who needed it - and often at doses that were lower than normally prescribed. More.
StopBullying.gov has launched a free online bullying prevention and response training course. This professional development tool provides guidance on how to take a public health approach to bullying prevention through long-term, communitywide prevention strategies. The self-directed training allows stakeholders to test their knowledge on the latest research, statistics, and best practices on bullying prevention and response and to earn continuing education credits. Access training.
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School Social Work Positions
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Call for Proposals -- LAST CALL
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21st Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health
Proposals are now being accepted for the 21st Advancing School Mental Health Conference to be held September 29-October 1, 2016, in San Diego. ACSSW is an active participant, representing the voice of school social work in the planning and development of this conference. This is a perfect opportunity for school social workers to highlight their work and experiences to school and community providers and researchers! Demonstrate what school social work leaders do! Click to view the Request for Proposals and to submit an abstract. Deadline for submissions is February 29, 2016.
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Free Webinar on Self Injury
Tuesday, March 1, 2016 - 11 am ET
Screening for Mental Health (SMH) is hosting a FREE webinar that will address many of the concerns and questions that school staff have about self-injury among students. They will offer a webinar with self-injury expert Janis Whitlock on National Self-Injury Awareness Day, March 1. Because this topic is in such high demand, [they] have decided to take a unique approach to this webinar. When registering for the webinar, there will be a section in which you are asked to share a specific topic surrounding self-injury about which you want to know more. Responses will be looked at, and Ms. Whitlock will tailor her content around the most popular topics. Ms Whitlock will start with some basics, such as:
- Why some young people engage in self-injurious behavior
- Why self-injury can easily become contagious in a school
- How your school can manage students who self-injure and prevent contagion
- How to advise parents to work with students who self-injure
- New training opportunities available for non suicidal self-injury
She will also answer audience questions. Register here.
Teen Depression Through 3 Lenses: Young Adult, Parent, Clinician A Free Webinar for Teens, Parents, School Counselors and Staff, Youth Workers, and Anyone Interested in Teen Mental Health
Tuesday, March 1, 2016 - 7 pm ET
Families for Depression Awareness is presenting a free, 75-minute Teen Depression webinar on Tuesday, March 1st at 6:00 PM CST. The program is designed for teens, parents, teachers, school counselors and staff, youth workers, and anyone interested in teen mental health.
Join us for a live webcast discussion with an expert in teen depression, a young adult who has struggled with depression, and his mother who has both supported him and survived the loss of another son to suicide.
During the webinar, you'll hear - and be able to ask questions - about how to:
- recognize depression in teens
- talk to teens about depression
- get help for a struggling teen
- address challenges such as the refusal of help.
About our Presenters:
- Mary Fristad, PhD, ABPP, is a Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Human Nutrition at the Ohio State University and the Director of Research and Psychological Services in the OSU Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Her area of specialty is childhood mood disorders.
- Colin, a speaker in the Families for Depression Awareness Teen Depression program, is a senior in college in Boston. He has depression and also lost his brother, Andrew, to suicide.
- Sheila, Colin's mother, has supported her children with depression and survived the loss of her son, Andrew, to suicide. She is a proponent of depression education for parents of teens.
After the webinar, complete our online evaluation and we'll send you a free set of Depression and Bipolar Wellness Guides for Parents and Teens, in English or Spanish. Can't attend the live webcast? Register today and watch the recorded webinar later at your convenience.
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.
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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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