|
School Social Work NOW!
Supporting Innovative Practice,
Effective Leadership, and Applied Research
Vol 6, Issue 28
|
|
ACSSW has developed an initial draft of Leadership Standards for School Social Workers. This initial draft has had a first read and input from practitioners and school social work educators alike. The draft is now in the process of having suggestions and feedback incorporated into an updated draft. When that is complete, a second round of input and ideas will be sought from a broader audience. We sincerely hope that
you will be part of the thoughtful response that we anticipate.
Why do SSWs need Leadership Standards? It's been observed that much of what SSWs do on a daily basis is leadership in action, but seldom do practitioners look at their work in that light. Often a need is seen and the SSW moves to fill that gap, almost automatically. Advocating for children and youth occurs on a daily basis. Chairing district committees and providing in-services to staff may be in a job description but are more than that. Additionally, school administrators often do not think about SSWs as leaders yet they depend on practitioners to do administrative tasks at times.
An active awareness of the leadership capabilities of SSWs needs to be expanded, and that includes practitioners viewing themselves in new ways, looking at what they can and do offer to the schools, communities, and professional associations in which they find themselves. Stay tuned to ACSSW as we travel this new road -- and share your thoughts on leadership with us!
|
|
The Center for School Mental Health at the University of MD has a list of free, downloadable assessment tools that cover several areas of concern or mental health challenges that people encounter: depression, eating disorders, disruptive disorders, anxiety, academic status, and more. This document is available to mental health providers. It is recommended that anyone who wishes to employ these assessments be informed about or trained in their use. Document.
Childhood trauma exposure is a significant public health concern. Children are exposed to potentially traumatic events at alarming rates and the negative effects of untreated traumatic stress can last a lifetime. By the age of 17, more than 71% of all children experience a potentially traumatic event - including physical abuse, sexual abuse, violence, or serious accidents.1 Fortunately, many children are resilient and can recover from trauma exposure with familial and other natural supports. Other children, however, particularly those with chronic or severe trauma exposure and limited support, often experience significant and long-term problems...
There is now emerging evidence that investments in trauma-focused services and systems can be recouped through reduced health care costs in as little as one year.9,10 Preventive services that promote a secure relationship between young children and their caregivers can provide a lasting buffering effect to enhance resiliency and may prevent trauma exposure from occurring in the first place. Early identification of children suffering from trauma exposure and enhancing access to effective trauma-informed services can minimize the consequences of trauma exposure and promote healthy development. Together, these elements comprising "trauma-informed care" have the potential to improve outcomes for all children and to dramatically reduce service and system utilization costs over longer periods of time. Complete paper. |
|
|
 |
|
The word bossy and its link to leadership has been heavily discussed lately due to the Ban Bossy campaign founded by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and backed by world renowned women leaders and luminaries such as Condoleezza Rice, Anna Maria Chávez, Michelle Obama, and Beyoncé. The campaign argues that from a young age, girls are trained to be quiet and submissive, and when they break these gender norms, they are often criticized, disliked, and called bossy-a word that can discourage girls from growing up to be leaders. Indeed, there is evidence that by middle school, girls are already less interested in leadership, and one of the reasons that girls give for avoiding leadership roles is that they are worried about being called bossy. Full paper.
...Matt was diligently following advice he'd once been given about the right way to give feedback. In his mind, he was making a tasty "praise sandwich"-saying one positive thing on either side of his criticism in order to make his comments feel less demotivating. He was trying to be considerate, yet I'd walked away feeling strangely discouraged. It was the opposite of what he'd intended.
That was hardly surprising, though, given a few things we know about the way our brains work.
At any given time, brains are subconsciously scanning the world around us for dangers to defend against-ready to launch a fight, flight, or freeze response that will protect us from predators or poisons. But the brain doesn't just guard us against physical threats. Research has found that it also goes on the defensive in response to things that threaten to undermine our social standing and safety, including interactions that make us feel even mildly rejected or incompetent. Continue.
|
Abstract: Little is known about the "family values" espoused by social workers and how these values may affect their practice. Our study reviews the conceptual nature of "family values" and explores the family values of social workers. We review literature on the measurement of values and present findings from an online survey of the family values of National Association of Social Workers (NASW)-Oklahoma Chapter members (N=283). A principal components analysis identified seven family values factors. A regression on the unrotated principal component of progressive family values identified three predictors (p≤ .01) of progressive values: years of social work practice, metropolitan (rather than rural) residence, and not being engaged in direct social work practice. On balance, respondents expressed progressive family values in most but not all areas. Recommendations for research and practice are developed. Access survey.
|
|
Recommended Read for April
|
by Ta-Nehisi Coates
"I came to see the streets and the schools as arms of the same beast. One enjoyed the official power of the state while the other enjoyed its implicit sanction. But fear and violence were the weaponry of both."
Kirkus Reviews: The powerful story of a father's past and a son's future. Atlantic senior writer Coates..offers this eloquent memoir as a letter to his teenage son, bearing witness to his own experiences and conveying passionate hopes for his son's life. "I am wounded," he writes. "I am marked by old codes, which shielded me in one world and then chained me in the next."
Coates grew up in the tough neighborhood of West Baltimore, beaten into obedience by his father. "I was a capable boy, intelligent and well-liked," he remembers, "but powerfully afraid." His life changed dramatically at Howard University, where his father taught and from which several siblings graduated. Howard, he writes, "had always been one of the most critical gathering posts for black people." He calls it The Mecca, and its faculty and his fellow students expanded his horizons, helping him to understand "that the black world was its own thing, more than a photo-negative of the people who believe they are white." Coates refers repeatedly to whites' insistence on their exclusive racial identity; he realizes now "that nothing so essentialist as race" divides people, but rather "the actual injury done by people intent on naming us, intent on believing that what they have named matters more than anything we could ever actually do."...This moving, potent testament might have been titled "Black Lives Matter." Or: "An American Tragedy." Read a sample.
|
| Professional Development Opportunities |
| Transgender Students Should Be Prepared to Respond to Bullies
...On Thursday, I spoke with Kerry Mokalla, a clinical social worker who counsels families with transgender children.
"The reason families come to me is that they want to just make sure they are supporting their kids as best they can, and they don't know whether it means their kid is transgender," she said.
Some of Mokalla's clients are preschoolers.
"Those kids at around two or three will consistently say they are the gender other than what they were assigned at birth," she said.
But what's the difference between a child going through a phase of dressing like the other gender and a child who is transgender? Read article.
|
|
School Social Work Positions
|
Understanding Childhood Trauma: The School's Role
Please join Screening for Mental Health (SMH) for a FREE webinar on Monday, April 25 at 1PM EST that will help schools understand the impact of trauma and steer them to the right resources. It will feature SMH Youth Programs Manager Meghan Diamon; Riverside Trauma Center Clinical Services Director Joanna Bridger, and from the Los Angeles Unified School District we welcome the Coordinator of Special Education Program Joshua Kaufmann and Psychiatric Social Worker Elida Mena. The webinar will include information on the following topics:
- Childhood trauma basics, including prevalence and how it impacts youth
- The link between trauma and suicide risk, including trauma-informed assessment
- Classroom behaviors/manifestations related to trauma
- How schools can support students with trauma history
- Resources schools can access through the National Childhood Traumatic Stress Network
- How the SOS Program addresses trauma
- Case studies/Examples
The webinar will also include time for questions from the audience. Register.
The Impact of Terrorism on Children: What Harms, What Helps
The University-Based Child and Family Policy Consortium, in collaboration with the Society for Research in Child Development, hosted "The Impact of Terrorism on Children: What Harms, What Helps" webinar on February 16, 2016. Based on an SRCD Social Policy Report written by James Garbarino and colleagues, and the Social Policy Report Commentary by Ann Masten, this webinar will discuss the research on the effects of children's exposure to terrorism. Access webinar. Approx. 1 hr.
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.
|
|
2ne Quarter Deadline: June 30, 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 second quarter cycle ends June 30th. Grants are up to $500. Recipients will be notified by August 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.
|
|
|
|
