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School Social Work NOW!
Supporting Innovative Practice,
Effective Leadership, and Applied Research
Vol 7, Issue 1
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BACK TO SCHOOL MEMBERSHIP SALE!
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School is in full swing and, by now, you feel as though there was no summer break! Along with the delight and excitement of a new year come its challenges. One is youth suicide. September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Visit our partner's website, Screening for Mental Health, or Stop Suicide Today to update your knowledge and resource file on this important topic.
Another major concern is the frequent issue of bullying.
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center has many no cost or inexpensive ideas regarding what you can do to strengthen bullying prevention.
This week's first 3 of 10 reasons to be active during National Bullying Prevention Month in October are:
- Historically, bullying had been viewed as "a childhood rite of passage," but National Bullying Prevention Month is now a nationwide call to action, uniting communities to educate and raise awareness of bullying prevention.
- Handy bookmarks are available for elementary students who are encouraged to take the pledge to "Be a Kid Against Bullying," and middle and high school students who can "Be a Champion Against Bullying."
- Everyone should know about National Bullying Prevention Month. Notify local media, share information on Facebook and Twitter, and influence key decision makers, such as school administrators and lawmakers. Learn more.
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Children who have experienced relational and developmental trauma often struggle with a range of feeling-related difficulties. They often have not fully developed the key skills and competencies needed for identifying, labelling, expressing, regulating, and managing their full repertoire of emotions. Therefore, we can often see these difficulties spilling out through difficulties in emotion regulation and through a range of troubling behaviors..The following strategies offer the reader some practical creative and multi-sensory "feelings work" ideas to use with children either directly or indirectly via their key adults. Access full article.
...[T]he way mental health matters are addressed contributes to the longstanding, limited way mental health is understood and the marginal way it is included in school improvement policy and practice.
The AASA magazine specifically focuses on the school's role in confronting student suicide, the importance of referring cases to community providers, and the connection between mental health and academics (with sidebars about how ESSA will affect funding for Title IV-A and about themultitiered systems of support, or MTSS, framework). There are many lessons to be learned from the magazine's articles. And there are implications for school improvement policy and practice. Our worry is that the limited focus of the presentations will lead to a narrow set of token recommendations that will continue to marginalize and further fragment student and learning
supports. Read full article.
When young children, ages 2 to 9, are experiencing emotional and behavioral problems, the usefulness of talk therapy is limited because they often cannot communicate effectively using words. Play therapy continues to gain momentum as a viable approach to work therapeutically with young children because it is based on the premise that children communicate best through their usual way of relating - play. Using play in therapy is the most natural and effective way to help children...The goal of this article is to provide some practical guidelines for therapists as they consult with parents when conducting child-centered play therapy. More. |
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Great leadership can be a difficult thing to pin down and understand. You know a great leader when you're working for one, but even they can have a hard time articulating what it is that makes their leadership so effective...
It's through a leader's actions-what he or she does and says on a daily basis-that the essence of great leadership becomes apparent.
"Dream more than others think practical. Expect more than others think possible. Care more than others think wise." -Howard Schultz
Behavior can change, and leaders who work to improve their skills get results. Learn more.
In your personal life, your reaction to stressful situations...might be to start shouting, or to go hide in a corner and feel sorry for yourself for a while. But at work, these types of behavior could seriously harm your professional reputation, as well as your productivity.
Stressful situations are all too common in a workplace that's facing budget cuts, staff layoffs, and department changes. It may become harder and harder to manage your emotions under these circumstances, but it's even more important for you to do so. After all, if management is forced into making more layoffs, they may choose to keep those who can handle their emotions, and work well under pressure...
So, how can you become better at handling your emotions, and "choosing" your reactions to bad situations? In this article, we look at the most common negative emotions experienced in the workplace - and how you can manage them productively. Read more.
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By the time children are about 3 years old, they have already begun to form their gender identity. In other words, they are aware of the fact that they are boys or girls and that there are certain behaviours, activities, toys and interests that are played with more often by boys and girls. Gender differences in children's behaviours and interactional patterns also begin to become apparent by this age. For instance, boys are more active, physical and play in larger spaces than girls. In contrast, girls are more compliant, prosocial and play closer to adults than boys. One important way in which children learn about gender roles and develop gender-typed behaviour and attitudes is through their interactions with peers. Continue.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a teacher-implemented tier two behavior intervention and differential effects based on function of student problem behavior. The participants were 36 public elementary school students who were nominated for additional behavior support beyond universal School-wide Positive Behavior Support. The intervention provided was Check-In/Check-Out, a tier two intervention using direct behavior ratings to increase structure and feedback to the student's environment. Before and after implementation of the intervention, the authors assessed the students' function of behavior, levels of problem behavior, prosocial behavior, and rate of behavioral incidents. A multivariate analysis of variance indicated significant effects for all students in prosocial behavior and behavioral incidents, but not problem behavior. An analysis of interaction effects indicated statistically significant differences in response to intervention based on function of problem behavior. Results are discussed in terms of considering function of problem behavior in selecting tier two interventions and implementing a three tier response to intervention model. Study. |
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Recommended Read for September-October
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Handbook of Evidence-Based Interventions for Children and Adolescents
Lea A. Theodore, ed.
Springer: Unlike other volumes that ignore or merely reference the evidence base of various interventions, this book focuses on providing immediate, empirically supported guidance for putting these strategies into direct practice. Issues covered include crisis interventions and response, social and emotional issues, academic/learning issues, psychopathological disorders, neuropsychological disorders, and the behavioral management of childhood health issues. Each chapter follows a consistent format including a brief description of the problem and associated characteristics, etiology and contributing factors, and three evidence-based, step-by-step sets of instructions for implementation. Additionally, each chapter provides several websites offering further information about the topic. Featuring contributions from leading scholars and practitioners on each issue covered, this book will be a valuable resource for school and child clinical psychologists, counselors, social workers, and therapists as well as other health and mental health professionals whose primary practice is with children and adolescents.
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| Professional Development Opportunities |
Study Shows Vaping U.S. Teens Lured by Flavors, Not Nicotine
Whether their preference is Belgian waffle, kettle corn, sweet tea, or endless other choices, it's the flavor-not the nicotine-that entices U.S. teens to vape, a new University of Michigan (U-M) study indicated.
Vaping prevalence among youth has grown exponentially in recent years, but what substances youth vape is largely unknown. Researchers asked nearly 15,000 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-graders about vaping in the 2015 Monitoring the Future Survey, an annual nationally representative study that is administered by U-M and sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Vaporizers are battery-powered devices with a heating element. They produce an aerosol, also known as a vapor or mist, that users inhale. Continue.
A prescription for an opioid drug such as Percocet or Vicodin can offer pain relief, but it also comes with the potential for abuse and addiction. In the past 20 years the number of overdose deaths from these drugs has more than tripled. In examining whether a legitimate prescription for opioid drugs increases the likelihood of later misuse for teens, a recent study uncovered a surprising trend: it's the drug-naive teens who are most at risk.
Sociologist Richard Miech of the University of Michigan and his team analyzed data about high school seniors from the ongoing Monitoring the Future project, an annual survey that tracks the alcohol and drug use of representative samples of eighth, 10th and 12th graders in the U.S. Learn more. |
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School Social Work Positions
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The Intersectionality of Race and Class in Identity-Based Bullying
October 6, 2016 - 2 - 3 pm ET
This session will focus on creating greater awareness of the intersectionality of race and class in bullying incidents and the role of the educator in understanding the subtle and more nuanced differences from traditional bullying . Drawing on recent examples, as well as participant experiences, this interactive workshop will explore the relationship between bullying, stereotypes, race, class and school climate. We will discuss strategies for responding to bias-motivated bullying ,help students better understand the specific role of being an ally and to develop the motivation to create inclusive school environments for all students. Learn more and 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.
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3rd Quarter Deadline: September 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 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.
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