North Carolina Public Schools - School Social Work May Update
North Carolina Public Schools sent this bulletin at 05/04/2022 12:04 PM EDT
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NC School Social Work May 2022 Newsletter |
After the last two years of pandemic living, many people are realizing that stress, isolation, and uncertainty have taken a toll on their well-being.
This year, the theme of MHA’s 2022 Mental Health Month Toolkit is "Back to Basics." Our goal is to provide foundational knowledge about mental health & mental health conditions and information about what people can do if their mental health is a cause for concern. -MHA
Mental Health America’s 2022 Mental Health Month toolkit provides free, practical resources to introduce mental health topics like recognizing warning signs, knowing the factors that can lead to mental health conditions, maintaining mental wellness, seeking help for mental health. This year’s toolkit includes:
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Media Materials Social Media and Web Components Posters |
Fact Sheets Other |
SSWAA Resolution Statement
School Social Workers’ Role in Addressing Students’ Mental Health Needs and Increasing Academic Achievement
School social workers provide mental health services in schools and have specialized training to meet
students’ social-emotional needs. Schools often are one of the first places where mental health issues are recognized and addressed (Eklund, Meyer, Splett, & Weist, 2020; Lyon & Bruns, 2019). School social workers serve as the primary mental health providers for students and may be the only counseling professionals available to students and their families to initially identify and provide interventions for those issues. (Kelly, Thompson, Frey, Klemp, Alvarez, & Berzin, 2015; Massat, Kelly, & Constable, 2016).
In a 2008 survey of school social workers, only 11 percent of respondents reported all or most students on their caseloads received counseling or therapeutic services outside of school (Kelly, Berzin, et al., 2010), and recent survey work has indicated that school social workers often continue to be the main (or only) clinical contact that many students and families have (Kelly, et al., 2015; Thompson, Frey, & Kelly, 2019). Read more here.
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Children's Mental Health Awareness
May was first declared as Mental Health Awareness Month in 1949. In 2006, Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day was chosen as a special day during this month to focus on the mental health needs of children. Since 2006, May has been a time to acknowledge the importance of children's mental health, show that positive mental health is essential to a child's healthy development from birth, promote positive youth development, resiliency, and recovery, along with the transformation of mental health service delivery for youth, adolescents, and their families.
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) has compiled a list of helpful resources for parents and caregivers, children, mental health providers, child welfare and juvenile justice professionals, healthcare providers, educators and school staff, military families, and policy makers. View here.
Year Two PSU Q&A
- Yes, you will be required to report to DPI by September 15th, 2022. The reporting portal is now open, and only one contact per PSU will have access to the reporting portal. You will answer the reporting questions as part of the Healthy Active Children's Report, the same as last year (charters bypass the HAC portions and only complete the SMH report). You will also upload a copy of your SMH plan.
- This week, traditional LEAs should expect an invitation to the portal by Les Spell and charters will receive a notice from the Office of Charters.
Has anything changed about what we are required to do?
- There are no major changes. You will notice on the reporting page that we have added questions about prior years' compliance. These are based on the 2021-2022 school year.
- Your plans do not have to change. You can upload the same plan as long as it is still what you plan to use. You also can make any adjustment and changes to your plan prior to submitting. You must include your detailed training plan and suicide risk protocol and ensure it is up-to-date.
- You will see the requirements for abuse and neglect resources that are now included in the School Mental Health Policy. These materials must be distributed at the beginning of each school year.
What does the 2-hour subsequent training have to include?
- The 2-hr refresher addresses at least 2 of 6 MH training program areas, and on even-numbered years, 2 hours of sex trafficking and child sex abuse content must be provided.
- The 6-hr initial training (for new employees) must address all 6 areas, regardless of year.
Where do I find all the SMH Policy materials?
- All resources and materials can be found from the NCHealthySchools.org webpage and on the SMH Policy Compliance page.
- Questions can be sent to pachovia.lovett@dpi.nc.gov.
Tools You Can Use: National Center for School Mental Health
Teaming
| Schools are in the position of ensuring that school mental health efforts are appropriately staffed by multidisciplinary teams who have effective communication and collaboration practices. Many schools have teams that meet to discuss and strategic about student mental health issues. |  |
The School Mental Health Quality Guides is a series developed by the National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH) for The School Health Assessment and Performance Evaluation (SHAPE) System. The Quality Guides provide guidance to school mental health systems to advance the quality of their services and supports. The guides contain background information on each domain, best practices, possible action steps, examples from the field, and resource guidance.
Professional Development
Session overview
How do we approach achieving longevity of our school mental health initiatives? We face changing resources, complex challenges, and many moving parts. Adaptive leadership offers a strategic framework for how to think about the issues, generate solutions, and implement lasting change. In this first of two sessions, we will present core tenants and practices to guide your efforts for ongoing impact.
Learning Objectives
Participants who join this session will be able to:
- Identify six core adaptive leadership tenants supporting longevity of school mental health initiatives.
- Practice positioning oneself to have critical perspective on leading complex change and adaptive challenges over time, including the experimental mindset.
- Navigate competing priorities in dynamic school mental health initiatives.
- Support leaders and staff when adaptive change requires loss during the sustainability phase.
Transition to 9-8-8 This Summer
On July 16, 2022, 9-8-8 will become the national three-digit dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, replacing the current phone number of 1-800-273-TALK (8255). People can talk, chat or text with trained call center staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. Call center staff can provide crisis counseling along with information on local community resources and referrals.
Read the full DHHS press release.
Mental Health and Youth Homelessness: Understanding the Overlaps
Mental health is necessary for leading a successful and happy life. For youth and young adults still developing, mental health issues can be particularly crucial – this is especially true for homeless and at-risk youth. This resource from the Family and Youth Services Bureau helps make clear connections to the issues and provides resources for further professional development.
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School Social Workers in the News! |
Social workers struggling with growing number of homeless families in Cumberland County
This is a great interview with a mother-daughter dynamic social work/MKV point of contact duo, highlighting SEL and other important work they are providing to students and families experiencing homelessness. Check it out.
Legislative Updates
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View the K-12 Education Office of Government and Community Affairs Update from Friday, April 22, 2022. |
New Attendance Works Toolkit
New Research Brief from EdResearch for Recovery Project
Based on a developing list of questions from policymakers and practitioners, the EdResearch for Recovery Project taps top researchers from across the country to develop evidence briefs to inform recovery strategies. This newly publish brief addressed student absenteeism and is FULL of resources and strategies. The 6-page brief has links to examples and research that supports the interventions.
Take a look at District Strategies to Reduce Student Absenteeism.
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It's A Wrap!
The SSWAA put together a nice list of ways to wrap up the school year with your students. Here are a couple of favorites from the list.
Create an end of year playlist
Have your students share a song that somehow relates to the past school year – be sure to have them share the reason for their choice as well. Celebrate the end of the school year by listening to these songs.
Summer Dreams
Have your students draw a self-portrait of them living their best life during the summer – whether that’s chilling out by the pool, reading a book, or playing outside with friends. Then encourage them to write about their summer plans or what they would like to do this summer.
AANHPI Heritage Month 2022
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May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month, observed annually in May to celebrate the contributions that generations of AAPIs have made to American history, society, and culture.
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