North Carolina Public Schools - School Social Work January Update
North Carolina Public Schools sent this bulletin at 01/11/2023 09:53 AM EST
 |
 |
Review. Reset. Relax.
There are a few points of focus for us this year. With so much to do to support our school communities, it is especially important to review, reset, and relax.
Review what worked last year, as well as what did not. Taking the time to really think through how the previous year went, and what could have been done differently, sets us up for a successful 2023.
Reset to laser focus on the things we can control to make positive changes. There are so many factors out of our control, but there are things that we can change that brings about positive impacts to ourselves, and to our school communities.
Relax and take the time you need to care for yourself. Life can get overwhelming. Work can be exhausting. We can forget to show ourselves grace. Relax in grace this year. You can do all the things, just not all the time.
Happy New Year!
~Pachovia
NCDPI Awarded Approximately $17 Million in Grant Funding to Increase Mental Health Support for Public School Students
"The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) was recently awarded roughly $17 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Education to help meet the mental health needs of students in the state’s public schools. The funding will enable NCDPI to leverage partnerships with institutions of higher education and 15 school districts to increase the number and diversity of mental health service providers in high-needs schools. Starting this month and continuing through 2027, these grants will help the state bolster the pipeline of school-based mental health service providers, including school counselors, school social workers and school mental health clinicians.
The competitive grants, called the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration (MHSP) Grant and the School-Based Mental Health (SBMH) Grant Program, were pursued by the agency last fall. The applications cited data from the newly released 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), presented today to the State Board of Education (SBE), as a primary need for the funding. Data included in the application underscore how mental health challenges hinder achievement for North Carolina students. Survey findings also demonstrate a continued negative impact on students’ mental health post-pandemic and highlight the ongoing need to address these challenges."
Read the full press release here.
January was first declared as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month in 2010. Since then, January has been a time to acknowledge those experiencing enslavement and those who have escaped. Although slavery is commonly thought to be a thing of the past, human traffickers generate hundreds of billions of dollars in profits by trapping millions of people in horrific situations around the world, including here in the U.S. Traffickers use violence, threats, deception, debt bondage, and other manipulative tactics to force people to engage in commercial sex or to provide labor or services against their will.
In recognition of this important topic, the NCTSN has compiled a list of resources for children, teens, parents and caregivers, educators, child welfare and juvenile justice professionals, and mental health providers.
|
School Social Work Week March 5-11, 2023
The theme for National School Social Work Week 2023 is “We Rise.” |
 |
During this week, plan to take the opportunity to “toot your own horn” and let others know how you
are impacting the lives of students as you address barriers to learning and increase successful
academic and wellness outcomes.
A state level "tooting of horns" will be developed and promoted during this week. Please prepare
photos, letters, videos, infographics, statements, data reports, or anything that expresses the work
your district is doing. These items will be shared with stakeholders.
All materials due by February 17th.
Email pachovia.lovett@dpi.nc.gov
988 Is Now Live!
|
988 offers 24/7 access to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing mental health-related distress. That could be:
People can call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for themselves or if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support. 988 serves as a universal entry point so that no matter where you live in the United States, you can reach a trained crisis counselor who can help. Printable PDF handouts in English and Spanish explain the basics about 988. |
School Safety Grant Reopened
The School Safety Grant has reopened and will close at 11:59 p.m. on January 20.
As a reminder, this grant is for Safety Equipment, Services for Students in Crisis and Training to Increase School Safety. This grant is not funding School Resource Officers. Priority will be given to districts and charter schools that have not received funding through this grant in 2022. Click here for more information.
The grant application can be found on the CCIP website under FY2023, Safer Schools-Round 2 Funding.
If you have questions, please email schoolsafetygrants@dpi.nc.gov.
Recent Webinar and Resources
| Developing Comprehensive and Equitable School Safety Plans That Consider the Whole Child, Whole School, and Whole Community |  |
The U.S. Department of Education and its REMS TA Center hosted this Webinar to provide K-12 schools, school districts, regional education agencies, and state education agencies, along with their community partners, with information on how to create plans that consider the needs of the whole school community and that represent an equitable approach to emergency preparedness. While the live Webinar offered opportunities to respond to individual and unique questions from stakeholders and practitioners, the archived Webinar serves as a resource to help education agencies enhance emergency preparedness planning using the Whole Child, Whole School, and Whole Community model.
-
Providing Supports for Students and Families Experiencing Homelessness
Tune in for an informative two-part discussion on planning for and supporting students who may be facing homelessness or displacement. In Part 1, the REMS TA Center delves into continuity of operations (COOP) planning for homeless and displaced students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Part 2 explores family and student engagement and how to address homelessness through proper action and planning laid out in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
-
|
|
|
|
MHTTC: Southeast Webinar
Communication 101 for School Mental Health: Connecting to School Administrators
Session Overview:
How school administrators show up to lead school mental health initiatives is key to these initiatives’ impact and sustainability. Ensuring wellness for students in support of their learning and development is the responsibility of all adults on campus. School leadership may set the tone for how school mental health is prioritized and integrated. Whether you are in an administrative role, or in a position to inform or partner with school leaders, this session applies a school leadership lens to universal components of school mental health. It reviews core dimensions of school mental health and connects you to relevant resources. Participants will be able to communicate about the importance of student mental health in academic achievement, core concepts related to school and student mental health, and funding considerations, and they will be able to reference examples of school mental health strategies. We will discuss common questions, issues, and opportunities facing leadership who are starting or continuing efforts to advance school wellness.
Intended Audience:
This session is designed for state and school team members who want school mental health communication messaging and tools relevant to school leadership. It is ideal for those with a role in developing communications content about school mental health or for school administrators. Note that this session does not focus on modes of communication (e.g., social media), but rather content that effectively communicates school mental health concepts and issues from the point of view of administrators.
Learning Objectives:
- Communicate about the importance of student mental health in academic achievement, core concepts related to school and student mental health, and funding considerations.
- Describe examples of school mental health strategies.
- Discuss common questions, issues, and opportunities facing leadership who are starting or continuing efforts to advance school wellness, including mental wellness.
Legislative Updates
 |
View the K-12 Education Office of Government and Community Affairs Update from Friday, January 6, 2023. |
NC School Social Work Association News
NEW Live Website! https://www.ncsswa.net
Spring Day Conference
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Threat Assessment Training
The Center for Safer Schools will offer free, virtual School Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management Training during the first quarter of 2023. The sessions will be hosted by the CFSS in partnership with the BeTA Unit of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and will be conducted by SIGMA.
Behavioral threat assessment is a best practice for helping to identify potential active shooter incidents, stalking and other targeted violence in K-12 schools and school districts. An effective, functioning behavioral assessment team is a critical component of keeping schools safe and preventing violence. Behavioral threat assessment and management provides a proactive, evidence-based approach for identifying individuals who might pose a threat and for providing intervention before a violent incident occurs.
BTAM training provides fundamental information about school violence and how prevention is possible. The sessions cover how to build and operate a school threat assessment team at the school or district level.
BTAM training provides detailed instructions on specific procedures to use when addressing threatening behavior in school, including how to screen cases, gather information, analyze the information, make an assessment and implement an intervention plan when needed. The sessions include multiple group exercises in which participants can practice using these procedures.
For more information on School Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management Training, contact SAC Brent Culbertson (bculbertson@ncsbi.gov, 828-782-0324).
Threat Assessment Training
(Registration is free)
Jan. 11: https://ontic-co.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_otRNgUGVQP2iD2WRPZJqkA
Jan. 18: https://ontic-co.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6U25Gr53SgaW2AYndCuibQ
Jan. 25: https://ontic-co.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_C5qi59-2Qn-YA-FGUaJjBg
Feb. 15: https://ontic-co.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_h3O3SEumS4ugooix6dlQBg
Feb. 22: https://ontic-co.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_HcQj7gsETSuD0L6RKeYLKw
March 1: https://ontic-co.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_G-bkgQAuS5mko8Pt2mcZoA
March 8: https://ontic-co.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__oFYGApVRpWcgYk39Bbhng
March 15: https://ontic-co.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_iOPcyLMkQqamNu8DAZEUqQ
March 22: https://ontic-co.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XQec2Uy3TH2r4ZuLEbkecA
March 29: https://ontic-co.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gXX0Cil8SSW5yt5HMQUzjQ
SHAC Learning Collaborative: January 30th Monthly Meeting
|
|
NC Healthy Schools and the NC Division of Child and Family Wellbeing are hosting monthly opportunities for a SHAC Learning Collaborative.
These monthly meetings will be the last Monday of each month at 3:30pm (unless scheduled otherwise, due to holidays, etc.) and are open to all SHAC representatives to come learn more about SHAC activities, particularly those related to the mental and behavioral health funding, as part of the StrongSchoolsNC Testing Program.
While these meetings will primarily focus on these mental and behavioral health activities aligned with the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model, there will be opportunities to discuss general SHAC questions, e.g., partnerships, use of data, additional activities by SHACs, and questions, as well.
Please mark your calendars and log into the meeting on January 30th at 3:30pm. There is no registration. Simply select the meeting link and join on the date of the meeting.
Microsoft Teams meeting
Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 243 080 026 423 Passcode: GVg2HG
Download Teams | Join on the web
Or call in (audio only)
Phone Conference ID: 572 310 925#
March 29 - April 1, 2023 | Omni Interlocken Resort | Broomfield, CO |
|
Receiving this as a forward?
Subscribe to this NCDPI School Social Work newsletter here.
Enter your email, then advance to the next screen that will give you a list of subjects and scroll down to find School Social Work.
The links on this page will bring you to third party websites, owned and operated by independent parties, over which NCDPI has no control. Any link you make to or from these 3rd Party Websites will be at your own risk. Any use of these 3rd Party Websites and any information you provide will be subject to and governed by the terms of the 3rd Party Website, including those relating to confidentiality, data privacy, and security.
Unless otherwise expressly agreed in writing, NCDPI is not in any way associated with the owner or operator of any of the 3rd Party Websites or responsible or liable for the goods and services offered by them or for anything in connection with such 3rd Party Websites. NCDPI does not endorse and makes no warranties, representations, or undertakings relating to the content of any 3rd Party Website.
|
Stay Connected with North Carolina Public Schools: |
|||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||
|
|
|||||||
