ANDY FREY, JAN KUTTER, & SANDRA SARMIENTO

JUNE 27TH, 2011

The Changing Roles of School Social Work

National Trends in Student Support

Continuum of Mental Health Strategies

National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention Education Development Center, Inc., Health and Human Development Division

3 Components of the Whole School Approach

Public Health Approach

Focuses on the largest possible groups of people

Emphasizes preventative approachesIdentifies and addresses risk factorsEmploys evidence based interventions (EBIs)Focuses on strengthening protective factorsCoordinates and integrates servicesEvaluated the effectiveness of interventions

Implications for New Roles

• Emphasis on indirect service model– Addressing attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of school

personnel– Coordinator of EBPs– Technical support for school and district-wide

applications (i.e., training, data-based decision-making)– Evaluation, including treatment integrity

• Direct services– Provide some indicated/tertiary prevention– Coordinate community resources for treatment and

maintenance

3-Tiered System of Support

Necessary Conversations (Teams)

CICO

SAIG

Group w. individual

feature

Complex

FBA/BIP

Problem Solving Team

Tertiary Systems Team

Brief

FBA/BIP

Brief FBA/BIP

WRAP

Secondary Systems Team

Plans SW & Class-wide supports

Uses Process data; determines overall

intervention effectiveness

Standing team; uses FBA/BIP process for one youth at a time

Uses Process data; determines overall

intervention effectiveness

Sept. 1, 2009

UniversalTeam

Universal Support

Social Work and RTI/PBIS

PBIS – A 3 tiered system of supports for all students, kindergarten through high school.

The problem solving model The school social work role- traditional

versus response to intervention The East Aurora evolution of the traditional

social work model to the current practices of PBIS implementation

Changing Role in the School Setting

Pre-existing knowledgeStudents’ mental health needs increasing-

define the school social worker role as it relates to educational impact. (Just one view)

Mental Health Act of 2003PBISSocial emotional learning standardsProvide more school supports

Changing Roles (Cont)

Move from individual services to groupsProfessional development for social workers and

school staffDiscussion with administration regarding impactChange in job descriptions- (next year)Traditional role or changing role

Use skills effectively Teach staff skill set to use for detection of problems Focus on prevention to stop continual crisis Run groups directed by data-SWIS Use problem solving model to reduce numbers of social history Use secondary team as referral rather than individual except for

crisis intervention Not have IEP minutes define time job Part of the team for FBA/BIP development rather than the only

person

Next Steps

Discuss the changing roles with universities to have curriculum include: Data management Changing roles Social emotional curriculum

Questions/thoughts:

Resources

Research on the Relationship Between Mental Health and Academic Achievement. National Association of School Psychologists, 2008 http://www.nasponline.org/advocacy/Academic-MentalHealthLinks.pdf

Realizing the Promise of the whole-school approach to children’s mental health: A practical guide for schools- http://www.promoteprevent.org/webfm_send/2102

Resources

Reducing Problem Behaviors in the Elementary School Classroom: A Practice Guide (NCEE #2008-012)-http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/practiceguides/behavior_pg_092308.pdf

SchoolMentalHealth.org- http://www.schoolmentalhealth.org/index.html

http://www.pbisillinois.org/

Resources

Existing federal programs that provide resources Elementary and Secondary School Counseling

Program Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental

Health Systems IDEA Safe Schools/Healthy Students Systems of Care