From: mhsection-l-bounces@lists.ucla.edu on behalf of SMHP [smhp@ucla.edu]
Sent: Monday, October 09, 2006 11:58 AM
To: Mental Health Practitioners
Subject: [mhsection-l] Mental Health in Schools Practitioner Listserv(10/9/06)

Attachments: ATT6190818.txt
Mental Health in Schools Practitioner Listserv (10/9/06)

Responses to Recent School Violence:
> A Principal asks: How should We Respond?
A student support director responds: "Go beyond reviewing plans for crisis response."

> American School Counselor Association offer "Advice to America's Families"
Feedback from Colleagues:
> Concern about a special education misdiagnosis and what to do about it?

> My daughter has special needs and she needs more support at school
#############
Please forward this message to anyone you think might be interested.

For those who have been forwarded this and want to be part of the weekly exchange, send an email to smhp@ucla.edu indicating "Sign me up for the MH Practitioner Listserv."
###########

Responses to Recent School Violence:

The shootings have prompted a range of responses and renewed commitment to school safety from all levels of leadership. Here are two efforts that emphasize the importance of moving beyond another review of the crisis response plan.
(1) "A principal at one of our high schools asked me the other day about how we should respond in the wake of recent school shootings. He knew about reviewing shelter-in-place plans, crisis response plans and the like. But he wondered about whether to discuss any of this with students. He knew, for example, that talking to students about suicidal thoughts does not increase the chances of ‘copycat' suicides, but what about violence directed at others? If we talk about these events with students, do we risk increasing the chances of a copycat event? Conversely, if we don't talk about the events, do we risk increasing the chances? I thought about it over-night and then sent the email message below to all our principals and student support staff. My thought was that we could make sure we were doing what we could to prevent such an event without having to discuss specific recent school shootings. But I wondered what others thought and what they are doing."

>Information sent to Principals:
Given the shootings that have happened in schools across the nation and in other countries recently, I am aware that the Commissioner of Education has asked campuses to review crisis response plans, shelter in place plans, etc.  All of that is necessary and helpful, but it is primarily focused on what to do after a disaster has occurred.

I would like to encourage you to review your prevention plans, as well.

Based on what we know about shooters that were students, the following items should be reviewed
>>Do you have a bully prevention plan in place? Board Policy requires that we have a bullying and harassment prevention effort at each campus, regardless of level (elementary, middle or high). If you need assistance with that, contact me.

>>Are you doing all you can to make sure students feel "connected" to their school? If you aren't familiar with the research on school connectedness, there is a brief but powerful monograph on that issue, "The Untapped Power of Schools…" at http://allaboutkids.umn.edu
Although the research talks about teens, school connectedness starts in elementary school and needs to be attended to pre-K through 12.  I can do a brief presentation to your staff on this research should you be interested.

>>Has the Lifesaver Program been implemented at your campus? This is a secondary school program we shared with counselors several years ago that allows students to report things they are hearing and seeing that concern them. If you want to know more about that, let me know.
>>Do students know to whom they can go when they are getting stressed out? Have we taught students (rather than just assuming they know), and reminded them frequently, that there are people who are available to help when they experience problems and concerns?

>>Are teachers encouraged frequently to find at least one strength that each student has and to let the student know that they noticed that strength? Every student needs that recognition and affirmation, including the acting out student, the excellent student, and the "invisible" student. Is there at least one adult with whom every student has a positive relationship?

I know you have lots to do and a lot to be concerned about. I also know that you already do many of the things I have listed. These are simply reminders of constructive, preventive strategies. Let us know if we can help."

(2) From: "American School Counselor Association Provides Advice to America's Families in Response to Recent School Shootings" See their news release – Tragedy Activates Trained Specialists to Connect with Students, Parents, and Community (October 2, 2006) –  http://schoolcounselor.org

[Here is an excerpt}

"In response to the recent school shootings across the country, the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) today urges parents, teachers and counselors to work together to ensure the social and personal well-being of each and every student.  ASCA has released a series of tips for families and communities across the nation.  The information was developed and approved by leading school counselors who are expertly qualified to address the academic, social and personal aspects of a student's life. ....

>Know Your Child's School Counselor – Parents should get to know their student's school counselor and teachers.  By partnering with the school, parents can better help students with both academic and social development issues. Having just one caring adult in each student's life can increase the likelihood of preventing school violence.

>Be Honest: Acknowledge and Address Concerns – If your child asks questions about what happened recently in Colorado or Pennsylvania, provide honest and accurate information.  Let them know that you are upset, too.  Address the facts in an age appropriate manner.

>Stay Involved in Your Child's Life – While friends become an increasingly important part of a child's life over time, parents need to stay involved in and monitor their kids' daily activities.  It is also important, especially during stressful times, that a student's life remains structured and follows a normal routine.

>Explore Ways to Eliminate or Reduce Stressors – Help children to identify their stressors – homework, lack of friends, sports demands – and then review strategies for "decompressing" their lifestyle. Prioritizing and talking through hardships is often a positive strategy in itself.  Also, be alert to signs and symptoms that something is wrong – don't dismiss physical or emotional clues...."
 Listserv Participants: What's been done in your school in response to the recent school violence? What prevention strategies are pursued? Sent responses to: Ltaylor@ucla.edu

###########################
 
Feedback from Colleagues:

>Re: Concern about a special education misdiagnosis and what to do about it?
"It is very upsetting to read about someone doubting an MR diagnosis is correct because the student doesn't ‘look' retarded. Does anyone else share her feelings that this diagnosis is inappropriate? Has she/he looked at the psychological evaluation that must be done for all students classified by the IEP team? Another factor to consider is some children come to school with various medical diagnoses, including MR, that schools will many times go along with. To get an accurate feel for a cognitive diagnosis such as MR it is important to look at the level and quality of reasoning and intellect a student brings to a situation, also how is the student compared with his/her same age peers. At young ages students with MR can do many rote memory tasks others can do, it's at the higher grade levels when more reasoning comes into play that MR becomes more apparent even for those children who don't look MR."

>Re: My daughter has special needs and she needs more support at school
(1) "Regarding the mother whose child is continually bullied. It sounds like a dialog with school personnel needs to happen. It is hard to believe that no one is doing anything. Is the school aware of the situation? Has the teacher/coach been asked about the comments made? etc... In my experience many children who are always picked on and have no friends often share in at least part of the reason for the situation. It sounds like Mom is not taking into account what the school is doing or giving them a chance to respond.To totally believe every word your child says and support their ideas that everyone is out to get them sets them up for a long, lonely life where others are always blamed for what happens to them. Not giving children the idea that they are responsible for their own fate is damaging. We all have challenges we need to deal with, how we respond to these challenges that define us as a victim or a survivor."

(2) "There are anti-bullying programs that can be implemented by schools and that include skills training for the bullying target. The mom should consider discussing this with school officials, ask that the program be implemented & monitored and ensure that her daughter is protected both by skills training and by the maintenance of a safe environment."

(3) "I encourage parents/primary caregivers to contact the school and request a conference with the teachers involved, an administrator and school counselor &/or school social worker. The parent needs to communicate to the school personnel there is a concern based on what the daughter is telling her. This is a time to share information to get a clearer picture about what is happening, when, where, etc. The parent/teacher team can then devise a plan to address the issues. If there is friction between the parent and school staff this should be addressed in order to work as a team. It may even be appropriate to include the 15 year old in the conference. Parent needs to hear from the teaching/school staff how the issue has been addressed up to that point (if it has been). Getting everyone on the same page with the report is important so as not to perpetuate further resentment, splitting, and misinformation. If the information gives a picture of a larger problem than this one student, perhaps a school wide program addressing bullying, tolerance and safety issues should be considered. If the issue is primarily with this student, perhaps some peer mediation or conflict resolution in the counselor's office would give the students involved more appropriate options in handling their conflict."
###############
Send in your ideas, requests, comments, and experiences relevant to providing mental health in schools to ltaylor@ucla.edu
Note: Responses come only to the Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA for possible inclusion in the next week's message.  We also post a broad range of issues and responses to the Net Exchange on our website at http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu

School Mental Health Project/
Center for Mental Health in Schools
UCLA Dept. of Psychology
Los Angeles, CA  90095-1563
(310) 825-3634 / Toll Free: (866) 846-4843 / Fax: (310) 206-8716
Email: smhp@ucla.edu 
Web: http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu

Back to Home