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Archive for the ‘
Schools and Communities ’ Category
The professional mission of school social worker is to help parents with their family concerns, students with their personal issues, and teachers with their instruction. The school social worker helps by listening closely to students and adults who may have experienced very troubling circumstances at home or in school. The work of the school social worker also includes policy and program development.
The school social worker is professionally prepared to understand and respond to the many problems which people may have. These problems are typically related to life experiences that were or are emotionally very hurtful events. Intensely-felt guilt, shame, embarrassment, frustration, or anger can lead anyone to intensely-felt emotions of insecurity, fearfulness, depression, helplessness, hopelessness, or even futurelessness.
These feelings and emotional states within school children can be expressed in a variety of ways that interfere with learning and cause inappropriate behavior in school. Such children may appear to be very active, highly distractible or impulsive. They may also have difficulty with paying attention, concentrating, and controlling their behavior in the classroom or anywhere else in school.
Students rebuild their self-worth, self-control, and self-confidence by speaking with the school social worker. With unique clinical expertise, the school social worker provides the type of counseling that helps students feel trust, hope, and empathy while learning coping skills. Such counseling will yield students who have deeper awareness of their own feelings and those of other’s to feel emotionally secure and safe at school.
The day begins when the school social worker awakens and is preparing to go to work. Ever mindful of each case’s unique demands, the preparation is one of thinking about problem-solving, and being solution-oriented. It’s a rare day when a parent isn’t in the parking lot or a teacher outside the classroom door, waiting for the school social worker to arrive.
Once the school social worker arrives in the office, it’s expected that messages will be received from the secretary, all marked “urgent.” It is common for the school social worker arriving at the office, to find a teacher or parent waiting to consult without an appointment. A quick glance at the appointment calendar may reveal a fully scheduled day.
The school social worker must listen and make a swift decision as how to respond most efficaciously to the parent and/or teacher. Appointments have a way of expanding beyond the limited time scheduled which requires the school social worker to decide if and when to schedule a follow-up appointment. Time is always the most precious resource for a school social worker.
Emergencies arise which can disrupt a schedule and consume a tremendous amount of time such as when, responding to a suicidal situation or to a crisis intervention. These situations typically involve parental notification and the development of a plan of action. The school social worker is responsible to follow protocol, hurdle over bureaucratic obstacles, and have emergency resource made available.
The school social worker has an ethical obligation to document all such activities, citing date, presenting problem, parties participating, and immediate outcomes with specific recommendations. Schedules need to be revised, albeit, an irritating source of annoyance for parents who perceive own their situations as equally important and no less critical.
As the day proceeds, student problems may be related to problems in school policy, practices or procedures. The school social worker needs to be sufficiently familiar with them to advise administration how some modification or revision of them is required. This type of advising-giving typifies the advocacy role that school social workers have and act upon to improve the learning opportunity for students.
At departmental or faculty meetings, the school social worker reaffirms the advocacy role to improve the school’s responsiveness to parent, student and teacher needs. The school social worker must be able to speak persuasively to gain the staff’s and administration’s support. Being able to field questions with convincing rationale and substantive research data is paramount to establishing credibility as a change agent.
The school social worker is a member of the interdisciplinary child study team, along with learning disabilities-teacher consultants and school psychologists. They work together to evaluate students who may be educationally disabled and develop special individualized education programs for them. The better functioning teams have a genuine respect and positive regard for each other and their respective expertise.
The school social worker’s assessment provides an appreciation of the student’s life as viewed by the parents and the student, and, evaluates the student’s mental health status. Educational assessment focuses primarily on the student’s academic level of performance relative to the student’s age and grade placement. The school psychologist provides an assessment of the student’s cognitive functioning and abilities.
The role of the school social worker is also to establish a working relationship between school and family. This, at times, requires conflict resolutions skills and the ability to promote open communication among student, parent and educator. In maintaining a working relationship with parents, school social worker makes sure that the parent understands and is understood when participating at meetings school staff.
As the school day ends, the school social worker is typically writing reports and case notes, making phone calls, and reviewing the following day’s schedule. These end-of-day responsibilities may extend into the late afternoon or early evenings with no compensation other than knowing that the needs of others have been met.
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Tags: a day in the life of a school social worker, Harry Kuhn, school social worker, social worker
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Introducción
En situaciones con abusadores, los padres deben tener en cuenta que no sólo tienen que proteger a su hijo, sino también asegurarse de que el niño sea capaz de quedar en buen lugar, salir “bien parado” en el patio de recreo.
Claramente, hay algunas cosas que deben evitarse al manejar esta situación.
- Escuche a su hijo y tranquilícelo.
- Dígale que ponga al tanto de la situación a alguna figura de autoridad, como un maestro, empleado administrativo, conductor de autobús, u otro adulto, especialmente si el incidente involucra agresión física.
- Actúe con su hijo formas alternativas para neutralizar la situación – dejando al niño representar el rol del acosador durante el ejercicio.
- Averigüe dónde suceden los incidentes. ¿Hay supervisión por parte de la escuela o de algún adulto? ¿Es adecuada?
- El decir al niño que se defienda devolviendo las agresiones transmite el mensaje equivocado y podría probablemente crear aun más problemas.
- El que usted mismo hable directamente con el acosador crea una situación en la que su hijo aparece como débil y que no puede manejar sus propios problemas. Esto también podría empeorar las cosas.
- Los acosadores saben cuándo atacar y cuándo no. Incluso si ningún adulto lo ve, si su hijo dice que ha sucedido, probablemente sucedió. Si usted ve el hecho, transmita el mensaje de una fuerte posición acerca de que se tomarán medidas.
- Si a usted la escuela le ha comunicado que su hijo es el acosador, hable directamente con los maestros y la dirección/administración.
- Infórmese acerca de la política sobre acoso correspondiente al distrito escolar. Si no existe ninguna, hable con la asociación de padres o con otros funcionarios escolares acerca de la posibilidad de establecer una. Discuta las posibilidades para el entrenamiento de docentes, alumnos y padres en el tema de acosadores en la escuela.
Signos de que su hijo puede ser acosado:
- Ropas rasgadas.
- Rendimiento escolar deficiente u otros comportamientos escolares negativos.
- Dolores de estómago antes de la escuela o el manifestar que no quiere ir a la escuela.
- Regresiones tales como mojar la cama o chuparse el dedo.
- Pedidos de más dinero para el almuerzo.
- Dificultades para dormir por la noche.
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A typical day for the high school social worker is unpredictable, yet always interesting. Before the first bell rings, a student walks into the office to report that the police were at his house last night to raid his apartment for possible drugs. Fortunately, no drugs were found, but the stress of the incident means today will be a rough day for this student; homework did not get done, and emotions are on edge. The social worker processes the incident with the student and helps him come up with a plan to cope with the day.
A teacher stops in during first period to report concerns that one of her students wrote a paper with a suicidal theme and wants the social worker to explore this further; after meeting with the student and talking to parents, a decision is made to refer the student for further evaluation. While regularly scheduled appointments with other students have to be rescheduled due to the incident, this kind of collaboration and response may very well have saved the life of a teenager.
A moment later, a sophomore girl in tears comes by to report she just broke up with her boyfriend and wants to go home. After a brief period of discussion and listening, the girl says she feels better and agrees to return to class.
It’s midday and the school social worker’s presence is needed at a meeting for a student with an emotional disability. The parent is distressed and in need of some supports in order to more effectively address their child’s issues. The social worker meets with the parent alone after the meeting for almost an hour and then follows up with referrals to some community agencies that may help stabilize the family’s living situation.
The social worker then meets with her regularly scheduled appointment; a parenting teenager in need of child care in order to be able to stay in school. Further discussion reveals that the teenager also needs health insurance for herself and her child, as well as possible housing.
The student, who has no phone of her own at her current residence, makes calls from the School Social Worker’s office to request insurance eligibility forms, and to call community resources to find out about housing availability. This process is time consuming; the Social Worker encourages the student to advocate for herself as much as possible, but sits with her to help. Ultimately, a lot of information is gathered and the process for obtaining tangible help has begun. An appointment is scheduled for the next day to follow up.
The Social Worker understands that success in school extends beyond academics. The role of the School Social Worker is to look at the big picture; understanding the obstacles to learning often mean assisting students with many different aspects of their lives. In this way, School Social Workers have a unique view of school or learning issues. School Social Workers are most often the ones who reach out to parents and other community agencies, and act as a liaison among all the support systems in a student’s life.
The day continues with phone calls to various agencies and community resources; during this time a student with behavioral issues comes by to report s/he has just stormed out of class and is very angry; after working with the student to calm down, and consulting with the teacher and administrators, the student returns to class.
The final bell of the day rings and it has been an action packed day. A tentative schedule is planned out for tomorrow- but who knows what the day will actually bring!
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Introduction
In handling bullies, parent’s must keep in mind that they not only have to protect their child, but also make sure that their child is able to “save face” on the playground.
Clearly, there are some things to avoid in handling this situation.
- Listen to your child and reassure them.
- Tell your child to involve an authority figure such as a teacher, administrator, bus driver, or another adult, especially if the incident involves physical assault.
- Role play with your child alternative ways to defuse the situation – allowing your child to be the bully during the exercise.
- Find out where the incidents are taking place. Is there adult or school supervision? Is it adequate?
- Telling your child to hit back sends the wrong message and could possibly create even more problems.
- Talking directly to the bully yourself creates a scenario where your child appears weak and can not handle his or her own problems. This could also make matters worse.
- Bullies know when and when not to strike. Even if an adult doesn’t see them, if your child says it happened, it probably did. If you see the event, send the message by giving a strong took that action will be taken.
- If you have been told by the school that your child is the bully, talk directly to the teachers and administration.
- Inquire as to the school district’s policy on bullying. If there is not one, talk to the parent’s organization or other school officials about the possibility of establishing one. Discuss the potential for teacher, student, and parent training on bullies in school.
Signs That Your Child May Be Bullied:
- Torn clothes
- Poor performance in school or other negative school behaviors
- Upset stomach before school or voicing they do not want to go to school
- Regression such as bedwetting or thumb-sucking
- Requests for more lunch money
- Inability to sleep at night.
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Introduction
It’s September: Time to trade your beach bag for a backpack. As a tween or teen you may be feeling school-related anxieties. You are not alone. Most students feel this way. How you choose to deal with these anxieties, however, will make all the difference in your attitude and academic progress this school year.
When my son started middle school last year, he felt anxious as to whether he’d be able to find and adjust to his classes, and which teachers he would have. Luckily, our school district allowed both parents and students to go into the school the last week of August to orient themselves. My son got to practice his locker combination, see which classrooms he would be in and meet some of his teachers. This experience helped him to feel less anxious about the unknown. I felt enthusiastic, positive and excited that my son was starting middle school. I shared these thoughts with him, further alleviating his anxieties. He ultimately felt comfortable and excited on his first day of middle school. He felt that middle school could be a new adventure. As a result, he was able to make a good adjustment to his new environment.
If you can, try to visit your school, be it middle or high school, prior to the first day of classes. This can help you feel more in control and less stressed when starting a new school or meeting new teachers. Even if you’re not making the transition from one school to another, like from middle to high school, simply returning to school can make you feel anxious. Relax. Your teachers are there to help you grow. They were students once too.
Now in 7th grade, my son feels less anxiety this September due to some lessons he learned last school year. He knows he can talk to a teacher if he needs help with a subject— he did this several times last year. He participates in two extracurricular activities that he enjoys. These activities allow him to blow off some steam. He has downtime each night. He likes to listen to his iPod, read or relax by doing nothing at all. These things help him to let go of daily school stresses and get a good night’s rest.
Some of these tips can work for you. Be sure to talk to your parents and/or teachers if you continue to feel tense or unhappy about school. Guidance counselors can also help you manage overwhelming frustrations.
A few guidelines follow for a successful school year for tweens and teens:
- Have a specific place for doing homework and do the harder assignments first.
- Speak with your parents to come up with a manageable number of extracurricular activities you want to join.
- Limit television and (non school-related) Internet use to one or two hours a day.
- Limit phone use. This frees up more time for face-to-face communication and fun.
- Keep the lines of communication open. Be sure to share with your parents how you feel about schoolwork, teachers and friends. Don’t forget, parents once attended classes and dealt with peer pressures also. They may have some tricks of the trade to share.
- Be proud when you succeed, whether it means acing an exam or making the soccer team.
- If you have additional concerns, ask your parents to talk to your teacher or school counselor for help.
As a teen, you will likely have more complex anxieties than tweens at the start of a new school year. You may have multiple fears. Will I fit in? Am I smart enough to handle the course load? What about peer pressure and bullying in high school hallways?
Again, you’re not alone. Consider how these high schoolers have overcome school woes and are making the grade. Jenny felt anxious that as a freshman she would not fit in. She was going into high school from a Catholic grammar school. Even though she knew other students who were going with her, she was not sure she would see them often. It is normal to want to fit in, to belong to a group that will accept you, especially in your freshman year. However, high school can serve as a great time to meet and make new friends. How about joining a sport team or club to meet new friends with similar interests? Jenny expanded her circle of friends by joining the newspaper club. She felt this club best suited her interests and abilities. Jenny then felt less pressure to fit in because she was doing an activity that she enjoyed and wanted to do. You can do the same.
Rodger, a sophomore, states that high school course work is harder, homework takes longer and academic competition can feel fierce. “We sure are on our own more so than in middle school,” he says, worrying about being able to handle his coursework. “Am I smart enough?” He later realized with initiative and help he was able to surpass big expectations and his biggest critic: himself. Having particular trouble with biology, Rodger sought help from his teacher and got a tutor to pinpoint and fix lingering difficulties with his coursework. If you begin to feel overwhelmed or are confused by your schoolwork, nip the problem in the bud by talking to a parent or teacher. Understanding your classes and homework will help you do well academically. Beyond getting a good report card, academic achievement will give you pride in your accomplishments and the confidence to keep up the good work.
High schoolers also say peer pressure is evident in upper grades. As a teen, you may have concerns about being pressured to smoke, drink, take drugs, wear certain clothes and answer to bullies. It is important to make the right choices for yourself when peer pressure arises.
Melissa went to a friend’s house last week where several friends and acquaintances were hanging out. One of the girls wanted to smoke a cigarette; she had a pack of them and offered a smoke to Melissa. Melissa refused, stating “My Mom will kill me if she smells smoke on me. I know I will get grounded. It is not worth it to me.” Saying no may be hard, but Melissa felt good about her decision. She did not agree with her friends’ decision to smoke.
Similar situations will arise, be it being told to have a drink at a party or getting taunted for not wearing the latest fashion. Will sacrificing your principles to fit in feel worth it to you? There are consequences and risks of each action. Know the facts and develop the skills to resist the pressures to drink and do drugs. Talk to a trusted adult or parent if you need help or advice.
Bullying can occur and make a teen feel like a bull’s eye at target practice. It can get ugly. The good news is that most high schools have policies regarding bullying. If you become a victim of bullying, tell a parent, teacher or school administrator. Do not tolerate this behavior.
As parent of teens, I can tell you that we want you to succeed academically, socially and emotionally. We want you to develop your own identity. Share these final tips with your parents so that they may help you have a successful school year.
Be positive, parents. Tell your tweens and teens that you will support them academically, such as by finding a tutor.
- Make an effort to keep track of what your tweens and teens learn in school.
- Do not wait until the first report card to track your teen’s academic progress. Talk to your teen’s teachers.
- Communicate. The more involved you are in your teen’s life, the more he or she will feel valued and will respond to you.
- Discuss your rules and limits including curfew and expectations for certain behaviors. Be honest and up front about the rationale behind your rules.
- Talk to your teen about the legal ramifications of cheating as well as using drugs and drinking.
- Know what the policy is for bullying at the middle and high school level.
I am happy to report that I followed my aforementioned guidelines for my tween’s last school year. He did well in all subjects— he even made the honor roll several times. Start a dialogue in your home to deal with school anxieties as they arise— and here’s to a happy school year!
###Betty C. Martello is a licensed clinical social worker currently in private practice. She is the mother of two sons. You may reach her at (914) 962-0457. Her e-mail address is bettymartello@msn.com.
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In the not so distant past, social cruelty or bullying was an ‘in person’ experience. Kids would lament to parents that someone was ‘picking on them’ at school or in the neighborhood, and would seek solace in the safety of their home while confiding in their parents. Kids would be able to find comfort and escape from the pain of social cruelty when home.
The present, however, is far more painful and dangerous than many parents might believe. The home is no longer a safe haven from peer cruelty. Kids have found new ways to socially deconstruct their peers, and the bullying doesn’t just occur in one moment: it can be updated and viciously expanded upon 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The main vehicles for bullying are the Internet and cell phones.
The short answer: anyone. As human beings we tend to ‘naturally’ seek retaliation when injured, and this tendency is especially prevalent in the young or immature. Learning how to apply the ‘Golden Rule’ as well as how to manage your injury when others don’t treat you in kind involves maturity, and the supportive network of family and caring friends.
Sadly, the Internet and cell phones often are treated as ‘hands off’ areas by parents. This cannot be the rule. Online predators are not just adults seeking to harm children; the predators can be other children seeking to act out their anger on your child. A recent Pew Internet and American Life Project survey revealed that 17 million kids aged 12-17 use the Internet. The Internet, therefore, plays an important part, bidden or unbidden, in the social life of your child. Even if your child is not ‘online’ he or she can become a target. To protect your child, you must be alert to warning signs that suggest your child has become a target.
Essentially, cyberbullying is cruelty to others by sending out or posting inflammatory material on the Internet or by sending text messages with inappropriate content via a cell phone. Many kids have online journals, web pages, blogs, or belong to online ‘communities’ where other kids ‘socialize’. Discussions between an almost endless number of peers can be carried out via ‘instant messenger’. The content of a posting or message could be anything from putting personal and private information about your child for all to see, or repeated postings to others (via Internet or cell) about your child. Worse still, another person could ‘pose’ as your child and say vicious things to someone else, starting a fight your child had nothing to do with, but must deal with the aftermath.
Scariest of all, there are websites which on the surface appear to help those in distress but beneath the surface harbor deadly advice. Individuals who post comments at such sites can encourage your child to do horrible things. I recently heard a report of a young man who had been bullied online. He sought out the help of a ‘support community’, sharing his feelings and stating that sometimes he wished he were dead. Many at the community actually encouraged him to kill himself and posted links to Internet sites which explain various ways one could commit suicide! Cyber bullies use similar tactics, and could relentlessly attack your child.
Some warning signs that your child could be a victim of online cruelty:
- Mood changes during or after Internet or phone use
- Abrupt changes in social network such as loss of friends, isolation from others, throwing out items given to them by significant friends
- Irritability, easily angered, crying, increased need for sleep or inability to sleep, nightmares
- Avoidance of school, academic decline and increased conflict at school with others
- Obsession with going ‘online’ or texting, leaving little time for other activities
Essentially, knowing your child well is one of the most important protective factors in preventing cyberbullying. Be supportive and do not ‘over react’. If they are confiding in you, this is a good sign that they have a precious connection with you. Special consideration should be given to children who have a baseline difficulty relating to others or are otherwise an ‘obvious target’ for cruelty. Kids typically need little if any reason to be cruel to another person, but they are especially aggressive and cruel to those with apparent difficulties of one type or another.
If your child is a victim of cyberbullying, it is important to contact your child’s school. If there are obvious threats, call the police. Print out any postings, blogs, or texts which expose the bullying. Connect your child with a therapist so that they can discuss at length their feelings with the support of a professional.
You can also purchase software, known as ‘filtering software’, which can help prevent your child from receiving selected information as well as prevent them from going to certain websites. Filtering software, however, is not available for cell phones, and is not always effective in preventing messages from reaching your child. Other software that can be purchased records all messages (instant messages) sent to your child so that you can see what others are saying (or sending) to your child.
You should educate your child about cyberbullying and the harmful effects being cruel can have on others, even if your child cannot ‘see’ the effects. Teach them the “Golden Rule’, and monitor your child’s activities online.
Computers should not be kept in your child’s room. Instead, keep the computer in a place that is public and easily supervised. Inform your child that you will monitor the sites they go to online, as well as their phone use.
Consider a ‘curfew for the cell phone’ to further protect your child from after-hours messages or unsupervised use. Set time limits for online use and encourage your child to interact in ‘real time’ with peers through organized activities (e.g. sports, drama club) which promote the development of a child’s strengths and ability to interact positively with others.
Help your child understand that who they are inside—their character, integrity, values, mores, and uniqueness—is far more integral to success and health than what another person might judge them as being. Finally, encourage your child’s school to have a policy to address cyberbullying, and share what you know about this subject with other parents.
Additionally, Web sites are available for information about cyberbullying:
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Introduction
All teachers, social workers, guidance counselors, and school officials strive to make students feel welcome as they begin their school experience, whether it is kindergarten, middle school, or high school. It is their responsibility to create an environment where students feel like they belong and are a part of a larger group of students. This principle applies to immigrant children and adolescents who arrive in their school setting seeking education and personal growth. School staff try to help students feel welcome in order to ensure that each student obtains new knowledge and success in their particular school environment.
What happens when students do not feel welcome? How do immigrant students cope with being in an educational system that is different from schools in their country? What happens emotionally to students who enter a new school environment, and what are the risk factors for maladjustment or mental health problems? What can school social workers do to address these issues?
In response to the growing number of immigrants, the Northeastern Center, Inc. (NEC), a community mental health center in Ligonier, Indiana, identified these concerns and determined to break down these barriers to academic success and community integration. NEC developed a mental health education program, the Bienvenido Program, which addresses the migration and transition experiences of recently arrived Latino children, adolescents, and adults.
In Spanish, bienvenido means “welcome.” The program was named Bienvenido because NEC staff continued to hear their clients say that no one had welcomed them to the community. Now, as part of the Bienvenido Program, students have a welcome letter in their manual that states, “We are happy you have chosen to live in this community. We acknowledge that we do not understand everything that migrating to a new country entails, but our goal is to offer an opportunity for you to build on current strengths and obtain additional life skills.” The letter is read at the first class.
The Bienvenido Program was developed and implemented in 2003 in a variety of Indiana community settings, including three schools in Northeast Indiana. The program offers two-day training for anyone interested in facilitating a group at their school or in their community. School social workers, school staff, mental health providers, community organizers, or others are trained on basic group facilitation skills, the curriculum, and have an opportunity to practice class lessons with other facilitators. The curriculum, written also in Spanish, teaches new immigrants to reflect on their migration journey, vent feelings regarding their adjustment to this country, and find similarities with their home and current community.
NEC’s collaboration with the schools and community has resulted in a network of more than 39 facilitators, some representing Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, and Puerto Rico. School-based facilitators coordinate with school administrators on when the classes can be offered to students during school hours. In addition to the school setting, the program operates in adult literacy programs, and a community mental health center. NEC has recently received support from the local court system to include adults charged with minor offenses. NEC will continue to partner with other community organizations, local governments, and court systems in order to reach different sectors of the Latino community.
Developers of the program established several objectives. They are:
- To present topics on mental health that will help immigrants better adjust to their communities. Discussion topics have included depression and how to identify risk factors that might lead to mental health problems.
- To provide immigrants with life skills trainings to assist with their transition. Trainings have covered skills such as communication and stress reduction.
- To allow participants to identify, vent, and process feelings related to their new life in this country. Participants are asked to identify their strengths and needs. They set goals for their new life and learn about concepts such as integration, assimilation, separation and marginalization. They are asked to reflect on what acculturation strategy they might be using and give their reasons for selecting this strategy. Participants are encouraged to reflect on the tangible and intangible things brought with them from their home country.
The program helps Latino immigrants adjust to their host community and, at the same time, helps them understand some of the cultural expectations, beliefs, and value systems they bring to this country. They are asked to respect both similarities and differences of their own and host culture value systems.
It is envisioned that the school-based program will continue to enhance the essential life skills of immigrant students, smoothing their transition. The support of the program helps the students to foster familial strengths, increase self determination, and become empowered to improve their quality of life.
As a way of discovering Bienvenido curriculum outcomes, this writer conducted an interview with Ellen Krulewitch, Elkhart Community Schools, and Lupita Zepeda, Elkhart Family Services, who both completed the Bienvenido Facilitator Training.
The interview is helpful in understanding the Bienvenido Program and its benefit for Latino immigrant students.
GP: What did you learn from teaching the Bienvenido curriculum?
EK, LZ: How hard it is for students to leave their country. The fear and nervousness students experience in beginning a new life. We knew it was difficult, but hearing it from young people changed my view.
GP: What is the background of the students who participated in the program?
EK, LZ: Most of the students were from Mexico, and they had been in the states for two years.
GP: What were the stories you heard from students?
EK, LZ: One of the students said he didn’t like the food they served at school. He only drank water. Others mentioned difficulty in learning English and missing their friends back in their country.
GP: What strengths did the students identify in themselves?
EK, LZ: A determination to succeed, a desire to attend college and obtain good jobs, the support they have received, and the environment which is more open to Latino students.
GP: What motivated the students to want to share their experiences with you?
EK, LZ: Trust among the members of the group. We stressed confidentiality and this created openness.
GP: Why should Latino students participate in an acculturation class?
EK, LZ: It is a growing experience for them and us. They began to see that they were not alone and many experienced the same feelings. They learn to share with adults in a small group setting. Finally, many times it’s the first experience where they are offered an opportunity to share what has happened in their migration to this country.
GP: What did students say they learned from taking an acculturation class?
EK, LZ: They learned they are not alone, a lot of people have gone through the same experiences, and students were able to move from separation to integration. Students and parents read the reflective readings in the student manual. This gave them an opportunity to interact.
GP: What can school officials do to create a welcoming environment for immigrant students?
EK:
- School officials need to know that mental health topics are important.
- School social workers need to convey the needs of the students to school administrators.
- School social workers should take time to listen to the stories and experiences of the immigrant student.
- School social workers should celebrate what the students have accomplished.
- School social workers should tell students that different ethnic groups can work together.
Lupita is Mexican and I am Jewish and we worked well together.
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Introduction
School social workers are extremely valuable resources to parents, students, and teachers at the middle and high school levels. Areas that school social workers can be most effective in are:
- Crisis Intervention — School social workers are usually able to respond to a crisis in a child’s life almost immediately.
- Referral and Consultation — Contact with mental health treatment providers are a key part of the school social workers’ role.
- Prevention and Education — School social workers develop and implement programs that address topics relevant to their school’s population.
- Brief Treatment — Direct services can be provided for students in a manner that is affordable, convenient,and timely.
- Family Support — Outreach to families and parent education and support are an important aspect of their job.
- Advocacy — Navigating the educational system including all of the laws and regulations can be daunting; school social worker can help students exercise their rights and access available services. This can be particularly helpful to students with disabilities, teen parents, etc.
As we know, adolescence is a time for becoming more independent. However, teenagers still crave and value guidance from adults they respect. Many times, adolescents feel uncomfortable talking to their parents about serious issues that affect them. This is a normal part of growing up. These same teens though often seek out other adults to confide in during this challenging time in their lives. In fact, they are often surprisingly candid and willing to share deeply personal feelings when they find someone they feel they can trust. Perhaps more surprising is that teens often look to the adults in their lives for specific advice and direction, limits and boundaries.
The school social worker is especially trained to to listen to teens with empathy and to assess their individual needs. Often, a student who is reluctant to access traditional mental health services is more willing to talk to a counselor at school. School social worker are often the first in the line of crisis; if the student’s experience with the social worker is positive, this can improve the chances of successful referral to further mental health services.
Another advantage to seeing a school social worker is that they have the ability to view the child with their peers and in their own environment. This offers a perspective that is unique compared with other treatment providers, and often very valuable to getting a true picture of the student’s needs. It also provides the opportunity to see a child at the time that they are in crisis, or to provide an appropriate intervention. These components are critical when working with teenagers, for whom mood swings and conflict can arise and escalate quickly.
School social workers are privy to subtleties in the social structure and culture of the adolescents and the school with whom they work. This enables the school social worker to be aware of problems or issues within the student body before they become common knowledge. An example would be a particular substance abuse trend in the community. This awareness means that interventions can be put into place sooner rather than later. Community resources can be tapped as soon as a need is identified. Prevention programs and support groups can be implemented in a way that students find relevant to their lives and communities.
Providing social work services in schools is critical to adolescents and their families. The school social worker is a support person, educator, liaison, and advocate. This professional has the opportunity to reach many teens, particularly those who may be at-risk, and to intervene immediately on their behalf. Given that adolescence is such a challenging developmental stage, and that teens face multiple issues and feel increasingly isolated in this day and age, the school social worker is a vital and effective resource.
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How Social Workers Help, Schools and Communities |
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