Social Work Student Resources
Information and Resources for Social Work Students' Field Experiences
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Predicting Violence in Youths
Assessment Form for Predicting Violent Juvenile Behavior from the National School Safety Center
Information about Predicting Violent Behavior
Information about Risk/Needs Assessment for Youths
School Social Work Tools and Forms
Here are some resources you may find helpful.
These are good tools to use in a school setting to establish a baseline prior to a counseling or social skills program. They can also be used again when terminating services to assess change and to write goals for an IEP.
Functional Behavioral Assessment Questionnaire
Behavior Tracking Chart
(Change page orientation to Landscape when printing)
Brief Student Assessment Form
Child Interview Form
Classroom Observation Form
Self Esteem Assessment Form
_______
These are good tools to use in a school setting to establish a baseline prior to a counseling or social skills program. They can also be used again when terminating services to assess change and to write goals for an IEP.
Functional Behavioral Assessment Questionnaire
Behavior Tracking Chart
(Change page orientation to Landscape when printing)
Brief Student Assessment Form
Child Interview Form
Classroom Observation Form
Self Esteem Assessment Form
_______
Some info for School Social Workers
Friday, November 21, 2014
DSM Changes to Help Clinical Social Workers Transition
Fall I S S U E
2 0 1 4
Mirean Coleman, LICSW, CT
Senior Practice Associate
mcoleman@naswdc.org
There are changes in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
for Mental Disorders (DSM) clinical social workers should familiarize
themselves with as the mental health industry transitions from the DSM-IV to
the DSM-5. NASW has prepared the following list of 10 key changes to help
clinical social workers transition.
• Substance abuse with substance dependence was consolidated
into a single disorder called substance use disorder which is measured on a continuum
from mild to severe. Drug craving was added to the list of symptoms and law
enforcement problems were eliminated.
• Hoarding Disorder is a new diagnosis in the DSM and reflects
persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions due to a perceived
need to save the items and distress associated with discarding them.
• Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder was moved to the main body
of the DSM.
• Binge Eating Disorder was elevated to the main body of the
DSM. Criteria was changed to an average frequency of at least once weekly over
the last three months
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) must now
appear by age 12. Research indicated that ADHD occurs after age 7 when a child
may be challenged by school requirements.
• Intellectual Disability replaces the term mental retardation.
Intelligent Quotients (IQs) scores and adaptive functioning are both germane
factors in determining a person’s ability.
• The bereavement exclusion was eliminated in the DSM which
applied to a major depressive episode that lasted less than two months
following the death of a loved one. Bereavement is listed in the DSM-5 Section
III, “Conditions for Further Study.”
• Major Neurocognitive Disorder replaces the term dementia.
Mild Neurocognitive Disorder was added with support from evidence-based
literature that this population could benefit from diagnosis and treatment.
• Neurodevelopmental Disorder is a new chapter which
combines the following different disorders:
‣ Intellectual Disability
‣ Communication Disorder
‣ Autism Spectrum Disorder
‣ Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
‣ Specific Learning Disorder
‣ Motor Disorder
• Suicidal Behavior Disorder is a new category listed in the
DSM-5 Section III, “Conditions for Further Study” and identifies the risk
factors associated with suicide attempts including depression, substance use or
lack of impulse control. Patient must have attempted suicide within the last
two years.
Products
• NASW has a Webinar training on the DSM-5 which may be access at the following Web link: DSM-5 Depressive and Grief Disorders: Mastering the Changes, Understanding
the Controversies: www.socialworkers.org/sections/teleconferences/tcourses/Default.aspx?courseID=ab867e40-8a2b-4a41-838a-c0acf5313210&header=OFF
• A Practice Perspectives, DSM-5 Frequently Asked Questions by Clinical Social Workers, is available online at: www.socialworkers.org/assets/secured/documents/practice/clinical/dsm5faq.pdf
• NASW members can receive a 15 percent discount when purchasing the DSM-5 from the American Psychiatric Association when using the discount
code NASWMEM at 800.368.5777 or online at www.appi.org.
Resources
American Psychiatric Association. 2013.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,
Fifth Edition.
Arlington, VA: Washington DC.
Arlington, VA: Washington DC.
Social/Emotional Assessment for Child Study Teams
Social/Emotional Assessment
I.
Understanding
of the purpose of Social Assessment:
A Social Assessment is part of a
comprehensive Child Study Team evaluation that is conducted to determine
whether or not a child can be found eligible for Special Education and Related
services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It is
presented to an IEP (Individual Educational Planning) Team that consists of teachers,
parents, the student (when appropriate), administrators, a school psychologist,
an LDT-C (Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant), and possibly other
specialists such as Occupational, Physical and Speech/Language Therapists as
well as other professionals that may need to be involved such as Behaviorists
(that specialize in spectrum disorders), Neurodevelopmental doctors and other
healthcare professionals. The purpose of the social assessment is to:
A.
Present a comprehensive narrative of the whole child
within their environment, including their strengths and challenges.
B.
Assess the parent’s & student’s perspective of the
problematic issues and their receptiveness to change.
C.
To provide the IEP team with pertinent information
about the student's social-emotional functioning and how this impacts their
learning process, as well as provide recommendations to ameliorate problematic
issues.
II.
Components
of the Social Assessment
A.
Identifying information.
Basic information such as name,
address, phone number, age, grade, etc. A cover page on this document should
indicate that this is confidential information.
B.
Reason for referral.
Why is the team conducting this
evaluation? The history of their functioning or lack thereof can be elaborated
on in the other sections of the report. There are basically two reasons to
evaluate a child:
1.
Student is being reevaluated as part of the mandated
triennial requirement.
2.
Parent/ Teacher requested the Child Study Team conduct
an initial evaluation due to the student’s continued academic difficulties
which cannot be ameliorated within the regular education program.
C.
Sources of information.
Several sources should be
considered when conducting a social assessment. They are:
1.
Observation of the pupil
2.
Pupil interview
3.
Parent interview
4.
Teacher interview
5.
Review of educational history
D.
Family and social development.
This purpose of this section is to
provide the team with a basic profile of the family and any history of learning
disabilities within. It is also the section when current familial situations
are explored and their subsequent impact on the child’s learning process
considered. The Social/Emotional
Development of the child is also covered in this section.
1.
Elements to include for the Family History are:
a.
The parent’s marital status
b.
If the parents are divorced, information about
custody/visitation, etc.
c.
All the names, ages and occupations of adults in the
family as well as their relationship to and with the child
d.
Names ages and educational status of children in the
home as well as their relationship to and with the child
e.
History of where the family has lived
f.
The general (emotional) climate in the home
g.
Educational history of parents and any other
significant family members
h.
Any significant changes in the family that may have a
social/emotional impact on the student
i.
Activities that the family participates in together
j.
Any other pertinent information the family would like
to share as part of the investigation
2.
Social/Emotional Development of the child
This is the section where you want
to assess their adaptive behaviors as well as determine whether or not there
are any emotional/social issues that need to be addressed. The main thing to
remember is everything needs to be related back to how and why any dysfunction
in this area would adversely affect the learning process.
The
following questions should be considered to construct a clear picture of how
the child is functioning in the social/emotional realm:
a. How
is the child’s general demeanor at home?
b. Does
the child generally get along with the other family members?
c. How
does the child manifest anger? Sadness? Fear? Happiness? (Are any
manifestations to these feelings particularly problematic?)
d. Does
the child exhibit any fearlessness? Do they exhibit appropriate caution for
their own safety?
e. What
methods do you use to foster compliance when the child is resistant?
f. How
do you positively reinforce the child
g. How
would you characterize the student’s self –esteem? Do they ever make any
negative comments about themselves?
h. Is
the child able to make and maintain friendships?
i.
Do they participate in peer related activities?
j.
What are their strengths? Challenges?
E.
Developmental History:
When a child is initially
evaluated, part of the evaluation is a comprehensive health update conducted by
the school nurse or a doctor. It’s important to rule out any physical issues
with a child’s senses or brain function before proceeding with a CST
evaluation. Most healthcare professionals will provide a detailed outline of
developmental milestones and note any issues with the child’s achievement of
this. For younger children, this section of the report is mostly completed by
the nurse or doctor, however for older children the following should be
considered:
1. Has the student has achieved all the
developmental milestones within age appropriate time limits.
2. Was there any history of Developmental delays?
Did they have to see a specialist for treatment and what was the outcome?
3. How is their overall current health?
4. Are they on any medications?
5. How are their eating habits? Sleeping habits?
Hygienic habits?
F.
School History
This section is where a detailed
educational history is explained as well as how the student is currently
functioning. Questions to be considered are:
1.
What are the student’s current classes and grades?
2.
If this is a re-evaluation, what is the special
education history of the child?
3.
What interventions have been tried to help the child
with their learning issues? What was the outcome of these attempts?
4.
What are the team’s overall concerns about how the
child is academically functioning?
5.
What do the teacher’s say about how the student
functions?
6.
What do the parents hope this evaluation process will
do for their child?
G.
Evidence of student’s functioning and its
relationship to the educational setting
Relevant Behavior and Impact
This is the most important section
of this report. Now that the social/emotional narrative has been provided for
this child, how this impacts their learning process is crucial information to
the team. Whether or not a child had the adaptive behaviors to adjust to
changes in their educational program is important to their success.
Elements to consider in this
section are:
1.
Is the student receptive to help?
2.
What strengths does the child possess that can be
utilized to help them address their challenges?
3.
How do their emotional or social issues impact their
learning?
The second part of this section
should include some strategies to address any issues noted. For example, techniques
and activities to support personal and social development are:
a.
Provide opportunities for success
b.
Utilize praise and encouragement
c.
Point out accomplishments and strengths, not
shortcomings and weaknesses
d.
Clearly define limits and expectations
e.
Encourage peer support and approval
f.
Assist student in developing positive peer relationships
H.
Observation & Interview
The team is required to do at least
one observation of the student in their classroom setting. This is usually done
by the Learning Consultant or School Psychologist. The Psychologist will also
conduct an interview as part of their evaluation. The Social worker however
should also do both an observation of the student and an interview.
1.
Observation. Elements to note are:
a.
Is the student able to make and maintain eye contact?
b.
What is their basic demeanor and affect?
2.
Interview: Elements to note are:
a.
What is the student’s perception of the evaluation
process?
b.
Are they receptive to receiving assistance? Can they
effectively access resources?
I.
Summary
Typically, and IEP will provide the
summaries of all the evaluations from which data is received, so it’s important
to make sure the most important elements you want the team to know about this
student is included in this section. Teachers will also typically skim the
summaries of reports when learning about new students.
J.
Signature
For your social assessment to be official, it needs to be signed and dated by the certified social worker and/or the intern who prepared the report
For your social assessment to be official, it needs to be signed and dated by the certified social worker and/or the intern who prepared the report
Resources for School Social Workers
Here are some resources for those of us in School Settings.
Standards for School Social Work Services
Standards for the Practice of Social Work with Adolescents
I highly recommend reading these books:
Painful Passages by Elizabeth Dane, PhD
Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon
Standards for School Social Work Services
Standards for the Practice of Social Work with Adolescents
I highly recommend reading these books:
Painful Passages by Elizabeth Dane, PhD
Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Self Care
One of the things we stress to social work students is the importance of
self-care. Much of our work involves our emotions and feelings and it is crucial to create a safe way to process our experiences and to decompress.
But you're grad students! Who has the time??? Right? ;)
Make the time. You deserve it.
Being a social worker professional is an amazing experience, as I'm sure you are all discovering as you progress in your field placements. As I often tell students, "be in it for the long haul... we need you."
But you're grad students! Who has the time??? Right? ;)
Make the time. You deserve it.
Being a social worker professional is an amazing experience, as I'm sure you are all discovering as you progress in your field placements. As I often tell students, "be in it for the long haul... we need you."
Here are some resources about Compassionate Fatigue in the field of Social Work:
Kathleen Cox and Sue Steiner
NASW Press
(the link in this document to the ProQOL is defunt.. use this one instead:
By Tracy C. Wharton, M.Ed., MFT
There is also very simple stress-reducing method at your immediate disposal whenever you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed.... it's called.... breathing. Sometimes we just need to take a nice deep breath and regroup. I know it seems obvious, but I can't tell you how often I've had to remind folks to just breathe.
Remember, you are part of a supportive network! Reach out.
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