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Educational Tools to Empower You!

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EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES !!

School-based health centers: keeping kids Healthy SUPPORTING Academic Success

School-based health centers: keeping kids Healthy SUPPORTING Academic Success

School-based health centers: keeping kids Healthy SUPPORTING Academic Success

I never tire of hearing the success stories of school-based health centers in California, some of which are recounted in this 2011 Impact Report. In 2000, California had 108 school-based health centers. Twelve years later, there are 183 with 16 scheduled to open within the next few years. Amazingly, the number of school-based health centers continues to grow despite budget cuts and the recession. It makes me think – we must be on to something! 

We have made great progress in expanding access to school-based health care, however our work is not done. There are still a large number of children whose health care needs go unmet. In California, an estimated one million children still do not have health insurance, and a growing number are living in poverty.

On a positive note, health care reform presents a tremendous opportunity to get health care to more children. But we can’t forget that many decisions about our health care system are influenced by business interests and existing bureaucracies. Without strong voices for children, there is no guarantee that our “reformed” health care system will be consumer-friendly or more successful in making services accessible for children and families

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About California School-Based Health Centers.

School-based health centers: keeping kids Healthy SUPPORTING Academic Success

School-based health centers: keeping kids Healthy SUPPORTING Academic Success

School-based health centers (SBHCs) impact students and families in profound ways. They can get immediate help on campus for acute and chronic conditions as well as preventative care. The result: kids stay in school and teachers focus on what they do best, teach. (Read more about why School-Based Health Centers Are a Great Idea).

A Growing School-Based Health Care Movement

Download our 19-20 fact sheet

We are working toward the day in which all students have access to a school-based health center.

In 2000, California had 108 SBHCs; today, there are 277 with more in the works. In the last year, nearly 10,000 children gained access to health care in their school through the expansion of SBHCs. Across California, more than 274,000 students attend a school that has a health center, and many more have access to other types of school health services.

The number of SBHCs continues to grow because school districts and communities understand that investing in healthy kids supports increased opportunities for successful students.

SBHCs are usually located directly on a school campus and provide primary care like any health clinic. Staff vary in size, and typically includes nurse practitioners, nurses, mental health providers, as well as part-time physicians and medical students. Services are provided at no or low cost. No one is refused service for inability to pay.

School-Based Health Centers Are Effective

SBHCs are effective because they put health care where students already spend most of their time – at school. They offer:

  • Enhanced access to health care by bringing it directly to where students and families are and conducting active school-based outreach to connect students with care.
  • Stronger prevention and population health by connecting clinical care with public health approaches such as group and classroom education, school wide screenings and prevention programs, or efforts to address the social determinants of health.
  • Intensive support for the highest need students by being present on a daily basis to manage chronic disease, address behavioral health issues, deal with crises, and help students and families access resources.
  • Support for the school’s mission to improve academic achievement by working together to address absenteeism, school climate, and classroom behavior and performance.
  • Integration into the health care system by communicating and coordinating care with other providers and payers.

Research has shown, and teachers and educators intuitively know, that healthier children are better students because they are able to focus in class and are not distracted by hunger, pain, stress, or a chronic illness.

Read about Nathan, Kenny and Brittany – three students whose lives have been transformed by their SBHCs.

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CHCO CHILDRENS What is the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)?

School-based health centers: keeping kids Healthy SUPPORTING Academic Success

CHCO CHILDRENS What is the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)?

 

What is the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)? 

The Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) at CHOC Children’s is an outpatient, mental health treatment program for high-school teens with moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety, depression or other symptoms related to a mental health condition.

The IOP is held four days a week, for eight weeks with after-school hours. It uses dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), including mindfulness exercises, coping and problem-solving skills, art therapy and other expressive therapies to help teens develop and practice healthy behaviors and coping strategies. The CHOC IOP is a DBT-adherent program, meaning all licensed clinicans in the program have received the highest level of training in DBT. Parents or guardians also participate in family counseling and skills groups.

 Suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 10-24 in the United States. Get the warning signs and helpful resources for help. 

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Specialized Care Designed for the Unique Needs of Children

Specialized Care Designed for the Unique Needs of Children

CHCO CHILDRENS What is the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)?

 

The CHOC Children’s Mental Health Inpatient Center is the first pediatric, inpatient mental health facility in Orange County for children 3 to 17 years old, and is designed to meet the unique needs of kids and teens. The Center has 18 private rooms, an outdoor playground, and multipurpose areas for consultation, therapy, recreation and treatment. It’s also the only inpatient psychiatric facility in California where parents can stay in the rooms with their children.

During your child’s stay, he or she will engage in daily multidisciplinary therapeutic groups and receive individual therapy, family therapy, brief psychological testing and psychiatric care. The Center includes:

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Supporting People Who Support Families

Specialized Care Designed for the Unique Needs of Children

Supporting People Who Support Families

The Children’s Screen Time Action Network is a coalition of practitioners, educators, and advocates working to promote a healthy childhood by reducing the amount of time kids spend with digital devices. The Network is a project of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

 


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The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud

Specialized Care Designed for the Unique Needs of Children

Supporting People Who Support Families

Many people cherish the memory of being read a story at bedtime by a parent, grandparent, or older sibling. But few know how this simple act lights up the inner workings of a child’s brain – even older children and teens! Pediatrician John Hutton and Wall Street Journal children’s book critic Meghan Gurdon explore the profound impact reading aloud can have on children’s development in this Action Network Live event.

Learn more about Dr. Hutton's research here.

 

My Biography & Research

Biography

Dr. John S. Hutton, MS, MD, is a pediatrician and clinical researcher in the Division of General and Community Pediatrics and Reading and Literacy Discovery Center. His unique reading background includes over 20 years at the helm of Blue Manatee Children’s Bookstore and publication of over 25 children’s books, many with health-promoting themes, including screen time reduction (Baby Unplugged), reading and talking to babies, infant calming, safe sleep, breastfeeding, and ADHD. His books have been adopted in numerous statewide public health campaigns, distributed to over 3 million families, proceeds benefiting non-profit advocacy groups. He serves as “spokes-doctor” for the Read Aloud 15 MINUTES national campaign and on the national Medical Advisory Board of the Reach Out and Read program.Dr. Hutton’s research at Cincinnati Children's covers all facets of pediatric general and health literacy. He is applying functional MRI to better understand the influence of modifiable aspects of home reading environment on brain networks supporting emergent literacy, the skills and attitudes preparing a child for reading. His work was the first to document such effects prior to kindergarten. He is also studying the effect of screen-based media on neural processing of stories in preschool-age children, particularly in terms of visual imagery and attention.As a pediatrician, Dr. Hutton is working to validate screening measures of emergent literacy skills and risk factors for primary care use, to identify children at risk as early as possible, guide interventions, and reinforce the concept of reading as a critical aspect of child health and development. He is also actively exploring the application of children’s books for a range of pediatric health literacy and advocacy topics, and recently published a randomized trial establishing superiority of one of his books compared to brochures for adherence with AAP safe sleep and reading recommendations.Dr. Hutton is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society, and has received numerous awards for his work, including an Academic Pediatric Association Young Investigator Award, an Arnold W. Strauss Fellow Award and Procter Scholar Award (Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center), and a Healthcare Heroes: Innovator Award (Cincinnati Business Courier). For his children’s books, he has received an Ohioana Cooper Award (Cincinnati/Hamilton County Public Library), a Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards Gold Medal, and a Benjamin Franklin Award Gold Medal (Independent Book Publishers Association). His bookstore was a finalist for the Women’s National Book Association Pannell Award, reflecting the best in the United States.

Clinical Interests

General and community pediatrics

Research Interests

Emergent literacy; shared and dialogic reading; early brain development; screening measures development and validation; health effects of screen-based media; pediatric health literacy and bibliotherapy

Academic Affiliation

Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

Departments

General and Community Pediatrics, General and Community Pediatrics, Reading and Literacy, Reproductive Sciences, Communication Sciences

My Education

BS: Mathematics, Davidson College, Davidson, NC.MS: Operations Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.MD: University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH.Residency: Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.MS: Clinical and Translational Research, Cincinnati, OH.Fellowship: National Research Service Award (NRSA), Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.Certification: Pediatrics.

My Publications

Hutton, JS, Dudley J, Horowitz-Kraus T, DeWitt T, Holland SK. Differences in Functional Brain Network Connectivity During Stories Presented in Audio, Illustrated, and Animated Format in Preschool-Age Children. Brain Imaging and Behavior. 2018.Hutton JS, Huang G, Phelan KJ, DeWitt T, Ittenbach RF. Shared reading quality assessment by parental report: preliminary validation of the DialogPR. BMC Pediatr. 2018 Oct 18;18(1):330. Hutton JS, Phelan K, DeWitt T, Horowitz-Kraus T, Altaye M, Dudley J, Holland SK. Shared Reading Quality and Brain Activation During Story Listening in Preschool-Age Children. Journal of Pediatrics. 2017 Dec;191:204-211.e201.Hutton JS, Lin L, Gruber R, Berndsen J, DeWitt T, Van Ginkel JB, Ammerman R. Shared Reading and Television Across the Perinatal Period in Low-SES Households. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2017 Oct 1:9922817737077.Hutton JS, Gupta R, Gruber R, Berndsen J, DeWitt T, Ollberding NJ, et al. A Randomized Trial of a Children's Book Versus Brochures for Safe Sleep Knowledge and Adherence in a High-Risk Population. Acad Pediatr. 2017 Nov - Dec;17(8):879-886. Horowitz-Kraus T, Hutton JS. Brain connectivity in children is increased by the time they spend reading books and decreased by the length of exposure to screen-based media. Acta Paediatrica: Nurturing the Child. 2018.Hutton JS, Phelan K, Horowitz-Kraus T, Dudley J, Altaye M, DeWitt T, Holland, SK. Story Time Turbocharger? Child Engagement During Shared Reading and Cerebellar Activation and Connectivity in Preschool-Age Children Listening to Stories. PLoS One. 2017 May 31;12(5):e0177398.Horowitz-Kraus T, Schmitz R, Hutton JS, Schumacher J. How to create a successful reader? Milestones in reading development from birth to adolescence: The contribution of language, cognition, and literacy to reading development. Acta Paediatrica: Nurturing the Child. 2017 Jan. Horowitz-Kraus T, Hutton JS. From emergent literacy to reading: how learning to read changes a child's brain. Acta Paediatr. 2015 Jul;104(7):648-56.Hutton JS, Horowitz-Kraus T, Mendelsohn AL, DeWitt T, Holland SK. Home Reading Environment and Brain Activation in Preschool Children Listening to Stories. Pediatrics. 2015 Sep;136(3):466-78.

 

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COMMON SENSE SOCIAL MEDIA

 

Backed by research. Inspired by real life.

Project Zero

Designed and developed in partnership with Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education -- and guided by research with thousands of educators -- each digital citizenship lesson takes on real challenges and digital dilemmas that students face today, giving them the skills they need to succeed as digital learners, leaders, and citizens tomorrow. Read about the research behind our curriculum.

common_sense_education_digital_citizenship_research_backgrounder (pdf)Download

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Utah's Mental Health System - Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute

gardner.utah.edu › wp-content › uploads › MentalHealthReportAug2019

Utah Youth Mental Health and Suicide Indicators, 2013,. 2015, and 2017 . ..... needs influences its low ranking on adult measures. Each state's ..... entity that administers those dollars will not guarantee a ..... youth suicide prevention programs. ..... from a mental health professional (weighted estimate, 7.7 million). Source: ... 

UTAH MentalHealthReportAug2019 (pdf)Download

FAMILY TIME IS KEY EMOTIONAL WELLNESS !!!

The most successful kids have parents who do 9 things, according to science

  • Parents want to set their kids up for success. Some of that comes in the form of honesty, whether it's talking about the realities of professional life or letting them fail.
  • Creating routines, setting firm limits on screentime, and trying to eat dinner as a family can also pay off down the road.
  • There are also real positive effects associated with reading to kids and traveling with them.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. 

Much has been written about the attributes of high-achieving adults, and what makes them different from everyone else. But if you're a parent, a more compelling question may be: "What can I do to make sure my kids succeed in life?" Here's what researchers say.

     

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Secretary DeVos delivers remarks at 87th annual United States Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting As mayors, you have an important opportunity to build relationships between employers and educators. Today giant silos exist between educators and employers, between students and success. But students are better prepared for what comes next when their teachers learn from and partner with their community’s builders and doers. In that vein, I was pleased this administration and Congress came together to pass what we call “Perkins V.” This new law is good news for those who want to break down those silos. It gives states, districts, and community colleges more freedom to decide how to use taxpayer dollars to prepare students for success. And as mayors, this year you have a critical role in helping your state shape its Perkins plan. For the first time, the law urges you and other local leaders to regularly evaluate student needs and how programs are meeting those needs.

 JANUARY 24, 2019Contact:   Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov

Thank you, Mayor Steve Benjamin, for that kind introduction.

It’s good to be back with some of you, and to meet so many more. I was active in local politics and policy for many years, so I know first-hand your leadership role is important to your communities and the people you serve.

I’ve always believed solutions are best developed by those closest to an issue – by states, by communities, and by families. And mayors have a unique role in those ecosystems.

In my current job, I naturally think a lot about all things education. Education is perhaps the most local issue there is. It starts with the family. And yet those closest to their own children and to local schools and teachers seem to be the least empowered. Yet parents know that they need different solutions for their different children. They know we need to rethink education.

We live in some of the most exciting and opportunity-filled times ever. Over the past 100 years, we’ve seen significant advances in technology, medicine, and travel – just to name a few. But through all these changes in our homes, in our workplaces, and in our communities, approaches to education have largely remained the same for too many American students.

Yet, right now, there are over seven million unfilled jobs in the United States. Last year when I was with some of you, there were six million. The demand for skilled workers has grown. And looking ahead, consider the reality that the majority of the jobs that today’s students will do just 10 short years from now haven’t been invented.

Despite a booming economy with record-low unemployment, employer after employer reports that they cannot find enough qualified people to hire. I’m sure you’ve heard the same. There is a disconnect between education and the economy, just as there is often a disconnect between a child and the school they’re assigned to.

Too many students are unprepared for successful careers today, and beyond. And too many are treated more like commodities instead of as the individuals they are, each with unique abilities and aspirations.

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Secretary DeVos delivers remarks at 87th annual United States Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting

As mayors, you have an important opportunity to build relationships between employers and educators. Today giant silos exist between educators and employers, between students and success. But students are better prepared for what comes next when their teachers learn from and partner with their community’s builders and doers. 

In that vein, I was pleased this administration and Congress came together to pass what we call “Perkins V.” This new law is good news for those who want to break down those silos. 

It gives states, districts, and community colleges more freedom to decide how to use taxpayer dollars to prepare students for success. 

And as mayors, this year you have a critical role in helping your state shape its Perkins plan. For the first time, the law urges you and other local leaders to regularly evaluate student needs and how programs are meeting those needs. 

Video

ANTI BULLYING PSA | 5 things I learned at an anti-bullying conference                

 

Screen Schooled: Two Veteran Teachers Expose How Technology

Screen Schooled: Two Veteran Teachers Expose Screen Overuse in SchoolsMatt Miles is an award winning high school teacher and football coach with 11 years of classroom experience. He has taught a variety of levels (including ESOL, special education, Honors, and AP) in 5 different subjects (including government, psychology, and world history). Before speaking out against the ill-effects of technology over-use, he was his department's tech lead due to his background in IT. He and his wife live in Aldie with their Irish twins, who are 1 and 2 years-old.  Joe Clement is an award winning high school teacher and coach with 24 years of classroom experience. In his career he has taught nine different subjects to students in four different grades at four different schools. He has taught English language learners, students with learning disabilities, and students at the standard, honors and Advanced Placement level. He wrote his county’s economics curriculum, and his students have won nine state titles in the Economics Challenge competition. With Matt Miles, he is co-author of Screen Schooled. He and his wife live in Chantilly, VA with their three kids, ages 19, 15 and 3.       Show more  

Oregon’s new law supports schoolchildren’s plea for excuse

‘Ghosted’ play helps teens support each other, and their mental health

Kids today are bombarded with disturbing media (think school shootings, unsettling politics,

Kids today are bombarded with disturbing media (think school shootings, unsettling politics,

 Educational theatre production reduces stigma and encourages open discussion, to help teens understand they are not alone.  

In high school, it can be hard to talk about sad or anxious feelings which may lead teens to disconnect and become a “ghost” of themselves. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 20% of youth ages 13 to 18 live with a mental health condition, with anxiety being most common and affecting nearly one-third of adolescents and adults.

Developed by Kaiser Permanente in collaboration with the Seattle Children’s Theatre, “Ghosted” is an interactive play and workshop to address mental health needs, break down stigma, and provide resources to teens and teachers. “Ghosted” is a one-hour assembly presented to high school audiences and follows the journey of 4 young people who are dealing with their own mental health challenges. One character, Syd, is clinically diagnosed with anxiety while Kayla finds herself dealing with secondary stress because she is worried about her friends. The play and open discussion at the end continue to receive positive feedback from educators and students.

Students have the opportunity to submit feedback using an anonymous survey. One student said, “Talking about depression and suicidal thoughts, that’s not something we’ve done before, like ever at school,” and another commented, “It was a very good show … I connected with a lot of the characters; it was real.”

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Kids today are bombarded with disturbing media (think school shootings, unsettling politics,

Kids today are bombarded with disturbing media (think school shootings, unsettling politics,

Kids today are bombarded with disturbing media (think school shootings, unsettling politics,

 

If a child gets strep throat, it’s acceptable to take a sick day. But what about debilitating panic attacks or bouts of depression?

Kids today are bombarded with disturbing media (think school shootings, unsettling politics, and looming climate disasters) — all heady topics bound to trigger emotional reactions they aren’t equipped to navigate.

And in Oregon, where suicide is the second-leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 34 (40% above the national average), it’s not surprising that a student-led coalition proposed House bill 2191 to allow schoolchildren 5 excused mental health days within a 3-month period — the same as illness and injury.

A healthy conversation starter

Parents and teachers teach kids to monitor their own physical well-being; by asking if they’re cold and need a jacket, children learn to observe their own needs. By validating mental health’s importance, Han- Chun Liang, MD, child and adolescent psychiatrist at Kaiser Permanente, thinks this law — which went into effect July 1, 2019 — will prompt similar conversations about children’s mental well-being and boost their emotional resiliency.

“I’m hoping this will encourage parents to feel comfortable talking with their kids about stressors, coping skills, and monitoring how they’re feeling emotionally,” he says. “And the idea of having our schools in support of that is exciting.”

Dr. Liang hopes that, in classrooms, the law will provide teachers with feedback about mental health absenteeism, which is poorly documented since mental health hasn’t been a recorded reason to keep your child home. With this new data, educators can measure their classrooms’ mental wellness and take steps toward implementing universal precautions for emotional health — similar to promoting hand-washing during flu season.

“Can schools improve attendance by further supporting education around emotional well-being?” asked Dr. Liang. “Could that be teaching mindfulness at schools? Exploring meditation? Or discussing how we talk about our feelings and label our emotions — that’s a learning opportunity.”

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Keeping kids’ mental health in mind

Kids today are bombarded with disturbing media (think school shootings, unsettling politics,

Keeping kids’ mental health in mind

 

If a child gets strep throat, it’s acceptable to take a sick day. But what about debilitating panic attacks or bouts of depression?

Kids today are bombarded with disturbing media (think school shootings, unsettling politics, and looming climate disasters) — all heady topics bound to trigger emotional reactions they aren’t equipped to navigate.

And in Oregon, where suicide is the second-leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 34 (40% above the national average), it’s not surprising that a student-led coalition proposed House bill 2191 to allow schoolchildren 5 excused mental health days within a 3-month period — the same as illness and injury.

A healthy conversation starter

Parents and teachers teach kids to monitor their own physical well-being; by asking if they’re cold and need a jacket, children learn to observe their own needs. By validating mental health’s importance, Han- Chun Liang, MD, child and adolescent psychiatrist at Kaiser Permanente, thinks this law — which went into effect July 1, 2019 — will prompt similar conversations about children’s mental well-being and boost their emotional resiliency.

“I’m hoping this will encourage parents to feel comfortable talking with their kids about stressors, coping skills, and monitoring how they’re feeling emotionally,” he says. “And the idea of having our schools in support of that is exciting.”

Dr. Liang hopes that, in classrooms, the law will provide teachers with feedback about mental health absenteeism, which is poorly documented since mental health hasn’t been a recorded reason to keep your child home. With this new data, educators can measure their classrooms’ mental wellness and take steps toward implementing universal precautions for emotional health — similar to promoting hand-washing during flu season.

“Can schools improve attendance by further supporting education around emotional well-being?” asked Dr. Liang. “Could that be teaching mindfulness at schools? Exploring meditation? Or discussing how we talk about our feelings and label our emotions — that’s a learning opportunity.”

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About Thriving Schools

Data and information about the basics of bullying behavior and how you can make a difference today.

Keeping kids’ mental health in mind

 At Kaiser Permanente, we’re committed to health. That means not only delivering great health care but also creating communities where people can be healthy in all the places they live, learn, work, and play. This is especially important in schools, where better health boosts educational success and educational success leads to better lifelong health, employment, earning potential, and self-confidence.

  Schools are passionate about ensuring that all students succeed. They need strong partners to help them address health as part of their strategy. That’s why Kaiser Permanente created Thriving Schools, our all-in engagement to improve health for students, staff, and teachers. Our vision is that every community can count on their school as a champion for good health that enables great learning. 

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Data and information about the basics of bullying behavior and how you can make a difference today.

Data and information about the basics of bullying behavior and how you can make a difference today.

Data and information about the basics of bullying behavior and how you can make a difference today.

 

Bullying: The Basics

What is Bullying?

Bullying is defined as any unwanted and harmful verbal, physical, psychological, sexual or social act committed by an individual or group, as well as any real or perceived threat or imbalance of power.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, bullying includes teasing, name-calling, intimidation, humiliation, taunting, spreading rumors or lies, demands for money, online harassment (known as cyberbullying), sexual harassment, physical assault, theft and destruction of property.

Those harmed by bullying may be targeted on the basis of their sex, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical appearance and/or disability.

Although bullying is widespread in schools and on campuses across the United States, it is oftentimes less visible than people imagine, and it is often underreported.

In order to be considered bullying, the behavior must be aggressive and include:

  • An Imbalance of Power: Kids who bully use their power—such as physical strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularity—to control or harm others. Power imbalances can change over time and in different situations, even if they involve the same people.
  • Repetition: Bullying behaviors happen more than once or have the potential to happen more than once.
    Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose.

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Megan's Story

Data and information about the basics of bullying behavior and how you can make a difference today.

Data and information about the basics of bullying behavior and how you can make a difference today.

 

Megan Taylor Meier was born on November 6, 1992. She loved swimming, boating, fishing, dogs, rap music, and boys. But her life had not always been easy.

She was heavy and for years had tried to lose weight. She had attention deficit disorder and battled depression. Back in third grade she had talked about suicide, and ever since had seen a therapist.

IN LOVING MEM 4 (GOOD BLUR)edit lgr.jpg

But things were going exceptionally well. She had left the Fort Zumwalt School District and had just started eighth grade at a new school, Immaculate Conception, in Dardenne Prairie, MO. She was on the volleyball team, and had a new crush -- Josh Evans.

Josh was 16 years old and had contacted Megan through her MySpace page. Even though she had never met him, she begged her mother to allow her add him as a friend. For the next six weeks Megan and Josh - under Tina's watchful eye - became acquainted in the virtual world of MySpace. 

After school, Megan would rush to the computer. Megan had a lifelong struggle with weight and self-esteem, and now she finally had a boy who she thought really thought she was pretty.

And then on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2006, Megan received a puzzling and disturbing message from Josh. It said: "I don't know if I want to be friends with you anymore because I've heard that you are not very nice to your friends."

Frantic, Megan shot back: "What are you talking about?" 

The following day was rainy and bleak. At school, Megan had handed out invitations to her upcoming birthday party. When she got home she asked her mother to log on to MySpace to see if Josh had responded.

Why did he suddenly think she was mean? Who had he been talking to?

Tina signed on. But she was in a hurry. She had to take her younger daughter, Allison, to the orthodontist.

Before Tina could get out the door it was clear Megan was upset. Josh still was sending troubling messages. And he apparently had shared some of Megan's messages with others.

Tina recalled telling Megan to sign off.

"I will Mom," Megan said. "Let me finish up."

Tina was pressed for time. She had to go. But once at the orthodontist's office she called Megan and asked: "Did you sign off?"

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Colorado youth program is building leadership skills

 

Student Youth Councils Empower Students to Use Their Voice

KPCO_CreatingYouthAdvisoryCouncilsToolKit_April2018 (pdf)Download

GIVING SCHOOLS & HOMES MEDICAL WARNINGS ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA !

PROTECT YOUNG EYES

The Wait Until 8th pledge empowers parents to rally together to delay giving children a smartphone

AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE

 

PARENTAL CONTROLS FOR EVERY DIGITAL DEVICE

 

WE HELP CREATE SAFER DIGITAL SPACES. #FORTHEKIDS

OUR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUNDS INCLUDE TEACHER, CONSULTANT, CPA, PASTOR, YOUTH MINISTER, IT SUPPORT, MARKETER, SCIENTIST, AND PARENT. OUR TEAM IS READY TO SERVE YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES.

 

WE HELP CREATE SAFER DIGITAL SPACES. #FORTHEKIDS

OUR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUNDS INCLUDE TEACHER, CONSULTANT, CPA, PASTOR, YOUTH MINISTER, IT SUPPORT, MARKETER, SCIENTIST, AND PARENT. OUR TEAM IS READY TO SERVE YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES.

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AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE

The Wait Until 8th pledge empowers parents to rally together to delay giving children a smartphone

AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE

 

AFSP Orange County

 

Suicide prevention for schools, training for clinicians, funding for mental health programs: advocates make suicide prevention a priority

Our Public Policy team gives our volunteers the tools they need to advocate for suicide prevention at both the state and federal levels.

 

Putting our government to work: federal and state priorities

AFSP Advocates have won many victories at both state and federal levels, including mandatory suicide prevention programs for schools and landmark legislation like the Excellence in Mental Health Act.

Public policy priorities 


 

Annual Advocacy Forum and State Capitol Days

AFSP organizes advocacy days in DC and at state capitols to meet with our public officials and encourage them to support suicide prevention policies.


 https://afsp.org/our-work/advocacy/advocacy-events/ 

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The Wait Until 8th pledge empowers parents to rally together to delay giving children a smartphone

The Wait Until 8th pledge empowers parents to rally together to delay giving children a smartphone

The Wait Until 8th pledge empowers parents to rally together to delay giving children a smartphone

The Wait Until 8th pledge empowers parents to rally together to delay giving children a smartphone until at least 8th grade.  By banding together, this will decrease the pressure felt by kids and parents alike over the kids having a smartphone. 

Smartphones are distracting and potentially dangerous for children yet are widespread in elementary and middle school because of unrealistic social pressure and expectations to have one.

These devices are quickly changing childhood for children. Playing outdoors, spending time with friends, reading books and hanging out with family is happening a lot less to make room for hours of snap chatting, instagramming, and catching up on You Tube.

Parents feel powerless in this uphill battle and need community support to help delay the ever-evolving presence of the smartphone in the classroom, social arena and family dinner table. Let’s band together to wait until at least eighth grade before children are allowed to have a smartphone. 

Every major carrier makes a basic phone that just calls and texts without a data plan if you believe your child will need to get in touch with you before 8th grade. The Wait Until 8th pledge is encouraging parents to delay the smartphone. If you would like your child to have a basic phone that just calls and texts or a two-way calling watch, you still can sign the pledge! The basic phone and two-way calling watch avoid many of the distractions and dangers of the smartphone. 

Childhood is too short to waste on a smartphone. Take the pledge today! 

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Why Schools Are Going to the Dogs

Dogs Teach Empathy, Prevent Bullying to At-Risk Youth in NYC Schools

The Wait Until 8th pledge empowers parents to rally together to delay giving children a smartphone

 

McKibben

Having canines in classrooms is "a real mood changer." Discover how therapy dogs are helping with everything from trauma to reading interventions to school climate.

The usually composed 8th grader, described as a "gentle giant" who stands at a towering 6"5", "was having a bad day," says school counselor Christy Bixman. His mom was dying of cancer and his girlfriend had just broken up with him.

Unable to cope, he punched a locker and screamed at his teacher. Bixman, who brings a therapy dog to Van Devender Middle School in Parkersburg, West Virginia, intervened. "The second he saw the dog, he started sobbing," she recalls. He wrapped his arms around Winston, the black lab mix, and hugged him and cried.

"I gave him a couple of minutes before I asked any questions," says Bixman. But once he got himself together, "he opened up and sang like a canary."

"When we got done talking, he looked at me, exhaled, and said, 'I'm so happy we've got the dogs here.'"

A Paw-sitive Match

Bixman is happy to have Winston and her other dog, a golden retriever named Amelia, at school, too. She's one of many educators using therapy dogs to provide students with cognitive, physiological, and social and emotional support. The practice of using canine assistants in schools for mental health is becoming more widespread, says Matia Finn-Stevenson, a research scientist at Yale University. Having man's best friend around is also boosting morale for students and staff alike.

When educators think of therapy dogs, they generally think of "visiting dogs" that come to school once a week with their handlers (owners) for reading interventions in the library or for brief visits with kids, says Finn-Stevenson.

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Why Schools Are Going to the Dogs

Dogs Teach Empathy, Prevent Bullying to At-Risk Youth in NYC Schools

Dogs Teach Empathy, Prevent Bullying to At-Risk Youth in NYC Schools

 

Why Schools Are Going to the Dogs

Sarah McKibben

Having canines in classrooms is "a real mood changer." Discover how therapy dogs are helping with everything from trauma to reading interventions to school climate.

The usually composed 8th grader, described as a "gentle giant" who stands at a towering 6"5", "was having a bad day," says school counselor Christy Bixman. His mom was dying of cancer and his girlfriend had just broken up with him.

Unable to cope, he punched a locker and screamed at his teacher. Bixman, who brings a therapy dog to Van Devender Middle School in Parkersburg, West Virginia, intervened. "The second he saw the dog, he started sobbing," she recalls. He wrapped his arms around Winston, the black lab mix, and hugged him and cried.

"I gave him a couple of minutes before I asked any questions," says Bixman. But once he got himself together, "he opened up and sang like a canary."

"When we got done talking, he looked at me, exhaled, and said, 'I'm so happy we've got the dogs here.'"

Dogs Teach Empathy, Prevent Bullying to At-Risk Youth in NYC Schools

Dogs Teach Empathy, Prevent Bullying to At-Risk Youth in NYC Schools

Dogs Teach Empathy, Prevent Bullying to At-Risk Youth in NYC Schools

 

For many at-risk youth in New York City, violence and crime is an inescapable fact of life.

But Audrey Hendler is hoping to change that, with the help of about 25 four-legged teaching assistants.

In 2010, Hendler launched A Fair Shake for Youth, a program that brings therapy dogs into middle schools in under-served communities of New York City to teach children empathy and responsibility and help prevent bullying.

Hendler, a certified dog trainer and Canine Good Citizen evaluator, previously worked with Puppies Behind Bars, through which inmates in maximum- and minimum-security prisons helped socialize future working K-9s and service dogs for wounded war veterans. 

“I was blown away by the impact the dogs had on the inmates,” Hendler says, adding that she saw the prisoners gain self-esteem and compassion. “But I wondered, ‘Why are we waiting until people are grown up and in trouble for dogs to have this effect on them?”

She gave up her marketing consulting business to start the program, which has since grown to be in 10 schools and community organizations in Manhattan, South Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. Hendler found that middle school reached kids in the sweet spot of being old enough to understand important information about dogs but also young enough to be open to bonding with dogs and their handlers. “Having an adult tell them they’ll be back next week and then showing up is a big deal to these kids,” explains Hendler. “Adults aren’t always a consistent part of their life.”

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Prevent Bullying to At-Risk Youth ALL SCHOOLS USING DOGS

 

Dogs Teach Empathy, Prevent Bullying to At-Risk Youth in NYC Schools

Want to raise empathetic kids? Get them a dog.

We’re Honoring Lifesaving Work

 

The Petco Foundation is teaming up with Victoria Stilwell to honor Unsung Heroes across the nation for their extraordinary lifesaving efforts on behalf of animals.

The Unsung Hero awards are intended to honor people who often get overlooked, those individuals doing extraordinary work every day on the front line. Five individuals will be recognized and featured in a video series and their organizations will receive a $10,000 grant to continue their lifesaving work. One of the five will be recognized as the Petco Foundation’s national Unsung Hero Award recipient at the Petco Foundation Lifesaving Awards and their organization will receive a $25,000 grant.

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Maggie O’Haire, associate professor of human-animal interaction, is leading research that shows how service dogs can benefit veterans experiencing PTSD. (Purdue University photo/Rebecca Wilcox) Download image

 

How do we know service dogs help veterans with PTSD?

 

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder say service dogs save their lives. The problem is, it’s hard to show quantifiable research that proves it.

A Purdue University researcher is working on doing just that.

Maggie O’Haire, associate professor of human-animal interaction in the Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine, has been leading research that has revealed how service dogs might offer both physiological and behavioral benefits to veterans. O’Haire’s research is the first data of its kind.

“I hope we are giving veterans a voice through science,” O’Haire said. “People have been looking for answers for years, and this is a way to find the answers they’ve been looking for.”

The number of veterans with PTSD varies by service era. About 11-20 percent of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom veterans, 12 percent of Gulf War veterans and 15 percent of Vietnam veterans have PTSD within a given year, according to the National Center for PTSD.

O'Haire profileMaggie O’Haire, associate professor of human-animal interaction, is leading research that shows how service dogs can benefit veterans experiencing PTSD. (Purdue University photo/Rebecca Wilcox) Download image

“A common thing I hear from veterans with service dogs is, ‘I can actually leave my house now,’” O’Haire said. “It’s not uncommon to hear how these dogs are changing their lives, but there is finally data that is starting to show that change can be real. I think it will continue to give more veterans hope and information.”

Having a Dog Can Reduce Anxiety And Stress in Children, Study Finds

 You might find it hard to believe when you're running around the park after your pooch or cleaning up the latest vase it broke, but having a dog in the home can significantly reduce the likelihood that your kids will experience stress and anxiety, a new study has found.  

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TODAYS TEACHING STUDENT VERBAL (SEL) NEEDS TO INCLUDE DOGS

Therapy dogs are being used to support children with social and emotional learning needs, which in turn can assist with literacy development. Research into the effects of therapy dogs in schools is showing a range of benefits including: increase in school attendance. gains in confidence.Mar 19, 2018

 

Therapy dogs can help reduce student stress, anxiety and improve school attendance

March 19, 2018 2.37pm EDT 


 

  • In the wake of the schools shootings in Florida, therapy dogs have been used as a way to provide comfort and support for students returning to school. Research has shown therapy dogs can reduce stress and provide a sense of connection in difficult situations.

Given the impact therapy dogs can have on student well-being, schools and universities are increasingly adopting therapy dog programs as an inexpensive way of providing social and emotional support for students.

Read more: Police in schools: helpful or harmful? It depends on the model

What are therapy dogs?

It’s important to note therapy dogs are not service dogs. A service dog is an assistance dog that focuses on its owner to the exclusion of all else. Service dogs are trained to provide specific support for individuals with disabilities such as visual or hearing difficulties, seizure disorders, mobility challenges, and/or diabetes.

The role of therapy dogs is to react and respond to people and their environment, under the guidance and direction of their owner. For example, an individual might be encouraged to gently pat or talk to a dog to teach sensitive touch and help them be calm.

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Bringing therapy dogs into schools requires special handling

 

ive Brief:

  • While the use of therapy dogs at schools has been proven to offer benefits to students in terms of stress reduction and improved attendance and academic performance, school leaders also need to consider the needs of the animals themselves as they operate such initiatives, District Administration reports.
  • Because schools are active and complex environments, the person in charge of the pet therapy program at school needs to be someone who understands the stress levels that animals can handle and the risks involved in having them around children. Rather than adopting a school dog, administrators may be better off beginning by bringing in volunteers with trained dogs who use compassionate methods of training that encourage bonding.
  • These programs also work best when the goals are clear and the handlers, whether outside professionals or teachers, understand how to work with children who may be afraid or allergic to pets and how the animals can best be used to calm children and promote attendance and learning goals, the article says. Teacher also can benefit emotionally from the presence of therapy dogs on campus when the program is run efficiently.

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Best (practices) in show: Therapy dogs in schools

Give customers a reason to do business with you. 

Educators must focus on the comfort of students and the dogs to get best results

By: Matt Zalaznick | April 8, 2019

 

Therapy dogs in schools can perform wonders: The animals relieve students’ stress, help kids learn to read, and even boost test scores and attendance.

To reach these goals, educators must focus as much on the animals’ needs as they do on the comfort of students, says Jennifer VonLintel, a counselor. Her golden retriever, Copper, serves as a therapy dog at B.F. Kitchen Elementary School in Colorado’s Thompson School District.

“Therapy dogs can do great things, but administrators need to have someone running the program who understands risk and stress levels for the dogs,” says VonLintel, who operates the website School Therapy Dogs. “A school can be a complex environment for a dog.”

Administrators should start by bringing in outside volunteers with dogs, rather than having the school adopt a dog of its own. Administrators should be wary of handlers who use shock collars or other negative training methods because they can stress the dogs and prevent them from bonding with students.

Volunteers should first work with a small group of students and teachers. At the same time, educators should begin planning what activities and interventions therapy dogs will be involved in, and where the work will take place. “A lot of people bring in dogs, but they don’t have goals for the program,” VonLintel says.

When schools adopt their own dogs, the animals typically become the pets of a staff member. But dogs cannot work the long hours that their humans do, so owners must give their animals some days off during the week.

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ANTI BULLYING EDUCATIONS !!!

Bullying-suicide link explored in new study by researchers at Yale

Bullying-suicide link explored in new study by researchers at Yale

Bullying-suicide link explored in new study by researchers at Yale

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found signs of an apparent connection between bullying, being bullied and suicide in children, according to a new review of studies from 13 countries published in the International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health. 

“While there is no definitive evidence that bullying makes kids more likely to kill themselves, now that we see there’s a likely association, we can act on it and try to prevent it,” said review lead author Young-Shin Kim, M.D., assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine’s Child Study Center.

In the review, Kim and colleague Bennett Leventhal, M.D., analyzed 37 studies that examined bullying and suicide among children and adolescents. The studies took place in the United States, Canada, several European countries (including the United Kingdom and Germany), South Korea, Japan and South Africa.

Almost all of the studies found connections between being bullied and suicidal thoughts among children. Five reported that bullying victims were two to nine times more likely to report suicidal thoughts than other children were.

Not just the victims were in danger: “The perpetrators who are the bullies also have an increased risk for suicidal behaviors,” Kim said.

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10 Indications That Your Child is Being Bullied

Bullying-suicide link explored in new study by researchers at Yale

Bullying-suicide link explored in new study by researchers at Yale

 

the biggest, most intimidating kid at school with the strongest fists and most aggressive personality is no longer the stereotypical school yard bully. In fact, today’s bullies don’t steal lunch money; rather they ruin reputations and create hurtful rumors using the internet and social media.

However, the negative effects of victimization from a bully are still the same—with kids resorting to depression, social withdrawal, physical injury, addiction, self-harm, and even suicide.Here are ten signs to watch out for if you think your child may be the victim of bullying…

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More students are being bullied online, federal report says

Bullying-suicide link explored in new study by researchers at Yale

More cellphone use by children could mean more bullying — online and offline

 Online bullying is on the rise among middle and high school students, even as overall rates of bullying in schools have remained steady, according to a federal report released Tuesday. 

 July 15, 2019 at 9:01 p.m. PDT

Online bullying is on the rise among middle and high school students, even as overall rates of bullying in schools have remained steady, according to a federal report released Tuesday.

Twenty percent of students between the ages of 12 and 18 were bullied during the 2016-2017 school year, according to the report from the National Center for Education Statistics, the research arm of the U.S. Education Department. Among those students who faced bullying, 15 percent said they were bullied online or by text, a 3.5 percentage point jump from the 2014-2015 school year.

More cellphone use by children could mean more bullying — online and offline

The report did not indicate why online bullying is increasing, and students were not asked about the websites or social media networks used as conduits for bullying. But Rachel Hansen, a project officer for the National Center for Education Statistics, said the information can help guide efforts by schools to curb bullying.

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More cellphone use by children could mean more bullying — online and offline

National Council for Behavioral Health partners with the Alliance to offer dual membership

More cellphone use by children could mean more bullying — online and offline

 Oct. 8, 2018 at 7:00 a.m. PDT

Each year, more parents send their young child to elementary school equipped with a smartphone.

For instance, the percentage of third-graders who reported having their own cellphone more than doubled from 19 percent in 2013 to 45 percent in 2017. Similar increases took place for fourth-graders and fifth-graders. About 50 percent of fourth-graders and 70 percent of fifth-graders went to school with a phone in 2017.

Parents often cite the ability to easily reach their child as the major advantage of giving them a device, which they view as a safety issue. “Stranger danger” and sexual predators are often the first risks that occur to parents. Some public schools are adopting policies that limit personal contact between students and teachers.

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National Council for Behavioral Health partners with the Alliance to offer dual membership

National Council for Behavioral Health partners with the Alliance to offer dual membership

National Council for Behavioral Health partners with the Alliance to offer dual membership

 Beginning in September 2019, California Alliance members will also be National Council members. The National Council for Behavioral Health is the unifying voice of America’s health care organizations that deliver mental health and addictions treatment and services. Together with 3,000 member organizations serving over 10 million adults, children and families living with mental illnesses and addictions, the National Council is committed to all Americans having access to comprehensive, high-quality care that affords every opportunity for recovery. 

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Anger dwells only in the bosom of fools.

National Council for Behavioral Health partners with the Alliance to offer dual membership

National Council for Behavioral Health partners with the Alliance to offer dual membership

  All I have is the stubbornness of a mule; no, that’s quite all, I also have a nose. Albert Einstein Note: It’s refreshing to see someone as famous as Einstein laughing at himself. For more on this, check out the humanity and humility section 



 Nothing truly valuable arises from ambition or from a mere sense of duty; it stems rather from love and devotion toward men and toward objective things. 


 If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor. 

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Sticks and Stones Sixty Years Later Dealing with Bullying

Sticks and Stones Sixty Years Later: A Disabled Woman’s Advice for Adults and Teens on Dealing with Bullying and Cyberbullying

 By Justin W. PatchinOctober 9, 2019Tags: bullyingdisabilitywriting

Note: October is National Bullying Prevention Month. All this month we are highlighting resources to help youth—and those who care for them—deal with bullying (online and off). One particularly vulnerable population is youth with disabilities. Those who bully often target those who are perceived to be different than them, and living with a disability is often a very visible marker of difference. What follows is an invited guest post from Dr. Katherine Schneider. I have known Kathie for many years. She retired from my university but is still very active in the Eau Claire (Wisconsin) community. She is a champion for the rights of the disabled, and works tirelessly to make their lives easier. We got to talking one day about my work, and agreed that more could be done to address bullying among those who live with disabilities.
–Justin Patchin

By Katherine Schneider, Ph.D.

I was born blind and grew up in public schools. Hurtful teasing, bullying, and shunning were regular parts of my growing up, and as a result, so was a very low self-concept. I hated being blind. All I knew to do when confronted by bullying was to respond with the old saw about “sticks and stones will break my bones” and tell the bully to “shut up.” Sometimes this worked, but usually not.

Thankfully some things have changed since my adolescence. There are laws like Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Both serve to prohibit discrimination at schools (or other public entities) based on disability. There are online resources for parents, professionals, and teens like the Pacer Center’s National Bullying Prevention Center. Parent support groups for parents of children with disabilities and social support/skill building groups for teens with disabilities exist.

Another change is the playground got larger! The online world adds wonderful access to resources and communities, but also new places to be bullied. No longer is the home a respite from bullying.

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Student Mental Health Policy Workgroup The Student Mental Health Policy Workgroup will assess the current mental health needs of California students and gather evidence to support its policy recommendations to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and the California Legislature.

 

State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) Tom Torlakson convened the Student Mental Health Policy Workgroup (SMHPW) in 2012 to assess the mental health needs of California students and gather evidence to support policy recommendations to the SSPI and the California Legislature.

The all-volunteer, unpaid work group is composed of teachers, school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, school nurses, and school administrators, and state and county mental health professionals. This diverse group has used its combined expertise to develop policy recommendations related to mental health training for educators, youth suicide, student safety, and other mental health-related issues.

The work group was originally convened with funding assistance from the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA). The CalMHSA provided Mental Health Services Act funding through 2016 to help the SMHPW begin its work.

In addition to its work in providing policy recommendations, the SMHPW now serves as the State Management Team for Project Cal-Well, a five-year federal grant program which serves to foster collaboration between the CDE and local educational agencies to address critical mental health needs of California's kindergarten through twelfth-grade students. Project Cal-Well is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

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CALIFORNIA MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE AUTHORITY Vision CalMHSA serves California Counties and Cities in the dynamic delivery of mental health and supportive services. A nationally recognized leader, CalMHSA inspires the service community through its commitment to results and values. Successful statewide and regional programs enable the voice of many to be heard.

 

Revolutionizing compassion for healing

CalMHSA pioneers cutting edge research, providing counties an independent administrative and fiscal intergovernmental structure. We help fund, develop, and implement mental health services and educational programs at the state, regional, and local levels. A central component of CalMHSA‘s vision is to continually promote systems and services arising from a commitment to community mental health, and to the values of the California Mental Health Services Act.

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Model School District Policy on Suicide Prevention:

 Model Language, Commentary, and Resources   Introduction This document outlines model policies and best practices for school districts to follow to protect the health and safety of all students. In 2017, suicide was the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10-19.1 It is critically important that school districts have policies and procedures in place to prevent, assess the risk of, intervene, and respond to youth suicidal behavior. Protecting the health and well-being of students is in line with school mandates and is an ethical imperative for all professionals working with youth. Because it is impossible to predict when a crisis will occur, preparedness is necessary for every school district. Furthermore, prevention programs and policies can help to deter suicide, rather than just acting in response. On average, a young person dies by suicide every hour and 25 minutes in the U.S.2 For every young person who dies by suicide, an estimated 100-200 youth make suicide attempts.3 Youth suicide is preventable, and educators and schools are key to prevention. This document was developed by examining strong local policies, ensuring that they are in line with the latest research in the field of suicide prevention, and identifying best practices for a national framework. The model is comprehensive, yet the policy language is modular and may be used to draft your own district policy based upon the unique needs of your district.  

Model_School_Policy_Booklet (pdf)Download

Downloads AB 2291, Chiu. School safety: bullying.

Existing law, the Safe Place to Learn Act, requires the State Department of Education to assess whether local educational agencies have taken certain actions related to educational equity, including adopting a policy that prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on specified characteristics such as disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation, or association with a person or group with one or more of the specified characteristics. 

This bill would require local educational agencies, as defined, to adopt, on or before December 31, 2019,  procedures for preventing acts of bullying, including cyber bullying. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

Existing law requires the State Department of Education to develop an online training module to assist all school staff, school administrators, parents, pupils, and community members in increasing their knowledge of the dynamics of bullying and cyber bullying.

This bill would require the department to post on its Internet Web site the online training module developed by the department and an annually updated list of other available online training modules relating to bullying or bullying prevention. The bill would require a school operated by a school district or a county office of education and a charter school to annually make available the online training module developed by the department to certificated school site employees and all other school site employees who have regular interaction with pupils. By imposing additional duties on schools operated by a school district or a county office of education and charter schools, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

AB 2291 BULLYING BY DEC,1,2019 20170AB2291_95 (pdf)Download

AB 2022 Chu Pupil mental health services school notifiy

 This bill would require a school of a school district or county office of education and a charter school to notify pupils and parents or guardians of pupils no less than twice during the school year on how to initiate access to available pupil mental health services on campus or in the community, or both, as provided.  This bill would require a school of a school district or county office of education and a charter school to notify pupils and parents or guardians of pupils no less than twice during the school year on how to initiate access to available pupil mental health services on campus or in the community, or both, as provided. By imposing an additional requirement on schools of school districts and county offices of education and charter schools, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would authorize a county to use funds from the  MHSA to provide a grant to a school district or county office of education, or to a charter school, within the county, for purposes of funding those notification requirements, and would authorize a school district or county office of education, or a charter school, to apply to its respective county for a grant for those purposes.

AB-2022 Pupil mental health services school notification.(2017-2018)20170AB2022_89 (pdf)Download

HR 28, as amended, Dababneh Relative to humane education

 

WHEREAS, Sections 233.5 (part of the Hate Violence Prevention Act) and 60042 of the Education Code require instruction in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to promote and encourage kindness to pets and humane treatment of animals; and

WHEREAS, The States of Florida, Illinois, Maine, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin have adopted humane education laws similar to California’s; and

WHEREAS, Numerous academic studies have established a correlation between animal cruelty during childhood and interpersonal violence in adulthood; and

WHEREAS, Law enforcement agencies in major cities such as Houston, Chicago, and Los Angeles have acknowledged this correlation and formed special enforcement units to combat animal cruelty; and

WHEREAS, Humane education, such as that involving wildlife, the animals’ place in the overall environment, and the negative impacts humans can have on them, including death and extinction, can disrupt the cycle of animal and human abuse by decreasing a child’s potential to be abusive or neglectful toward animals and, consequently, to promote prosocial behavior toward humans; and

WHEREAS, Humane education programs seek to prevent violence by teaching empathy, compassion, and respect for all living beings and help children develop into caring, responsible citizens; and

WHEREAS, Reputable nonprofit organizations are working to implement humane education programs through in-classroom presentations, teacher training, and the provision of relevant resources, and these organizations could assist California schools in complying with the Education Code’s humane education provisions without burdening school budgets; and

Files coming soon.

AB 2246 O'Donnell. Pupil suicide prevention policies

 

AB 2246, O'Donnell. Pupil suicide prevention policies.YEAR 2015-2016 SIGNED INTO LAW EFFECTIVE STARTS IN YEAR 2017-2018 NO LATTER.

Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary schools in this state and provides for the establishment of school districts and other local educational agencies to operate these schools and provide instruction to pupils. Existing law establishes the State Department of Education in state government and vests the department with specified powers and duties relating to the state’s public school system.
This bill would require the governing board or body of a local educational agency, as defined, that serves pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to, before the beginning of the 2017–18 school year, adopt a policy on pupil suicide prevention, as specified, that specifically addresses the needs of high-risk groups. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the department to develop and maintain a model policy to serve as a guide for local educational agencies. 

215. (a) (1) The governing board or body of a local educational agency that serves pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, shall, before the beginning of the 2017–18 school year, adopt, at a regularly scheduled meeting, a policy on pupil suicide prevention in grades 7 to 12, inclusive. The policy shall be developed in consultation with school and community stakeholders, school-employed mental health professionals, and suicide prevention experts and shall, at a minimum, address procedures relating to suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention. 



AB 2246 Suicide Prevention Audit Reveals Urgent Need to Better Help California’s Youth _ Assembly Democratic Caucus (pdf)Download

AB 2291, Chiu. School safety: bullying.

 This bill would require the department to post on its Internet Web site the online training module developed by the department and an annually updated list of other available online training modules relating to bullying or bullying prevention. The bill would require a school operated by a school district or a county office of education and a charter school to annually make available the online training module developed by the department to certificated schoolsite employees and all other schoolsite employees who have regular interaction with pupils. By imposing additional duties on schools operated by a school district or a county office of education and charter schools, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 

Cyberbullying-Identification-Prevention-Response-2019 (pdf)Download

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