Kate M. Wegmann

Shaping a new society: Immigration, integration, and schooling in Germany

Germany’s immigrant population has dramatically increased since World War II, bringing a new need for immigrant-centered policies and programs. How has Germany responded to the needs of its growing immigrant population? This article provides brief historical highlights of German immigration policy, with a focus on how policies have affected education and academic achievement. Implications of such policies for social work practice are discussed, and recommendations for ways in which social workers can take an active role in fostering integration of immigrant families into German society are offered.

Increasing Awareness of Child Mental Health Issues Among Elementary School Staff

Without sufficient education and training on mental illness, school teachers are less likely to have the capacity to recognize related symptoms in students and make appropriate referrals for care. The current pilot study tests the overall effectiveness of a new in-service training designed as the introductory component to a school-based mental health intervention. The training included information on the prevalence of mental health problems in the United States, common youth disorders, and treatment barriers that many families face. Participants’ knowledge before and after the training was measured using a 27-item instrument, and statistical significance was assessed for pre- to posttest changes for individual items. Results are overwhelmingly positive and provide evidence of an increase in accurate knowledge of child mental health issues. Implications for both practice and research are discussed.

Supporting Vulnerable Families Through School-Based Mental Health Services: Results of Caregiver and Teacher Focus Groups

Family perspectives facilitate participation and positive outcomes in child mental health treatment. In schools, families and teachers must cooperate to best meet childrens mental health needs, also making teacher perspectives important. In this study, caregivers and teachers participated in focus groups following the pilot year of a school-based mental health (SBMH) project. Participants noted successes and challenges of the project and suggested improvements. Although this study focuses on the SBMH project, many of the study implications are applicable to other school mental health programs and may be of value to school and community practitioners.

Supporting prosocial development through school-based mental health services: A multisite evaluation of social and behavioral outcomes across one academic year

Abstract Unaddressed behavioral and socioemotional difficulties impact the mental health, educational attainment, and future outcomes of children to such an extent that it is imperative to identify effective strategies for early intervention and treatment. School-based mental health services address students’ socialemotional concerns by removing barriers to accessing appropriate services, improving coordination of services, and implementing prevention and intervention strategies for students. This study evaluates the effects of one such program on the socioemotional well-being of students served across six elementary school sites. Study findings support the critical need for school-based mental health for the promotion of prosocial behavior and socioemotional wellness.

Measuring Social Support and School Belonging in Black/African American and White Children

Objective: To determine the suitability of the Elementary School Success Profile for Children (ESSP-C) for assessment and comparison of social support and school belonging between Black/African American and White students. Methods: Multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis and invariance testing were conducted to determine the ESSP-C’s validity for use with Black/African American and White students. Latent mean comparisons were performed to determine statistically significant differences in school belonging and social support between racial/ethnic groups. Results: The ESSP-C demonstrated partial measurement invariance at a level (93% invariant) that supports the validity of the measure for Black/African American and White students. Black/African American students reported a significantly higher mean level of school belonging compared to White students. Conclusion: The ESSP-C can be used to make valid assessments and comparisons of social support and school belonging between Black/African American and White students, which may be useful in guiding school social work practice and intervention.

“His skin doesn’t match what he wants to do”: Children’s perceptions of stereotype threat.

Stereotype threat is a key contributor to chronic racial/ethnic disparities in mental health, physical health, and academic outcomes. Emerging evidence suggests that stereotype threat may be a critical concern for narrowing these disparities. The objective of the current study is to determine whether children between the ages of 7–11 consciously perceive stereotype threat, and to examine children’s descriptions of the phenomenon. Age-appropriate vignettes illustrated 6 forms of stereotype threat. 15 children from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds read and responded to 3 vignettes each. Interview transcripts were analyzed to determine if participants identified and articulated the core concept and eliciting conditions for each form of threat. All children were able to recognize and describe the core concept for at least 1 form of stereotype threat. Threats to a person’s own self-concept were the most commonly identified, whereas threats directed toward a group were less easily recognized and articulated. Children were able to describe conditions associated with threat, although not all conditions were recognized in the context of each particular vignette. Children’s responses to the vignettes illustrating stereotype threat suggest that children are able to perceive and describe stereotype threat in ways similar to adults. The primary importance of threats to the self and secondary importance of group threats may be explained by the developmental context of children’s emerging social perspective taking skills. Addressing the effects of stereotype threat at younger ages may prevent persistent and cumulative disparities in health, mental health, and academic outcomes from arising.