Michael S. Kelly

Indicated Truancy Interventions for Chronic Truant Students A Campbell Systematic Review

Objective: Examine the effects of indicated interventions on attendance with chronic truant students. Method: Systematic review and meta-analytic methods, following Campbell Collaboration guidelines, were utilized. A comprehensive search identified 5 randomized and 11 quasi-experimental studies. Results: The mean effect on attendance outcomes was moderate, positive, and significant, g = .46, 95% confidence interval [.30, .62], p < .05, translating into an improvement in attendance by an average of 4.69 days; however, significant heterogeneity was observed. Moderator analyses found no significant differences in mean effects between studies on variables tested. Discussion: Chronic truant students benefit from interventions targeting attendance behaviors; however, no program stood out as being more effective than others. Mean rates of absenteeism at posttest in most studies remained above acceptable levels, indicating a need for more effective interventions. The paucity of research, gaps, and deficiencies affirm the need for strengthening the evidence base. Recommendations for practice, policy, and research are discussed.

School Social Work

The oldest of its kind in the South, Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Social Work was established in 1917 as the Richmond School of Social Economy. Later renamed the School of Social Work and Public Health, it became the first unit of Richmond Professional Institute. The school was created initially in response to community needs in working with World War I veterans and their social and health problems. Subsequent development of the school has expanded activity into all areas of human service.

Meeting the social and behavioral health needs of students: rethinking the relationship between teachers and school social workers.

BACKGROUND While school-based mental health professionals obviously must provide mental health services to students directly, the literature is increasingly identifying an empowerment role for these professionals, whereby they support teachers as primary service providers. The purpose of this study was to identify subtypes of school social workers within the context of collaborative practice, and to identify individual and contextual factors associated with these classifications as well as overall levels of collaboration. METHODS Latent class analysis, conducted using data collected as part of the National School Social Work Survey 2008 (N = 1639), was employed to examine underlying subtypes of school social work practitioners in relation to collaborative practices and to examine predictors of collaborative practice. RESULTS Four broad categories of school social workers were identified, including (1) noncollaborators, (2) system-level specialists, (3) consultants, and (4) well-balanced collaborators. These classes were associated with the number of schools served, grade level, education, and clinical licensure status; level of administrative responsibility was not associated with class membership. CONCLUSION While school social workers varied in collaborative practices, opportunities exist to enhance their role in educating and supporting teachers to serve as primary providers to students with social, mental health, and behavioral needs. The implications for school-based mental health providers, teachers, administrators, policymakers, and researchers are discussed.

Adopting a Data-Driven Public Health Framework in Schools: Results from a Multi-Disciplinary Survey on School-Based Mental Health Practice

School-based mental health (SBMH) is a growing and important subspecialty within the variety of mental health professions. In Illinois, the state has its own state-driven certification process for four major school-based mental health professions: school counselors, school nurses, school psychologists, and school social workers. To continue building the infrastructure of SBMH and inform practice in this field requires a commitment to understanding the current work and context of these practitioners. The past decade has seen significant changes in education policy and thinking about service provision, as highlighted by Response to Intervention (RTI) and Positive Behavior Supports (PBS), both of which emphasize systematic collection of data on students and interventions designed to improve student outcomes by embedding this work in a three-tier prevention framework drawn from public health approaches. To date, no data about the field has been collected on all of these professions at one time in Illinois. Findings from the survey data (N = 1874, overall response rate of 31%) indicate that SBMH in Illinois is located largely in tertiary activities involving individual and small-group counseling, and few school-based mental health professionals (SBMHP) show a consistent pattern of practice within the current PBS/RTI framework or use more than limited data to inform practice choices.

Disability and Post-High School Transition: Doest Placement in Special Eduction Improve Outcomes for Young People?

Young people with disabilities face difficulties in the post-school transition, yet little research has examined the impact of classroom placement on these outcomes for young people with learning, mental, emotional, and behavioral disabilities. Using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997, this study compares transition outcomes of young people without disabilities (N = 6,447) with those of young people who have a disability and have been in special education (N = 242), remedial classes (N = 51), and general education (N = 430). Young people with disabilities in all groups struggle considerably more in educational and social domains than those without disabilities. Special education is associated with high school completion, but does not protect against other negative outcomes. Young people with emotional, mental, and behavioral disabilities struggle considerably, regardless of education placement. The results suggest a need to revisit how well education placement options are meeting their mandate for young people with disabilities. There is evidently a need to explore interventions for young people with emotional and behavioral difficulties, as current placement options are not meeting their needs.

Conversation Club: A Promising Practice in Youth Mentoring of Migrants and Refugees

This paper evaluates Conversation Club, a Canadian after-school group mentoring intervention focusing on the expansion of the program across three separate regions of Ontario. The authors use a multiple methods design, including questionnaires (n=101), post-session process data, and qualitative interviews (n=18), to evaluate how Conversation Club impacts members’ feelings of hope, belonging, sense of ethnic identity, and social support. A focus group (n = 7) with program facilitators was also conducted to explore the process of dissemination of the Club across regions. Findings suggest that Conversation Club holds promise for newcomer youth across settings. Quantitative data showed significant change (p <.01) in levels of hope and sense of belonging. Interviews revealed an increased sense of belonging, possibility, and social support, as well as improved confidence in communicating with others. Insights regarding use of the Club manual suggest the importance of integrating Conversation Club values with flexibility in facilitation to incorporate the strengths and opportunities of context across regions. Study limitations, as well as implications for further social work research and dissemination of best practices in services for migrant and refugee youth, are discussed.