​I recently listened to an episode of Code Switch: What About Your Friends, that discusses how friendships are developed between people of different races.  Researcher Grace Kao found that students who are White and Black overwhelmingly have homogeneous friend groups, while Latino and Asian are more likely to have friends of different races. In addition, kids of color were disproportionately unable to name one single friend at school.  Specifically, 30% of the students who were unable to name one friend were Black, Hispanic, and Asian males.  

Why does this happen?  The United States has a long history of housing segregation which has led to de facto segregation in schools. Since friendship is largely determined by proximity, it’s not surprising that this phenomenon occurs. Even in racially diverse schools, systemic tracking of students often lead to alienation and pitting of one group of students against another. Students of color often choose to come together as a form of protection from prejudice and rejection. ​

In this week’s blog post, I’d like to introduce Camino Nuevo Charter Academy and its Sandra Cisneros Campus. Camino Nuevo is a network of seven public charter schools and one preschool in central Los Angeles, serving the communities of Westlake/MacArthur Park, Pico Union, Koreatown, and Echo Park. Its fourth school—Sandra Cisneros Learning Academy—opened in 2011 and currently serves 629 students, grades Kindergarten through 8th, in LA’s Echo Park neighborhood. Seneca began a partnership with Cisneros this school year as a part of a multi-school grant awarded to Seneca through the Los Angeles Unified School District. 

Sandra Cisneros Learning Academy has many exciting and unique characteristics that show just how strongly the school aligns with the goals and values of Unconditional Education. For example, the entire campus practices mindfulness through the MindUP curriculum and staff addresses issues of behavior and equity through a restorative justice approach. Cisneros also supports the social-emotional well-being of students with the support of six onsite mental health specialists, provided in partnership with the LA Child Development Center. In order to meet the needs of the Echo Park community and the youth and families supported by the neighboring Dream Center (which provides shelter relief and transitional housing to over 500 individuals and families), the school openly acknowledges the importance of building a trauma-informed community of care on its campus.

Sandra Cisneros is one of five schools supported by Darrell Lane, one of our program’s Behavior Intervention Coaches. At Cisneros, Darrell’s work this year has focused on building the capacity of teachers and staff in providing effective behavioral support to the school’s highest-need students and classrooms. After working with school leadership to identify priority students and staff in need of support, Darrell began cycles of observation and coaching with a targeted group of teachers to help build their confidence and skills in building relationships and managing behaviors with students in their classroom. Darrell also meets weekly with two of the school’s assistant principals and its lead therapist, and participates in weekly COST meetings to discuss the school’s “heart” students that are in need of some extra love. All in all—a pretty full plate considering he’s only at Cisneros one day a week!

It was clear from our first weeks on campus this fall how eager teachers were for Darrell’s support, and teachers across campus have been open to new ideas and receptive to the coaching Darrell has provided. In addition, the grant we received has allowed us to provide a few professional developments to the Sandra Cisneros community from the UE Foundations Series, with our final training coming next week. Overall, it’s been exciting to see how much Darrell has been able to help “move the needle” on a number of students’ success stories even during this first half the school year. 

Name: Darrell Lane
Position: Behavior Interventions Coach
What led you to your current position? The motivation from my previous supervisor David T. Jones to always push myself because he believed I was capable.
Quote: "The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do." - Kobe Bryant
What does your average day look like? Wake up at 6:30am get dressed and ready for the day. Arrive at work at 8:00am do my routine check ins with admin/counselors. Then make my rounds of observing identified teachers. End of the school day facilitate meeting with admin and staff about plans, struggles, and successes. Leave work at 4:00pm for my hour commute home to Long Beach. Go the gym around 5:30pm get back home at 7:00pm, eat dinner, get clothes out for the next the day, take a shower, watch a show, sleep, and then repeat.​
Why do you do this work? My passion has always been children, I have always worked with them in some capacity and I couldn't see myself doing anything else.  It's important for me to give back to the ones who have been push to the side or forgotten about.

In All In, growth-mindset is part of our culture. In individual and group supervision, we are constantly discussing personal and professional growth opportunities as a result of this work.
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As we wrapped up 2019, the Behavioral Strands Leadership Team hosted a Seneca Career Fair. The objective of the career fair was to provide the Behavioral Team, specifically our Student Support Assistants an opportunity to meet, actively engage with, and learn from their fellow Senecans about various career tracks held within Seneca Family of Agencies. On the panel of participants were an array of representatives for positions including, but not limited to:

• Academic Intervention Specialist
• Assistant Director of Implementation
• Clinical Intervention Specialist
• Director of Operations
• Director is School Partnership
• DESI (Data, Evaluation, and Strategic Initiatives) Project Manager
• Program Assistant
• School Psychologist
• School Psychologist Intern
• TBS (Therapeutic Behavioral Services) Clinician
• UE (Unconditional Education) Coach 
• and much more!

It was a magical event, and the plan is to host this type of engagement activity on an annual basis. 

As we enter into 2020, “Stay Interviews" have begun. We use this interview format  to inquire about plans and professional development goals for next school year. The majority of our All-In Student Support Assistants are motivated to pursue higher learning opportunities, with the hope of staying with or returning to Seneca as a Teacher, Therapist, or Data Evaluator. Additionally, many of our Student Support Assistants have followed up with Career Fair representatives to further discuss their goals and plans for moving in that direction, which is AWESOME!!

​So, be on the lookout for our amazing Behavioral Team. They have some aspiring teachers and therapists on the rise. Some are looking forward to starting grad school Fall 2020 and others are exploring potential Universities for Fall 2021. As Eric Thomas said, “When you find your why, you find a way to make it happen.” 

​Caliber beta academy is located in Richmond California, the school operates as a Tk-5 in the lower school and 6-8 in the upper school. Caliber’s mission is to achieve educational equity by shifting the experiences, expectations and outcomes for students in historically underserved communities. Operating under a strength based model Caliber focuses on four main pillars to ensure a healthy school and climate culture.
The four pillars are Heart, Smart, Think, Act.

• Heart: (Emotional Intelligence) A Caliber graduate is prepared to navigate a variety of social circumstances and life situations through the use of the five emotional intelligence strategies: Self Management, Self Awareness, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision Making
• Smart: (Academic College Readiness) A Caliber graduate is prepared to graduate from a four-year college without remediation
• Think: (Critical Thinking) A Caliber graduate is prepared to solve problems in many ways by analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information
• Act: (Agents of Change) A Caliber graduate is prepared to effectively advocate for self and others in order to create institutional change and a more just society

The FACE of caliber is embodied within the four values. In my experience the staff members at Caliber approach each day whether consciously or unconsciously with the values below, go Dragons!

In 2020 California will renew its Medicaid waiver and this revision has the potential to impact the provision of mental and behavioral health services for years to come. A Medicaid Waiver is a provision in Section 1115 of the federal Social Securities Act that allows states to provide services to residents who may not be eligible under the basic Medicaid rules.  Because of this provision, states can use Medicaid funds for new or innovative programs and increase access to care for underserved groups. The current debate will define the criteria for these expanded programs and set the foundation for many of the regulations that impact practice. 

There are a number of critical points being debated as a part of this reform effort, but one that is of particular interest, given its direct alignment with Unconditional Education is the discussion related to just how children can gain access to mental and behavioral health care. Under the current system, a client must receive a diagnosis of a mental health disorder in order to be “opened” or receive ongoing sessions with a therapist funded through MediCal. A diagnosis, representing a cluster of symptoms, indicates that treatment is medically necessary. While this determination of “medical necessity” seems like a clear-cut distinction, how it plays out in practice is substantially more nuanced, complex, and can have problematic consequences for both individuals and our larger system of care. Loosening the restrictions around this provision and allowing therapists to serve clients without first providing a formal diagnosis would provide an opportunity to:

Stop problems before they start. 
For far too many children who have faced multiple stressors in under-resourced systems the point of diagnosis comes only after a critical level of challenge has been reached. Children are referred to care only once they are already presenting acute symptoms impacting their daily functioning and success at school. Increasing the flexibility with which therapeutic services can be provided would open new opportunities to focus on prevention and early intervention and increase access to care for families who utilize MediCal.  

Reduce the stigmatization of mental health care. 
Currently, diagnosis must occur early in the relationship between the client, caregiver and therapist and requires that early discussions focus on about what’s “wrong” with the child. This required entry point stands in deep contrast to what is otherwise a belief in providing a strengths-based approach to care. While sometimes the establishment of a diagnosis is a useful tool for determining course of treatment, it can also be barrier that prevents families from accessing services for fear of being labeled as “mentally ill”. Further, the criteria of a diagnosis requires a clinician to pathologize many of the normal ups and downs of wellbeing and responses to stress that families experience over time in order to provide needed support. Increased flexibility in accessing MediCal has the potential to reduce the stigmatization that can come with receiving mental health services and support the cultivation of a client’s strengths and protective factors from the start of care. 

Promote equity. 
Beyond the issues of accessing care above, there are problematic challenges with the establishment of a diagnosis in and of itself. There’s a growing body of research to demonstrate that poor children of color are more likely to receive diagnosis of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and less likely to receive diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) than their more affluent white peers, even when other factors, such as the prevalence of trauma, were accounted for. While similar in symptomology, these two diagnoses carry vastly different social meanings and can indicate largely different trajectories for a client’s care.  Patterns of diagnosis that follow predictable and disproportionate lines across race and class indicate the ways in which unmitigated bias continue reinforce the oppressive systems that impact Medicare recipients. Reducing the emphasis on diagnosis, and instead focusing on client wellbeing, would promote a more equitable approach.

While there is still much to be determined in the development of California’s proposed waiver it is exciting to engage on this important discussion. To follow this discussion and the others that are a part of the Waiver debate follow along at MediCal: A Healthier California for All.

There is a huge sign in front of the school announcing its “sesquicentennial” celebration.  That means this school has served the Oakland school children, families, and the community for over 150 years!  The Prescott Elementary school was founded in 1869.  Ida Louise Jackson, Oakland’s first African American teacher, taught at Prescott in 1925-- 13 years before any other school hired a black teacher.  The school served the historic West Oakland community and for years, had an enrollment of predominantly African American students.  The spirit of Black pride is woven into the make-up of the school.  With the shifting times, the school has gone through transitions but remains firmly committed to serving the community through education and community building.  During the 2005-2006 school year, the school was re-envisioned with a new name of PLACE @ Prescott (Preparatory Literary Academy of Cultural Excellence).  Check out this video that captures the breadth and legacy of teachers and students at Prescott:

​This is our first year in partnership with this notable school.  Helmed by a seasoned principal who embodies the values of the school, we jumped into a busy school year with a full team made up of Danee Black (UE Coach), Kaycee Hasan (Clinical Intervention Specialist), Ronni Pelley (Mental Health Counselor, Associate), and Alithu Manrique (Mental Health Counselor) working along side the school with the Intensive Counseling Enriched Classroom (ICEC).  Our Seneca representatives on the school campus also embody the values of the school, bringing a strong sense of pride in culture and education.

As with any new partnership, this Seneca team worked tirelessly to figure out systems, build alliances with the school, and flex the strengths of the Seneca All In models of inclusion.  Through their tenacity and dedication this team has forged a strong relationship with the special education teacher within the ICEC class and has opened the pathways to connecting with the wider campus staff and leaders.  Their creativity in managing challenges is unparalleled!  From impromptu classroom activities to ongoing space issues to holding consistent expectations for their students amidst intense, daunting behaviors, the team perseveres towards living out a disconfirming stance that the students can and shall have access to the education they deserve.  As one member said, “…this is a team where all members give 110%!”  Team members have created inventive calming spaces on the campus, helped manage contentious meetings with families with the Department of Transportation, won over the families of our ICEC students with phone calls that convey respect and collaboration (with other agencies asking for tips on how this team did this!), and stepped into the community/client’s homes/school bus to provide the service where it is needed.  They have given and received feedback with each other through this process.  They have laughed, they have cried, and they have talked and talked and talked (this is a very talkative group).

Their students in the ICEC program have acknowledged the team’s care and importance in their young lives in subtle ways and in memorable overt ways, like the time the students made superlative awards for each Seneca team member in secret to surprise the group.  The best teacher, the best counselor, the most nicest person – these are the attributes that the students could see in their classroom team.  This simple expression can be uncomfortable for these students and it shows great trust that they were able to engage with the team in a vulnerably sweet way.
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I’m proud of this team at Prescott.  They are embodying the shared values of the school and laying the groundwork for an even stronger partnership in the years to come.  Maybe for the next 150 years??

Yes, it is meaningful and important work: We change lives and systems.  However, in order to remain healthy and sustain in the work, it is important that we proactively take care of ourselves.

Portia Jackson-Preston's Ted Talk (linked below) discusses a shift from the individualistic self-care approach, which emphasizes on self-reliance to communal care practices.  This shift recognizes that self-care practices reflect individual needs and preferences while also identifying the importance of having these practices supported by resources.  Portia discusses the social-ecological model as a means to develop an effective long-lasting self-care practice for ourselves and others in our community.
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When you are finished watching the TedTalk, click HERE to take a Self-Care Assessment to determine how to best facilitate your self-care practices.  What shifts will you make in your self-care practice?

Name: Karla Aguirre
​Position: School Psychologist Intern
What led you to your current position? During my first year at All-In! Toshia Mears passionately shared why she thought being a school psychologist was a career I should consider. With Toshia’s and Meka Tull’s input I became interested in the role. I was able to shadow a bilingual psychologist my first year at Seneca and decided that I was highly interested in pursuing the career. Now, I’m in my last year of graduate school, while completing my internship at Seneca.
Fun Fact/Quote: As a graduation gift to myself, I booked a trip to Thailand this summer J
What does your average day look like? My day depends on what site I’m at. A typical day of counseling is typically back to back sessions of counseling and documenting my services. A typical day of assessments could look like me observing, pulling and reviewing files, interviewing parents/teachers, and report writing (a lot of writing).
Why do you do this work? ​As a school psychologist I am able to hold many hats. The flexibility of role allows me to work with parents, students and school staff members. I enjoy supporting marginalized populations because they remind me of my family and community from southern California. 

Name: Roxas Tumaneng
​Position: Classroom Therapist at Think College Now (TCN) Elementary in Oakland
What led you to your current position? Since I was a kid, getting into psychology was my goal because I needed a structured way to understand people. It wasn’t until I had a niece that I really wanted to focus on understanding children and youth within their social and ecological environment. I hoped that what I learned at work would also teach me to be a better uncle. Since working with Seneca (2015), I was familiar with the counseling enriched classroom setting and wanted to continue that as a therapist. So with the support of my supervisor, I worked towards getting into the Seneca MSW @ USC embedded program. Upon graduation, there weren’t any available positions as a classroom therapist throughout Seneca. However, serendipity was on my side when I initially interviewed with All-In! for another position. That was when I also got to meet Amy who was then part of SOAPS and she offered me a position once the program got new contracts. I’ve been a Classroom Therapist at TCN since August.
Fun Fact/Quote: The most I inline skated (aka rollerbladed) in one day was about 6 hours.
What does your average day look like? I spend my first hour of the morning at the therapy office completing logistical work and documentation. Once school starts, I (co)facilitate morning meetings. Then I’m either having individual therapy, group therapy, am in the classroom, or am in my office planning for therapy. When I can, I like to come back in the classroom for check-out at the end of the day and then check-out as a team once the student’s have left. Then if needed, I reach out to necessary people and/or complete work at the therapy office.
Why do you do this work? I continue to do this work because it fills my cup. I’m part of an amazing team and program committed to each student’s success. I appreciate the collaboration, the norms of communication, and the routine you get in a school setting. I learn so much from the student’s insight and play. It’s a privilege and purposeful challenge to work with the clients and their family about meeting the student’s needs.