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OUR UE MODEL AND SERVICES

STAFF HIGHLIGHT

4/17/2017

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​Name: 
Ana Martinez
Position: 
Student Support Assistant (SSA)

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What led you to your current position? 
Originally I was hired into Seneca in 2013 as a Mental Health Counselor at Pathfinder and I transferred to All-In South Bay because of their need for Spanish bilingual SSA.
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Favorite Quote: 
“You may write me down in history with your bitter twist lies. You may trod me in the very dirt, but still like dust, I’ll rise. “ – Maya Angelou
 
What does your average day look like? 
I arrive to the school and prep activities for the day. I make sure that all of the sensory tools and any special activities are prepared for the student that I am the lead SSA on the case. Usually I greet the student when they arrive, and depending on how they enter we go straight to class or find alternative locations to do sensory activities to ease our way into the day. I spend the whole day
– other than breaks, lunches and the last hour of the day – with students. I work in kindergarten classes, 1st grade and 3rd grade. Some classes I provide support in classroom management, but mostly it is spending time 1:1 with students that have higher needs. After checking in and spending some time supporting various other students, I return to 3rd grade where I work 1:1 with the student until the end of the day. Some days he is unable to remain in class safely so our alternative plan could be watching a movie, making structures out of cardboard, playing with chalk, making forts out of chairs and a blanket, or helping other classrooms with social emotional lesson plans. Our daily activities vary depending on the student’s tolerance for remaining in the classroom, but the student enjoys playing with kinetic sand, blowing bubbles, and playing tag.
 
Why do you do this work?
This work requires me to work with people and to learn clear communication skills within teams and with individuals. Being able to have small victories throughout the day means that from consistent pushes out of our own comfort zones, the creation of new ideas allows for our own personal growth and successes for our students.

What hope do you have for the future of All-In? 
My hope for the future of All-In is that there is more implementation and more awareness around sensory needs displayed by students and our staff can create interventions to meet those needs.

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UNCONDITIONAL EDUCATION FEATURED AT CALIFORNIA CHARTER SCHOOL ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE

4/17/2017

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Last month team members from All-In participated in two presentations at the California Charter School Association (CCSA) conference. This year’s conference titled “Momentum” was a chance for charter leaders to come together from across the state to explore important issues in education and exchange ideas about promising practices.

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Director of School Partnerships and Behavioral Intervention Services, Amber Fretwell, joined a panel discussion on “Disability and Trauma in the Context of Culture and Race”.  The panel discussed the overrepresentation of students of color in special education, the lack of appropriate behavioral and mental health supports for students who experience trauma, and the disparity of access to appropriate services between poor communities of color and their more affluent counterparts, which have resulted in devastating consequences. Amber joined other charter leaders to explore the dynamics and systemic issues facing underserved communities and explore workable solutions to protect their civil rights.  In particular, she shared about the work the Learning without Limits team has been doing to reflect on disproportional office disciplinary referrals and the success the team has had in using this structure to create a more equitable system of discipline for their students.

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​Representing Team Cox and the Collaborative Model are (from L to R):
  • Robin Detterman (Executive Director)
  • Jeff Pitts (Behavior Intervention Specialist)
  • Courtney Ruby (parent)
  • Lydia Evans (former Cox Student Support Assistant)
  • Jenna Joyner (Cox Teacher)
  • Toshia Mears (Director of School Partnerships)
In addition, The Cox Team (featured above) shared a presentation outlining their experience designing and implementing the Collaborative Model over the past four years.  For those of you who aren’t yet familiar with this type of program, the Collaborative Model serves as an innovative alternative to restrictive special education placements for students with intensive behavioral and emotional challenges. The model promotes collaboration between a classroom teacher and special education and clinical professionals to support students in need of intensive, comprehensive support. The Cox team discussed the components of the model, as well as the challenges and lessons learned during the development of this model.  Collaborative programs are now being implemented at four UE schools: Cox Academy, Achieve Academy, Lazear Charter Academy, and Triumph Academy, with interest mounting from additional school partners for next school year!
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Blog post written by:
Robin Detterman, Executive Director of School Partnerships

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STAFF GUEST POST: At a Crossroads: Challenges in Effectively Serving California's Highest Needs Youth

4/17/2017

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On March 28, 2017, leaders in child welfare, education, mental health, juvenile probation, the judicial system, and the advocacy community came together for “At a Crossroads: Challenges in Effectively Serving California’s Highest Needs Youth.” The summit was hosted by Seneca Family of Agencies, with co-sponsorship from the County Welfare Directors Association, California Department of Social Services, California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies, California Alliance of Child and Family Services, California Charter Schools Association, Assembly member Tony Thurmond (D-Richmond), Sacramento County Office of Education, San Francisco Human Services Agency, Breaking Barriers, Alameda County Office of Education, Mental Health Services Oversight & Accountability Commission. The summit was made possible with support from the James Irvine Foundation, the Stuart Foundation, and the Sierra Health Foundation.
 
The impetus for the summit originated in Seneca’s desire to have a conversation with key leaders in the field who can have an impact on what appears to be an emerging crisis: service providers are increasingly feeling unable to serve the kids who are struggling the most and who have the most challenging behaviors. As providers are starting to say no to referrals for the highest needs youth, there is a need to come together to build consensus around the reasons for the disincentives to serve this population, and the possible solutions to improve our system of care for high needs youth.
 
The objective of the summit was to discuss comprehensive service system gaps for the state’s highest needs youth, and to build cross-sector consensus on the need for collaboration and actionable next steps. By bringing together key state, county, and policy leaders, this day-long event built upon a shared sense that we can do better for youth and families and move toward building a more integrated, coordinated continuum of care to keep kids from going out of state or ending up in juvenile hall. 

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Blog post written by:
Emily Higgs, Policy Analyst, Development, Evaluation and Strategic Initiatives (DESI)

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