This year Seneca has partnered the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCC) to implement The Collaborative Program on public school campuses.  The idea for the Collaborative partnership began when WCC was looking to serve their youngest high needs students with IEPs.  The closest non-public school that serves Kindergarten and First grade students is Seneca’s Maya Angelou Academy, a 40 minute cab ride away.  Way too far for 5-6 year olds!!!  The SPED folks at WCC and Seneca’s leadership team put their heads together, and with the help of funding from the Thomas J. Long Foundation, West Contra Costa County Mental Health, and WCC SPED, we were able to create this amazing partnership.

The two campuses that are currently implementing the Collab Model are Montalvin Elementary and Wilson Elementary.  On each school campus, Seneca provides a Behavior Support Specialist, a Clinician, and at least one Student Support Assistant.  They each happen to be in Year 1 of the UE Model implementation and have a UE Coach on site in addition to the Collab team to focus on Tier 1 interventions.   The Seneca team is integrated with staff from the school campus which include the General Education Teacher, Special Education Case Manager, any related service providers, and school admin.  This robust, multi-disciplinary team meets weekly or bi-weekly and is designed to provide supports to Kinder and 1st Grade students that would otherwise be at a non-public school campus.

One of All-in!’s program goals for the 2018-2019 school year is to continue to develop clear practices for sharing data as a means to shape the narrative about our work. One of the main forums for sharing this kind of data is through our end of cycle meetings, where Seneca staff have the opportunity to provide updates on students’ progress toward their academic, behavioral, and/or social emotional goals.
 
I have recently had the pleasure of sitting in on two separate end of cycle meetings, each for students in special education who are receiving academic, behavioral, and clinical supports in service of their Individualized Education Program (IEP). As a program, we have been working over the years to refine these meetings. This year, program leadership made intentional efforts to ensure that end of cycle meetings reflect our efforts to work as a transdisciplinary team, asking that clinicians, academic interventions specialists, and student support assistants meet with general education teachers, administrators, and when possible, parents and students, to co-present on student progress.

​While I can imagine that it takes a lot of logistical effort to bring this group of people together in one room, I walked away from these meetings with a deep sense of why it is worth the effort. We talk a lot about the negative impact of soiled systems on students and families. All too often students with complex needs experience disjointed supports that leave families feeling frustrated and overwhelmed. When support providers are not collaborating as a united front, parents may experience that certain crucial needs go overlooked. On the flip-side, they may experience a barrage of uncoordinated communication – receiving three different updates from three different providers who are working on three different sets of goals with students – without any clarity around how the work of each provider compliments the other or contributes to the overall academic success of the student.
 
I believe that the parents in attendance at these two end of cycle meetings had quite a different experience. The clinician, student support assistant (SSA), and special education teacher were each able to clearly articulate how their goals were tied to the student’s IEP and how the interventions they used addressed the student’s unhelpful internal working model(s). It was clear that the general education teacher worked in close relationship with the all three providers and that strategies that these experts were developing in their work with the student were translated into the classroom environment.  When one SSA shared that the student had met one of their behavioral goals, everyone expressed their excitement and their belief that the student was ready to take on a new challenge. When one parent shared her dreams for her student, each provider was able to make the connection between the specific goals they were working on with the student and how it would contribute to their success. It felt holistic, it felt coordinated, and it felt like true teamwork in service of one student.
 
I understand that creating truly integrated systems of care is a complicated, messy, and challenging endeavor. But I walked away from these meetings with a renewed sense of why it is one of the most important pieces of work. I just want to take a moment to say thank you to each of you for the part you play in bringing this level of coordination and integration to your work. I can confidently say that it has quite an impact on the experience of our students and families.

Since joining the All-In Program before the 2017-18 school year, I’ve continually been impressed by the talent and commitment of our Seneca staff as they work to promote positive change in school communities and equity of opportunity for students.  Through providing individualized support to students, skillful engagement with families, collaboration and professional development for teachers, and thought-partnership with school leaders, our staff are positively impacting school communities at many levels.  

In our mission to be change agents in schools, we always hold the lens of sustainability.  We want to help schools implement structures and systems they can maintain beyond the scope and duration of the Seneca partnership.  We want to promote mindsets among school teams that lead to ongoing staff reflection, development, and innovation in best serving their students and families.  ​

Name: Devina Brooks
Your Position?  Behavior Intervention Specialist
 
What led you to your current position? As a Milieu Supervisor at JBA, I felt like I needed a change. When I was informed of a new position (Behavior Intervention Specialist) in All-In, I believed it was a wonderful opportunity to share my knowledge. As a BIS for four years, I needed another change. However, I am still a BIS but this year, my role looks very different because I am working with three schools throughout the school year to assist with the implementation of tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3 interventions.
 
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Fun Fact/Quote?

• We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated. - Maya Angelou
• Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have. - Margaret Mead
• In the same way that our school system feels strongly about requiring vaccinations and annual physicals, I feel strongly that it is essential to add a mental health component to that annual physical. - Madchen Amick

 
What does your average day look like? An average day as a Behavior Intervention Specialist consist of me observing students and staff, elbowing coaching staff, facilitating school wide trainings, interviewing staff and parents, attending IEP’s, 504 and/or treatment team meetings. In addition, I am assigned to three schools for the remainder of the school year in which I am supporting each with the implementation of tier 1, 2, and 3 interventions and co facilitating group supervision for Mental Health Counselors.
 
Why do you do this work? I do this work because the disconnect, lack of patience, implicit bias, and dislike for some of the troubled student(s) bother me. Having three daughters of my own, I am aware of how maladaptive behavior in school settings impedes the learning of others. In addition, I enjoy having discussions with school staff about how student behaviors provoke flight, fight, and freeze responses within them and how that plays a role in their choice of behavior intervention strategies. I also enjoy helping staff operate from a place of curiosity rather than frustration when interacting with students. 
 
What hope do you have for the future of our program? I would really like to see All-In work in more Oakland Public Schools and more teaching opportunities for new teachers we partner with.

Hi All!
 
The winter months can be filled with cold, dreary days, impatient students, and some pesky germs. Aside from the cooped up, impatient children, and germs that you just can't seem to get out of your rooms, you notice your students are having that mid-year slump and are bored with your lessons already and so are you. So, what can you do about it, A LOT! Before and after winter break, many educators feel the wrath of the mid-year burnout. There is no denying that being in education is a stressful job, so being able to deal with your stress is extremely important in order to continue the school year. Educators cannot feed into the doom and gloom but must find a way to forge ahead, looking at the big picture instead of the little things that can get us down. Here are some quick and basic ways to combat educator burnout:

• Take a daily brain break
• Mindful meditation exercises
• Celebrate the 100th day of school
• Make learning fun

As educators, each day is a wonderful opportunity to make a difference. We can never take for granted the truly sacred torch that has been passed to us, and we should never do anything personally to douse that flame of learning in our schools. We must be passionate about educating and excited about bringing knowledge to our students, whether it’s a dark, cold winter’s day or a bright sunny one in spring. As you do things to alleviate your feelings of despair, try to do everything possible not to let your it become apparent. Think back to why you first entered the fabulous world of education. You most probably did it with extremely noble intentions. Get back in touch with that vibrancy that filled your heart with joy on the first day of your educational career, when you walked onto your school campus and felt like you could take on the world. Remember that in essence the world is in the hands of educators, for we touch the lives of our students not for just a moment but for the rest of their lives. Every word we say counts; every gesture is observed and measured; every outburst is never forgotten, as is every kindness. Remember, we here at Seneca and in Unconditional Education are doing beautiful and impactful work. To help you remember that, please look at this wonderful video that our very own Keri Stewart, UE Coach at Grant Elementary School in Richmond, compiled regarding the impact of Seneca’s work at Grant Seneca Impact at Grant
 
And…if you’re looking for more motivation, check out this great article on perseverance and grit!!! Educators Need Grit Too!
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Name: Anna Scaiano
​Your Position? I’m the Unconditional Education Coach at Verde Elementary in North Richmond

What led you to your current position? I am a social worker, and I’m really drawn towards more macro level work and issues. I’ve always loved working in education, and I was struggling to find a position that would allow me to focus on macro level issues while staying face to face with clients. I feel like, in this field, you’re either doing counseling or direct behavioral support or you’re doing policy and planning and don’t get to see clients all that often. A role that combines both is rare. When I saw the UE Coach job posting, I jumped at it! It was the perfect opportunity to focus on macro level issues – like school culture and climate – while still getting to see kids every day and be grounded in the community I’m serving.

What does your average day look like? Every day is different! I run social skills groups, I work with teachers to discuss their classroom culture and climate and implement trauma informed practices, I develop PD for my school staff, I work with admin to implement PBIS for the whole school, I run restorative justice circles to solve problems, and I support kids 1:1 when there’s a crisis or they need additional support.
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Why do you do this work? I do this work because I feel like education is the best intervention strategy we have to break cycles of poverty and oppression, and I can see how really thoughtfully designed programs can impact a child’s life for the better. I love working in a field that’s goal is to help others succeed, and I’m thankful to work in an organization that does this in a way that’s grounded in community and mindful of looking at these issues through an equity lens.

What hope do you have for the future of our program? I hope we can keep building on the amazing work we’re doing in public schools, partnering with districts and thinking about new and innovative ways to serve students in the ways that they deserve!