​“We all wear different hats here, formal and informal. Can you talk about the hats you wear in your community and what they mean to you?” This was a question my housemate asked someone applying to live in our cooperatively run house during their informal interview. It is a question I’ve been subliminally thinking about at work all year. 

In distance learning, however, many SSAs are trying on the ‘teacher’ hat in new ways. One SSA said that last year she felt like a lot of her job was, “...a lot of crisis response and general in-the-moment behavioral redirections, incentive plans, tracking, and stuff like that,” whereas since distance learning, her work has shifted to encompass more of an academic support role focused on supplemental teaching. Some SSAs are also running reading intervention groups, or in my case, a community meeting every day for a group of sixth graders. School staff are spread thin, and as SSAs, we often flex and bend to fill in the gaps. With shortened class periods and long independent work blocks, there are a lot of academic gaps to fill. 

Providing emotional support also looks different outside the often hectic school setting, with both potential for disengagement and intimacy. One SSA said she finds herself, “often feeling like a therapist” during her one-on-one Zoom check-ins with kids, with “a lot more kind of ‘talk therapy’ that comes up.” In the words of another SSA, “...we spend the most time with students, so we often have to switch out of different hats because we have to meet the different needs of the students throughout the day.” The need for emotional support has always been there, but the opportunities and needs for one-on-one check-ins with students have grown during this year of isolation.
 
One SSA described our role as always wearing the hats of teacher, therapist, case manager, and behavioral coach rolled into one, and for her that hasn’t changed during distance learning. The main difference for her is that she is now finally accessing training on supporting students’ needs outside the behavioral realm: “For example, I had to dispense a lot of academic content without any training on how to teach math, ELA, etc. to students [last year].” This year, however, she had the opportunity to receive some training around supporting students with academic needs. 

​Sometimes I feel spread too thin as an SSA. Other times, I feel grateful that I get to be so many different versions of myself in one day. To a group of 12 sixth graders, I’m their community meeting teacher. To other kids, I’m the person who helps them with their schoolwork and organization skills. Then there is my 3rd grader who asked, “Wait, are you my therapist?” And I get to take the things I’ve learned in each of these roles and apply them to whatever situation I find myself in. It’s a balancing act that can be draining, and is not for everyone, but I find that grounding in the relationships I am building—despite whatever hat I’m wearing—keeps me from slipping.

My role as a Student Support Assistant has primarily involved supporting students in being the best version of themselves at school and beyond. While on campus, this mostly involved providing academic support, behavioral guidance, incentives, redirections, positive reinforcements, conflict resolution, etc. However, in the world of distance learning, this support has looked a lot different. It became evident that the primary needs coming up for students were not just related to school. Due to the pandemic and its various consequences, students have communicated to me that their families are experiencing significant financial hardships: they are unable to eat breakfast, or they have run out of soap and shampoo because their families cannot afford groceries or supplies. I quickly came to realize that these needs come first: it is nearly impossible to succeed in school with a hungry belly, or without being able to feel clean.

It was with this knowledge that I was able to mobilize members of the community to donate items and funds to support the students and families who were struggling most. Through the generosity of the local community, we raised over $4,000, four car loads of soaps, shampoos, diapers, etc. and have partnered with a local food distribution company to provide monthly produce donations to consistently provide families with healthy and fresh food. The funds have supported families that have lost loved ones to COVID-19, covering funeral costs. The hygiene supplies and household items have been set up on display in one of the classrooms on campus as a “free store” where families can visit and “shop” for what they need. The produce has provided families with pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables to create healthy and sustainable meals for the entire family unit.

We have all had to think outside the box as school staff this year, tailoring our supports beyond just the school, and seeing the WHOLE child and the real time issues coming up for each student. I feel it a privilege during this holiday season to hold the title as a Student Support Assistant, and to support and assist students and families in a meaningful way during this difficult year.
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Be safe, be healthy, and Happy Holidays to all.

The All-In Leadership Team has committed to reflecting on their personal and professional perpetuation of White Supremacy culture while unlearning and relearning how to dismantle oppressive systems within our program and teams. Through this, we have developed a deeper understanding of what it means to bring equity to the forefront of our work.

Historically, the Behavioral Leadership Team has planned their Professional Learning Community’s scope and sequence for the upcoming school year during the previous summer. This systematic planning consisted of coordinating the facilitation of professional development training with other leaders in our program.

This year, in attempt to build an inclusive environment focused on equity, our Behavior Leadership Team began to dive into dismantling and disrupting White Supremacy culture within our Professional Learning Community. We have applied strategies to shift dynamics of White Supremacy Culture in our work based on Kenneth Jones and Tema Okun’s 15 Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture.
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The Behavioral Team acknowledges both the spoken and unspoken norms that exist within our strand, and we are working on a collaborative approach that will push us forward, shifting:  

White dominant culture has been adopted by many of us through spoken and unspoken norms. Both have contributed to my personal social identity and how I navigate spaces as a Black woman. To increase the eradication of White Supremacy Culture, the Behavioral Strand continues to attend and encourage others to attend development opportunities facilitated by BIPOC people.
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Here are a few resources that I have enjoyed reading. Take a look and leave a comment if you’ve read any, or plan on reading any in the future:  

• By Marc Brackett: Permission to Feel
• By Resmaa Menakem: My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies
• By Bettina Love: We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom
• By Ibram Kendi: Stamped from the Beginning: The definitive History of Racist Ideas in America

Another brisk cool morning in Oakland, I stood next to my student, bending my knees to look into their eyes. My knees had not grown weary of the numerous times I have lowered my body to converse with a student eye to eye. This morning, at Lazear Charter Academy, began with a series of exploratory questions of my student's physical & emotional well-being. However, today this student, amid the brisk air and cold metal rail that spied on this interaction, would say something different. The student said something I did not expect. The student told me…

In his book, Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive, Professor Mark Brackett, Director of Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, discusses the importance of creating holistic education that does not just focus on academics, but addresses the emotional needs of children. In 2019, Greater Good Magazine interviewed Dr. Brackett, which mentioned how he “led the development of
an emotional skills building program called R.U.L.E.R.”
 
Children’s Television Host and Advocate Fred Rogers once said, “feelings are mentionable and manageable.” Allowing others to talk about feelings with trusted people creates a positive difference in the school environment and culture.
Below is an excerpt from the book Permission to Feel by Professor Brackett that briefly outlines the 5 emotional skills as part of the R.U.L.E.R program:

1. Recognize – “Recognize our own emotions and those of others, not just in the things we think, feel, and say but facial expressions, body language, vocal tones, and other non-verbal signals.”
2. Understand – “Understand those feelings and determine feelings and determine their source - what experience actually caused them - and then see how they’ve influenced our behaviors.
3. Label – “Label emotions with a nuanced vocabulary.”
4. Express – “Express our feelings in accordance with cultural norms and social contexts in a way that tries to inform and invites empathy from the listener.”
5. Regulate – “Regulate emotions, rather than let them regulate us, by finding practical strategies for dealing with what we and others feel.”

In the GGM interview, “Brackett says we need to encourage more emotional expression - not less - and that we should teach emotional skills to people starting from a young age”, which is needed in our schools and society today.

… with a sudden pause, looking at me with curiosity. The student inquired,

​What may seem as a simple question is actually a great opportunity for deeper intrinsic connection between two people. The way I respond can make all the difference in role modeling the importance of earnestness when it comes to our feelings. We know children “don’t do what we say but do as we do.” A question like, “how is your day?” from others, usually constitutes a “fine,” “good,” or “alright” answer, but what does that tell our children about our value to feelings?

​Our age-appropriate responses to one another can make all the difference in creating generational social-emotional awareness and demonstrating to our children that emotions are signs of our humanity, rather than our weakness.

As a response to feeling unseen and a sense of confusion from staff about our model of inclusion at Learning without Limits (LWL), Student Support Services Coordinator Katie Ruffman and I decided to write weekly blog updates on the work that the Special Education staff, also named the Learning Lab Team, at LWL was doing. We specifically wanted to highlight the work that the Learning Lab Team covered in our monthly meetings that we felt was important to share out and norm on as a whole school. We called them Learning Lab Blasts! Our first two posts have included information about positive breaks and how we respond to property destruction. The latest blog post that you can read below is about what general education staff can do when they see a crisis occurring. This is a resource that I wanted to share out because when a student is in crisis, it is easy for folks outside of the special education team to feel like “a deer in headlights,” or respond in a way that can intensify the crisis.
 
Here are some helpful tips that I hope you can share with your school communities so that folks are normed on how to support during a crisis.

Using the visual above, we can look at different stages of an escalation. When a student is at baseline, they are relatively calm, able to have rational thoughts, and are able to access their education. For every student, their baseline looks different, and we would consider this state as “ready to learn.” Then we move into the early escalation and escalation phases. These are times where the student may still be able to access some levels of rational thinking, but their emotions are starting to heighten, and behaviors can occur. This can look obvious, such as a student yelling at a peer or leaving class; or can be more subtle, like rocking in their chair continuously or tapping their foot. We want to be vigilant of signs like these to make sure the student does not reach the crisis phase and can move back toward baseline. However, this is not always possible, and if unable to de-escalate, students reach a crisis phase. This is the state in which a child loses control, rational thinking is none to little, and emotions are heightened. Their nervous systems are in fight, flight or freeze mode. This is where you may see students exhibiting tantrums like behaviors, voicing extreme verbal threats towards themselves or others, becoming physical with themselves or others, doing other things that are unsafe like climbing fences, throwing objects or even making suicidal comments. A crisis is a very sensitive time for students and, thus, we as a school community need to be aware of best practices when witnessing a student in this very delicate and should-be-private time. The last pieces on this graph, de-escalation and reintegration (restoration), will be covered in the next Learning Lab Blast – so keep an eye out for it if you want to learn more!

​If the child is being supported by a counselor or administrator, then you may think that they got it covered and do not need any additional support. However, this is not always the case. If you have ever witnessed a student in crisis, you probably notice it is not usually a moment that feels very private; often because the behaviors exhibited can include yelling, property destruction and any number of behaviors that would naturally draw attention to the child. This leads to the first and most important action you can do in order to make this moment of crisis feel a little more contained for the student.

Clearing the surrounding area
A student in crisis is not a show, and the best thing that you can do is clear students and families from the area. If the students or families are expressing concern, that is perfectly normal, and you can validate those feelings as well as reassure them that there are folks with the appropriate training to support these students and that they are safe. If there are additional comments or concerns that they would like to discuss, you can direct them to the front office to talk about next steps - without the student being able to hear.

Do not engage with the student
When a student is in crisis, all rational goes out of the window and they are only able to hear very short (5 words or less) directions coming from one person, known as crisis communication. It may feel supportive to reinforce the directions being given to the student by the adult with them, but this can often lead to confusion for the student or even make you a target of their behaviors. It is best to let the primary respondent take the lead.

Ask the adult if they need additional support
If you feel like the adult needs support, you can ask the adult if they would like for you to notify the office or administration for additional support. Realize – you do not need to support directly to be helpful.

If the child in crisis is unsupported, your main objective should be to make sure that the student stays safe by keeping eyes on them and immediately contacting the front office, administration, or a Learning Lab team member for support. If you need to engage with the child to ensure their safety, it is important that you follow these guidelines.

Use brief language
As mentioned above, a student in crisis is unable to process many words at a time. When communicating, it is imperative that you can state directions in 5 words or less. Example: “put the chair down.” This crisis communication should be used in the case that the student is doing things that have the possibility to cause imminent harm to them or other students while you are keeping eyes on them. Otherwise, if for example, they are just yelling and screaming in the yard but not posing a threat to those around them or themselves, you can just keep your eyes on the student and call for support.
 
Caveat: If you are a teacher or other staff that is highly familiar with the student and their plan, please feel empowered to use crisis communication and try to de-escalate the child while waiting on further support

Don’t talk about consequences
The main focus in a crisis moment is to get the student to a de-escalation stage, not to let them know about their consequences. Following an escalation, there will always be a key reflect, restore and reintegration piece, but that is only talked about when the student is back at baseline. Talking about consequences in the moment, or, for example, using language around important people in their lives being “disappointed.” tends to only exacerbate the situation. Remember: the key focus is to get the student back to baseline and in a state of relative control.
 
I hope this was helpful and empowers you to feel more able to support our students in crisis!

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.” 

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.

Seneca approached this problem through the lens of hope: hope that the momentum building within Seattle Public Schools around disproportionality could lead to systematic change, and hope inspired by district leaders who believed in Seneca’s ability to play a vital role in the process. In the 2016-2017 school year, Seneca was given the opportunity to place three full-time staff members at an elementary school in South Seattle. In partnership with innovative SPS district and school leaders, one of the new Seneca positions evolved into what is now called a “Reset Counselor.”
Rooted in the Unconditional Education model, the Reset Counselor’s job is to address student behaviors which “bubble up” into Tier II and III. Instead of making an office referral or sending a student to the principal, classroom teachers summon mental health trained Seneca staff to help a student “reset.” Students are accompanied outside of the classroom (ideally remaining in close proximity to the room) to go through four loosely defined steps:

1. Recovery: If a student is escalated or unable to engage with Seneca staff, they are provided a quiet, neutral activity for a short period of time (e.g. drawing, taking a short, accompanied walk).
2. Reflection: Seneca staff create space for students to talk about their perception of the behavior, acknowledging and asking questions. This step often involves completing a “reflection sheet,” on which students can write or draw.
3. Restoration: Seneca staff often facilitate brief restorative check-ins between students, or between staff and students.
4. Reintegration: Seneca staff accompany students back into the classroom, remaining with the students until they are back on track.

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The hope behind the Reset Counselor position came to fruition- the school experienced a significant decline in office referrals and suspensions. Seneca staff began to develop meaningful relationships with students in need of reoccurring resets, and data collected over time showed a decrease in both frequency and duration of reset occurrences. Through this approach, the school was able to maximize in-class time for students and substantially reduce exclusionary discipline.
Recently there has been even more reason to be hopeful in Seattle. Seattle Public Schools have made huge strides in reducing disproportionality, though there is much work left to be done. Seneca is proud to be a key part of this effort, currently staffing five full-time Reset Counselors at elementary and middle schools across South Seattle. 

Blog Post Written By:
Lihi Rosenthal, Executive Director of Washington Programs

Blog post written by:
Darrell Burns, Assistant Director of Behavioral Intervention

Blog post written by:
Meka Tull, School Psychologist and Interim Director of School Partnerships