Blog Posts - UNCONDITIONAL EDUCATION

UNCONDITIONAL EDUCATION

Confidence 4 Kids

9/28/2021

As a parent and educator, I’ve come to learn firsthand how interconnected confidence and self-esteem are to the academic, social, emotional, and mental health of kids. Confidence and self-esteem are important foundational skills that support kids on their journey’s to a lifetime of mental health and social happiness.

For kids, self-esteem translates to how much they value themselves and their abilities, how much they believe they are valued in the world around them, and how good they actually feel about themselves. When you add in a layer of self-confidence, it adds extra tools into their toolboxes to help them be resilient, handle setbacks, learn from their mistakes, take chances, and try again! All great ingredients for a happy, healthy, successful life.

Some things to note about confident kids with positive Self-Esteem:
They are more likely to succeed in school and achieve personal goals.
They feel confident and capable in themselves and their abilities.
They are proud of the things they can do and want to try their best.
They have a sense of control over things in their life.
They can act independently.
They are able to take responsibility for their actions.
They are comfortable and secure in forming relationships.
They have the courage to make good decisions in various situations.
They try new things and master new skills.
And the list goes on…

Considering how important it is for kids to be confident and have positive self-esteem, I wanted to share some things to consider, which also includes some resources on various ways to support kids in boosting their confidence and self-esteem. With school in full swing, now is a good time to add some of these strategies into our parent and educator toolboxes, as I’m sure things will happen and opportunities for this type of engagement will arise.

Check out this collection of self-esteem building articles, activity ideas, and more!

If you have any other cool resources to share, please add them in the comments section below!

Blog Post Written By: Toshia Mears, Executive Director of School Partnerships

Welcome Back with Wellness and Resilience

9/20/2021

We hope you all had a restful summer filled with restorative activities. This welcome back edition is highlighting ways to support students, families, and yourselves with the transition back to in-person learning. As always, please reach out to your site's Seneca therapist if you need any support with school readiness and SEL strategies.

Information in this newsletter is informed by The Alliance for a Healthier Generation and resources from Kaiser Permanente's Thriving Schools RISE Initiative.

We recognize there are a lot of emotions right now as sites are welcoming students back to campus. Transitions are difficult for kids and adults. We need to practice patience and extend grace to ourselves and others during the first few months of school. Here are some tips to support with the transition back to campus:

• Validate the adjustment period: Being on campus and seeing people face-to-face will be disorienting--for students and staff alike! Some students may have a more difficult time adjusting and that is okay. Be ready to repeat the agenda, directions, COVID protocols, and other important announcements multiple times.
• Everyone will be experiencing some level of anxiety: Staff and students are stressed about safety protocols. Some students may experience separation anxiety from being away from their caregiver. All of us are adjusting to the return to campus. Incorporate calming rituals and routines, such as mindful moments and brain breaks, into the agenda.
• Focus on cultivating relationships: All students, even those who were most engaged with distance learning, need to feel they belong in your classroom and are safe. Allow for opportunities to hear from each student and for connection.
• Increase self-care practices throughout the day: You will be tired during this adjustment period. Remember to take care of yourself!
• Highlight moments of joy: Be on the lookout for acts of kindness by students. Write down things that made you laugh during the day. Practice gratitude at the end of the day.

• Get up and stretch!
• Close your eyes: You may not be able to actually take a break from your surroundings but allow your brain to take a little “mini-vacation” by thinking about a calming scene or destination.
• Gratitude: Change your focus to the positive by being grateful for something in this moment.
• Breathe: Stop what you’re doing and take a deep breath. Do not underestimate the power of a deep breath.
• Mindful eating: take a second to focus on different textures and flavors as you snack/eat.
• Technology time-out: Set a timer for 30 seconds, turn off all technology and sit in silence. This may be difficult at first and that's okay.

What are some of your favorite one-minute self-care strategies?

From Greater Good in Education: "A mindfulness practice that helps you to envision a sense of deep well-being, extend loving-kindness to yourself, and imagine how you might “show up” in the world—with greater compassion and openness."

This practice is 9 minutes long. Incorporate this practice as many times as you need during the week. Challenge yourself to try it at least one time and notice how you feel afterwards.

Click Here: Meditation for Imagining Flourishing and Kindness Audio

Conflicts in the classroom can be really stressful moments for not only those involved in the conflict, but for those observing the conflict. When our brains notice a conflict, it goes into that flight-fight-freeze response. The RELATE Model is one strategy you can incorporate in your classroom to help students regulate, stay calm, minimize punitive disciplinary measures, and ensure everyone feels safe to continue learning.

Regulate: Calm your emotions first. You cannot support a student with regulation until you are regulated. Take deep breaths, count to 5, get grounded before responding. (For students: have them step outside and take deep breaths, get some water, model co-regulation to help them get grounded).
Extend: Invite the student to talk about the situation. If they are not ready yet, let them know you will be available when they are ready in a non-judgmental tone.
Listen: Let the student share without interruption what happened and what they are thinking or feeling. Affirm what they share and use active listening skills. Use reflective statements like "This is what I hear you saying:___" to check for accuracy.
Articulate: When it is your turn to share, keep it impact focused. (Ex: "I am worried that:___"). Do not shame, embarrass, or gaslight the student for their behavior.
Talk It Out: Work together to find a mutual understanding of what happened. Remember, you don’t have to agree on everything. The goal is to find understanding.
Emerge: Decide together how you will emerge from this. What is your path forward? Identify concrete action steps, such as agreeing to leave any negative feelings behind, establishing boundaries, or making a plan to prevent this conflict from happening again in the future.

**If the conflict involved multiple students, this model can be used as part of a restorative justice circle. Ask a colleague to support in the facilitation of the space.

Blog Post Written By: Amber Keil, Outpatient Therapist, Mosaic Outpatient Program

Rising Into the New School Year in Stride

9/10/2021

Welcome back to the new school year! I couldn’t be more thrilled to launch into a year of in-person learning after our year of separation. While I know that this transition will be anything but predictable as we implement strict procedures for quarantine in order maintain the health and safety of our communities, it still comes with a great deal of relief that we have entered this year together. Our journey over the past eighteen months has been a tremendous one. I first and foremost want to give a big THANK YOU to all our staff, school partners and families. I want to acknowledge all that we have collectively endured and know that we all have experienced varying levels of loss that, for some of us, was quite profound. I have been humbled to witness the tremendous levels of ingenuity and perseverance across our community. So often, we have needed to call upon one of the most important interventions in our Seneca toolbox – the intentional cultivation of HOPE and persistence even in the face of immense challenge. I also know that in this past year, I have been fueled by the support of our extended Seneca Family and found purpose in our shared commitment to this work for the students and families we serve.

If nothing else, this past year has challenged many of our assumptions about education and schools, and we have done some incredible learning together. I hope that as we enter this new year, we can take some of those learnings with us to create schools that truly serve all students.

Leveraging Technology for Connection - While we are all tired of connecting only virtually, there are many ways in which we have learned to use technology to bring us closer together. Whether it’s connecting with colleagues in other geographic locations, or with clients and families in the comfort and convenience of their own homes, video technology will continue to allow us additional flexibility for collaboration and support.
The Central Role of Families – In our move to distance learning, families became increasingly central and connected to what was happening at school, and educators and practitioners have had a new insight into the lives of their students. This mutual awareness can continue to support children’s wholistic experience between home and school and increase accountability between schools and the families they serve.
Real Individualization – While many students struggled with pandemic learning, some students actually did better with new models that promoted greater flexibility and individualization. We can continue to challenge the notion of what “school” should look like to best meet the varied learning and social emotional needs of students.
Community Wellness - For the first time, we are having a real conversation on the wellness of whole school communities, including the adults within them. As a nation we have begun to reckon more broadly with racial and socioeconomic inequities upheld by our public institutions, and the ways in which community wellness interplays with systemic power, particularly along the lines of race and class. We must continue to address how both individual actions and systemic change are ongoing and build schools that engage in anti-racism work alongside a full and complete cultivation of JOY.

While we have returned to school, largely in person, the pandemic and its impacts are far from over. To provide healing spaces for students, school professionals need emotionally attuned communities and support in implementing practices that promote personal sustainability. School partner, Kyndal Easter offers these tips for administrators on How to Build Emotional Support for Teachers. In the year ahead, emphasis on wellbeing and connection will be paramount as we build on what we have learned to create schools where all students are truly welcome and can thrive.

Best wishes for a safe and happy launch to the school year and beyond!

Blog Post Written By: Robin Detterman, Chief Program Officer, Education Services

WA State's Cross Coordination of Supports Team (CrossCOST)

6/21/2021

My name's Emily Dunk and I'm a Behavior Intervention Specialist with the CrossCOST Program in Seattle, WA. But before I tell you more about our program, I'm going to start this blog post the same way many of our program meetings start off - by talking about good food and drinks 😊

Recently I had gone to one of those fancy pants restaurants where they do wine pairings with your order. This was the first time I had been to one and originally, I did not want wine with my dinner because I had not found one before that I truly liked. The waiter asked me if I would be open to trying something and offered to help me figure out which one would be best. They even went as far as to say that I would not be charged for the wine if I did not end up liking it. I agreed, the waiter brought out my pairing, and I LOVED it.

It was such a great experience that later that week I went out to dinner again and I very confidently sat down, opened the wine menu, and was ready for another amazing wine experience. The waiter came over and asked what kind of wine I liked and for the life of me, I couldn’t remember what I had with my last meal! I tried to describe it but all I could come up with was "red" and "very tasty." The waiter began to ask questions to see if they could figure it out. They asked what food I was eating with it and more. Was it sweet? What protein did I have? Tannins, full-bodied... Do these words sound familiar? They took the time to work with me and be curious about what I was looking for. We came to a decision and they brought out a delicious red that, once again, went perfectly with my meal.

I like to think that CrossCOST is like the waiter in this story. Not knowing where to start in asking for what you need is frustrating. Whether it's about learning vocabulary that is highly specific to other fields or being so close to a problem that it's almost impossible to step back to see solutions, most of us just need a little extra support sometimes. Without the waiter’s patience and curiosity, I would be stuck thinking that there isn’t a wine out there for me, or maybe worse, continue to pay for and order wines that I don't enjoy! We strive to provide that same patience and curiosity to the schools we partner with to consult around behavioral, clinical, and school systems needs to coordinate the right kind of support.

A great example of this was when CrossCOST received a request from a school that wanted a school-wide training in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). This school faced a number of challenges: high staff turnover, numerous leadership transitions, disproportionately high academic, behavioral, and SEL student needs... all while taking on virtual learning in the middle of a pandemic. Our team leader, Katrina, met with the school’s admin to get a better idea of what they were looking for. With Katrina’s amazing strengths in communication and relationship building, she was able to see the school’s needs extended beyond just training staff in MTSS. Just like our students, when we are escalated or in crisis, it’s not always clear what we need to make things feel better.

Acknowledging that the school could really benefit from centering self-care first, and also wanting to meet the initial request, we decided to do both! Our MTSS of Self-Care training not only taught the model of tiered intervention, associated language of MTSS, and the basics of behavioral intervention, but did so through the lens of staff wellness. We provided a framework for thinking about self-care as a tiered model of support, giving tools to each staff member for recognizing their behaviors through their escalation of burnout, and identifying interventions at each tier. Staff reported feeling better equipped to care for themselves, and in doing so, increased their understanding of how to support their students through escalation too.

Sometimes it feels like progress comes at the expense of our own wellness. Often, it feels like working to shift systems to be more equitable, inclusive, and healing centered competes with a school’s academic and results-based goals. We're here to flip that narrative. By centering Unconditional Education (UE), we not only help schools meet their goals, but balance offering support with challenging existing systems. This allows us to impact lasting change within our school communities. We like to call this process, “sprinkling the UE fairy dust.”

So what is CrossCOST? In formal terms, we are a team of behavioral, clinical, and school-systems minded specialists who coordinate services to support schools with UE as our philosophy of change. And in informal terms, we’re just your friendly neighborhood waiters. So, what’ll it be? A glass of red or white? 😉

Blog Post Written By: Emily Dunk, Behavior Intervention Specialist

BOOK HIGHLIGHT: ‘My Grandmother’s Hands’ by Resmaa Menakem

6/21/2021

White-body supremacy is always functioning in our bodies. It operates in our thinking brains, our assumptions, and mental shortcuts…But it operates most powerfully in our lizard brains, inciting the fight, flee, or freeze response … (Menakem p.6)

As part of Unconditional Education’s commitment to ongoing growth and development, staff have spent time diving into the work of great leaders in the field of healing centered approaches to community care. As part of this process, we are hoping to ground our relationships with students, families, and each other in ways that acknowledge and address a more holistic and culturally grounded view of trauma and healing.

One guiding text has been Resmaa Menakem’s My Grandmother’s Hands, which invites readers to take a voyage through the historical perpetuation of racialized trauma, diving into the history of white body supremacy and its impact. Menakem evokes his readers to acknowledge, understand and heal from the somatic effects of this racialized trauma. He recognizes the role of these somatic responses in one's ability to protect themselves from historical and ongoing harm and suggests that this kind of perpetual harm and the associated somatic impact require a different type of healing than may be traditionally applied in mental health work. The reading explores the somatic responses racialized trauma can have on both the “black-body”, “white-body” and also presents an array of healing practices. The book provides a balance of both theory and practice, asking the reader to slow down, reflect, and engage in specific healing practices at the end of each chapter.

Menakem realizes racialized trauma stems from white supremacy that is deeply embedded in American society. More importantly, Menakem teaches readers trauma is simply an irrational reaction that can be passed intergenerationally and subsequently causes a fight, flee or freeze response that can show up in (and often hinder) everyday interactions. In understanding the somatic effects of racialized trauma Menakem teaches readers how to navigate white supremacy to reach healing while acknowledging healing practices are often painful and challenging.

Sometimes people are accustomed to overriding their feelings and pain to get by day to day, until something/someone challenges them to think differently and seek change. It is only by doing the healing work that we can learn to relate and move differently together in the world. I would recommend My Grandmother’s Hands to anyone who is looking to heal from what can appear to be a somatic-conditioned lifestyle. My experience with this book’s practices brought serenity and a new level of understanding to responses of intergenerational trauma.

Blog Post Written By: Lauren Williams, Mental Health Counselor

Building Upon Parent and Caregiver Insights to Grow Our Work

5/21/2021

Every spring, we reach out parents and caregivers of the students at our schools who are receiving direct services from our amazing All In staff and ask questions aimed at both lifting up our successes and providing feedback on our area of growth.

This year, despite all the challenges and barriers faced by parents, students school staff and our teams due to the global pandemic and everyone adopting virtual spaces as the setting of learning and for our services, there is an overwhelming amount to celebrate in the responses. In April, we spoke to 246 parents. These are the percentages compared over the last 3 years of those who agreed with the following statements about the services they received:

It is always wonderful to see the year over year growth but it is truly remarkable to see this positivity in response to the work you all did this year, especially given the presenting challenges we all faced. Of course, we wouldn’t know any of this if it wasn’t for the support of All In staff members themselves making the calls and connecting with all these parents and caregivers on our behalf. This year we had an amazing crew of people who offered their time to support this project. Huge thanks to Juliana Batista, Justin Vizinau, Cedric Guillory, Ali Manrique, Ceci Duran, Jessica Ramos, Brenda Larios, and William Chiang for their time and support!! It is no small feat I assure you.

The celebrations don’t stop with the numbers though. What parents and caregivers have to say in their own words about out services is also extremely important and informative. In the coming weeks, you will be seeing your school and cluster specific reports and be able to hear both the glowing things parents have to say about you all, and get a chance to review areas of growth offered directly from parents and caregivers. In the meantime, here are a few quotes to wrap up your week your week:

“First of all, I want to thank them for offering support. I want to thank the Seneca organization for sending me materials so that my daughter can learn. At this moment, the situation is difficult, and you give me help by giving her materials. Gift boxes arriving and these things last for weeks. My daughter loves this very much. She knows that Seneca sends them, she gets very excited for all the gifts and materials. There are angels in the sky looking out to support us.”

“They gave a lot of help, especially during the times of the pandemic. It was very difficult for us parents to have our children at home at all times, but Seneca gave a lot of support.”

“Despite it being all online, I see that everyone is trying really hard to see student progress. I am very happy with that and I see that they all work well as a team.”

“Our counselor is amazing and not only provides help with her but with me too!”

“I like Seneca, they are very organized, the staff are knowledgeable. I've worked with Seneca for several of my kids. It can't get any better than Seneca. You guys are #1.”

“I think it's been a great help. It's helped (my child) in a lot of areas academically and she's been more open to trying to do the schoolwork instead of not doing it at all or thinking she can't do it. She's more open to trying first rather than giving up.”

They are doing a great job. I appreciate them, especially the support they give moms that have kids with a disability. I really appreciate the support, we are grateful.”

"Despite the circumstances of being at home, the services they provide are helping my child a lot. Therapy every week is consistent. They are doing a great job, I am very grateful for their help.”

“I can't say enough good things about them. I loved the therapist and their services. They not only helped my grandson but my family as well.”

“This year has been hard with covid, but I do see that my child gets excited when they see the Speech & Language provider. I think they like their class, I can tell when I pass by that the class seems interesting.”

Blog Post Written By: Jordan Ullman, Assistant Director of Assessment and Evaluation

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT: To the Moon and Back!

5/21/2021

Under the leadership of Unconditional Education Coach Yvonne Rogers, the Verde K-8 Stars were awarded The Neighborhood Public Art Grant by the Richmond Arts and Culture Commission for the third year in a row to fund a new art project! This year the theme is “To the Moon and Back.” The goal of the project would be to:

Engage Verde’s youth in creating intentional spaces for joy.
Engage Verde’s community in culturally relevant art experiences, teaching self-expression through a healing centered approach that is holistic involving culture, spirituality, civic action, and collective healing.
Continue to beautify Verde’s campus so students and parents feel proud of their school and community, especially after returning to school due to COVID closures.

Proposed 2021 "To the Moon and Back" Design

The project will consist of art created by Fred Alvarado, Keena Romano, and Enrique Carpio, inspired by Verde’s students and the visions that they have for their future. The mural will depict things that students share bring them joy. In addition, a mini documentary will be created to memorialize the creation of the mural. The documentary is meant to weave the journey of creating the mural and include interviews of Verde’s community members to share about what they do to bring joy into their lives, and how joy can encourage healing. Stay tuned for updates on the finished product!

Blog Post Written By: Laura Lin, Assistant Director of School Partnerships

SCHOOL HIGHLIGHT: Oakland Emiliano Zapata Street Academy

5/21/2021

Emiliano Zapata’s Street Academy is a unique place. They take an integrated approach to health, knowing that academic success is only achievable if students are well in the deepest sense. Their focus on social justice and emotional wellness are supported in part by our amazing Seneca therapist, Aurielle Zeitler. Aurielle has spent the past two years serving Street Academy’s students, families and staff. Since schools closed just over one year ago, Aurielle has been a lifeline for her students, meeting with them virtually one on one and in small groups to help them stay connected to their peers, teachers and academics.

In high school, students are exploring their identities and their interests, ultimately choosing pathways that will influence the course of their futures. At Street Academy, students not only take required classes, but also participate in a variety of internships that help them gain experience they can use in their future careers. This has been particularly challenging during COVID, and Aurielle has supported her students through this difficult time by providing a space for students to think, reflect and explore who they are and where they are headed.

Street Academy is a small, close-knit community - and school staff serve as counselor-teacher-mentors (CTM’s) to a small group of students. Aurielle often partners with CTM’s to “wrap” support around students to help them be successful overall. COVID and distance learning has taken its toll on the Street Academy community, but our partnership continues to thrive. Just recently, Aurielle returned to campus and several students came to school JUST to see her! The reunion was deeply meaningful by all accounts. We look forward to evolving with Street Academy in the years ahead!

Blog Post Written By: Amy Blair, Clinical Supervisor

STAFF HIGHLIGHT: Yesi Inga

5/21/2021

Name: Yesabel (Yesi) Inga
Position: Bilingual Clinician
What led you to your current position? What brought me to this work is partly my idealistic side. What brought me to my current position is a deep sense of community, wanting to give back and being part of something bigger and meaningful. I started working at Seneca as a Mental Health Counselor knowing I wanted to become a therapist eventually. Once I got to see what Seneca had to offer, I created a career plan to become a well-rounded therapist. I started at JBA working with Middle schoolers, moved to CEC with MacSelpa at Tennyson High School, then Program Assistant & HIS with Mosaic Outpatient while I went to graduate school through the Seneca embedded program, did my internship with Mosaic Outpatient at Guy Emmanuel Elementary and I am now an All-In! therapist at Bridges Academy Elementary. It was the natural next step. It's been quite an exciting and adventurous ride! I have met truly amazing, knowledgeable people that inspire me to become a better therapist.
What inspires you to do this work? My inspiration to do this work comes from my family, my culture, and my ancestors. My parents and my sister are my biggest inspiration. My parents did so much for my sister and I; they were not just good enough parents, they gave us their all. They were not perfect, they made mistakes but in despite those mistakes, and life challenges they inspired us to persevere and to become helping hands to others. They intentionally broke intergenerational cycles of trauma, they worked multiple jobs and had side hustles to provide us with quality education and spent quality time with us, as much as possible. They migrated to the U.S. to keep us safe from terrorism, and to give us a chance at a better life. Against all odds, my sister and I went to Graduate school to be helpers/healers; my sister is an RN soon to be a Nurse Practitioner and I am an MFT. We were given so much love and support, we have a deep desire to give back to others, especially in our community, we want others to have a chance to have what we had and more. We want to be the people and professionals we needed when we were younger. The need for mental health is huge in the Latinx community and other communities of color, so I want to help break cycles of trauma, and poverty, I know I can do it through activism and quality mental health work. I want to help children become healthy and successful adults, be the best they can be, and I want to help parents heal so they can support their kids in that journey. I am a proud descendant of the Incas, and my inspiration also comes from my culture and my ancestors and all the ones that sacrificed and gave it all so I could be here.
What is a recent highlight you’ve experienced in the work? The most recent highlight in the work has to be my recent trip to Houston to support at an unaccompanied minor’s shelter. I am not sure I can put into words the enormity of the impact and the many lessons learned during that week. There is a deep sense of heartbreak mixed with hope and resilience, sprinkled with disappointment and rage, and topped with compassion and a sense of pride that I'm still working through. I met so many inspiring young girls that had gone through so much in their short lives; they are the definition of survivors, resiliency, and hope. I also learned that compassion for children doesn't come natural to everyone, and there's a lot of work left to do so children don't have to live through unimaginable trauma, and be treated so poorly by be ones that are supposed to help them. One of the highlights was being surrounded by other caring Senecans that were as committed to provide hope, support, and compassion to hundreds of kids in crisis.
Share your life motto: "Lo vivido y lo bailado no te lo quita nadie" (what you've lived and danced can't be taken away by anyone)

STAFF HIGHLIGHT: Doug Woodson

5/21/2021

Name: Doug Woodson
Position: Therapist
What led you to your current position? The path taken to my current position has traveled through the NPS schools, community outreach programs and currently enjoying supporting students and staff in a school partnership. I have come to realize no matter what part of Seneca you work in they are all providing valuable support and guidance for people in need.
What inspires you to do this work? My drive to do this work comes from personal trials that have led me to see the value of someone who can listen, encourage, and hold the experience of our young black and brown youth in a way that relates to their daily life.
What is a recent highlight you’ve experienced in the work? I have been working with this family for over a year and building trust has been a journey of peaks and valleys. However, over the past 3 weeks both client and caregiver have been highly engaged in the therapeutic process while seeking mindfulness practices to become more grounded. I was so surprised I giggled out loud and then happily processed, guided, and equipped the family to practice mindfulness.
Share your life motto: You’re a good deal... invest more into yourself.