Hello blog readers. I’m a clinical supervisor for All-In, and have been with Seneca for over seven years working primarily in school based programs. If you’ve ever been curious about how schools determine the need for Tier 1/2 services, this is it! I recently had a unique experience of participating in a school wide assessment for Summit Shasta, a charter high school in Daly City, with the goal of assessing the social emotional needs of their students and identifying the most appropriate services to address these needs. It was a new experience for me, and I was grateful to have one of my favorite co-workers by my side, the legendary Laura Lin.
The first step was to administer a survey to the entire student body to gather information about their experiences. The survey covered four main topics: adverse experiences, risk behavior, social emotional impact, and school experiences. The questions on the survey pulled largely from existing, well-established tools including:
The first step was to administer a survey to the entire student body to gather information about their experiences. The survey covered four main topics: adverse experiences, risk behavior, social emotional impact, and school experiences. The questions on the survey pulled largely from existing, well-established tools including:
| • Cognitive Behavioral Interventions for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) screener • Adverse Childhood Experiences Survey • California Healthy Kids Core Module • 2015 National Youth Risk Behavior • Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire • School Climate Assessment Instrument |  |
The second step was to administer a similar survey to the teachers and staff members of Summit Shasta. This survey asked for their perception of the level at which students in their community have had specific adverse experiences, demonstrated certain risk behaviors, and experienced different social emotional challenges.
After the surveys were complete, Summit Shasta leaders identified a diverse group of students to participate in focus groups to discuss the findings. The survey results included the percentage of students at the school who reported physical or emotional abuse, self-harming behaviors, suicidal ideation and attempts, sexual harassment, being bullied for their race, ethnicity, or national origin, and witnessing violence in their communities. Laura and I met with two separate groups, gave them time to review the percentages and encouraged the students to reflect on whether the results rang true to them, what is already in place to address these issues, and what else could be done to support students. We were impressed by the student’s resilience, sense of community, and willingness to share vulnerable feelings with us. They advocated for their needs in creative ways, supported one another in the room when discussing difficult topics, and openly discussed diversity issues effecting their community.
After the surveys were complete, Summit Shasta leaders identified a diverse group of students to participate in focus groups to discuss the findings. The survey results included the percentage of students at the school who reported physical or emotional abuse, self-harming behaviors, suicidal ideation and attempts, sexual harassment, being bullied for their race, ethnicity, or national origin, and witnessing violence in their communities. Laura and I met with two separate groups, gave them time to review the percentages and encouraged the students to reflect on whether the results rang true to them, what is already in place to address these issues, and what else could be done to support students. We were impressed by the student’s resilience, sense of community, and willingness to share vulnerable feelings with us. They advocated for their needs in creative ways, supported one another in the room when discussing difficult topics, and openly discussed diversity issues effecting their community.
Laura and I then returned a couple weeks later to meet with the teachers and staff to share the information we gathered from the students. What an incredible group of leaders and educators! We shared with them the results of the student surveys along with the teacher surveys and facilitated a discussion about ways to support students. The group reflected on student needs with compassion and curiosity while brainstorming ways to intervene and identifying areas in which they want more support or training. It was clear that the school deeply values and prioritizes the well-being of their students.
Based on the information gathered from all the meetings and discussions, Laura Lin and Jenny Ventura wrote up a detailed report summarizing the findings and proposing a variety of ways to address the identified needs including professional development for teachers, drop-in services for students, parent outreach and psycho education, enhancing existing systems, and empowering students. Robin Detterman and I presented these recommendations to a couple of the school leaders, who will later determine which supports or interventions they would like to pursue.
This was an informative experience for me, and an interesting way to learn about other ways we support schools implementing Tier 1 and 2 services. It was inspiring to meet and spend time with the wonderful staff at Summit Shasta who are committed to improving the lives of their students. And it was also a great reminder of how important it is to raise awareness of mental health issues and find ways to address them that are not stigmatizing.
Thanks for reading!
Based on the information gathered from all the meetings and discussions, Laura Lin and Jenny Ventura wrote up a detailed report summarizing the findings and proposing a variety of ways to address the identified needs including professional development for teachers, drop-in services for students, parent outreach and psycho education, enhancing existing systems, and empowering students. Robin Detterman and I presented these recommendations to a couple of the school leaders, who will later determine which supports or interventions they would like to pursue.
This was an informative experience for me, and an interesting way to learn about other ways we support schools implementing Tier 1 and 2 services. It was inspiring to meet and spend time with the wonderful staff at Summit Shasta who are committed to improving the lives of their students. And it was also a great reminder of how important it is to raise awareness of mental health issues and find ways to address them that are not stigmatizing.
Thanks for reading!
Blog post written by:
Rachel Murray, Clinical Supervisor
Rachel Murray, Clinical Supervisor
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