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Transcript of €¦ · Web viewThe effectiveness of a social skills group intervention. Journal of Child and...
Name of School District:
Address or other information:
Name of contact person:
Telephone number:
Email:
Loyola University – ChicagoHome-School-Community Research Team
Permission to copy granted for educational purposes only
Counseling Students Who are Homeless and Students in the Child Welfare System
References Baggerly, J. (2003). Child-centered play therapy with children who are homeless: Perspective and procedures. International Journal of Play Therapy, 12(2), 87-106. Barrett, P., Cooper, M., & Guajardo, J.G. (2014). Using the FRIENDS programs to promote resilience in cross-cultural populations. In S. Prince-Embury & Saklofske, D.H. (Eds.), Resilience Interventions for Youth in Diverse Populations. New York: Springer. Harrell, A.W., & Mercer S.H. (2009). Improving the social-behavioral adjustment of adolescents: The effectiveness of a social skills group intervention. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 18, 378-387. doi: 10.1007/s10826-008-9241-y Rew, L., Johnson, K., & Young, C. (2014). A Systematic Review of Interventions to Reduce Stress in Adolescence. Issues In Mental Health Nursing, 35(11), 851-863. doi:10.3109/01612840.2014.924044 Van Andel, H. H., Grietens, H., Strijker, J., Van der Gaag, R. J., & Knorth, E. J. (2014). Searching for effective interventions for foster children under stress: a meta-analysis. Child & Family Social Work, 19(2), 149-155. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2206.2012.00885.x Vostanis, P. (2007). Mental health interventions and services for vulnerable children and young people. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Wilson, S.J. & Lipsey, M.W. (2007) School-based interventions for aggressive and disruptive behavior: Update of a meta-analysis. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 33(2), 130-143
Homeless Children and Children in the Child Welfare System:
The McKinney-Vento ActThe McKinney-Vento Act is a federal mandate that helps maintain stability in
housing and education for preschool, school-aged, and unaccompanied youth. Homeless children and youth are:
Living without regular/adequate night time residency Living in shelters (including transitional shelters) Living with another family due to lack of permanent residence
(doubled-up) Children of migrants
Unaccompanied youth are:
Runaways (run away from home) Throwaways (not permitted to live at home) School-age unwed mothers without other housing
The McKinney-Vento Act applies to all children ages 3-18 years, as well as through the age of 22 years if the child receives special education services.
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Please visit our website for additional information designed to support your work with homeless children and families. The website includes office posters, presentations for staff members,
screening tools, fliers, and other useful resources in English and Spanish.
http://www.schoolresourcesforhomelessfamilies.org
Child Welfare Laws
The Fostering Connections for Success and Increasing Adoptions Act 2008
This is the most significant recent federal legislation regarding services and supports for children in the child welfare system that promotes their educational stability. This law has made many improvements to the systems that support this population including: 1) funding for child welfare programs and initiatives; 2) efforts and funding to keep siblings together; and 3) measures to provide foster care for students up to age 21. This law also requires states to develop case plans to ensure that foster care placements provide educational stability, including transportation provisions, for children in schools. How this is done varies from state to state and on a case by case basis.
Child and Family Services Improvement Innovation Act of 2011
This statute is similar to the Fostering Connections for Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008. It provides funding and support for initiatives such as services to address the emotional trauma experienced by children removed from their homes, requirements for case worker visitations, and programs such as long term therapeutic family treatment centers. This law also requires states provide educational stability for each foster placement.
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Trauma, Homelessness, and the Child Welfare System
Children who are homeless or who are part of the child welfare systems share common traumatic experiences. These experiences include:
Loss of community, routines, possessions, privacy, and security Increased exposure to physical, sexual, and emotional abuse Increased exposure to interpersonal and community violence Frequent or unexpected separations from caregivers and other family members
Trauma-Informed Care
“Trauma-Informed Care is a strengths-based framework that is grounded in an understanding of and responsiveness to the impact of trauma, that emphasizes physical, psychological and
emotional safety for both providers and survivors, and that creates opportunities for survivors to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment.” (Hopper et al., 2010)
Current trends in intervention have limitations. Typically, interventions for students who are homeless and students in the child welfare system are (1) rehabilitative, (2) individualized, and (3) limited to basic needs, education, and skills training. In contrast, as a best practices model, trauma-informed care serves as an overarching framework. This framework is based on six principles: (1) safety, (2) trustworthiness and transparency, (3) peer support, (4) collaboration and mutuality, (5) empowerment, voice, and choice, and (6) cultural, historical, and gender issues.
Trauma-informed care changes the question from What’s wrong with you? to What happened to you?
Interventions TraumaTrauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS)Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic Stress (SPARCS)Support for Students Exposed to Trauma (SSET) Violence and AggressionMindfulness TrainingSecond StepToo Good for ViolenceGang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) Conflict ResolutionResolving Conflict Creatively ProgramTeaching Students to be Peacemakers4Rs (Reading, Writing, Respect, and Resolution)I Can Problem Solve Stress ManagementMindfulnessTranscendental meditationLife skills training Social SkillsSocial Skills Group Intervention (S.S. GRIN)I Can Problem Solve ResiliencyThe FRIENDS ProgramReady? Set. Go! Play TherapyChild-Centered Play Therapy
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ResiliencyWhen implementing evidence-based interventions designed to target resiliency, ensure the following components are included:
Enhance protective factors such as self-concept, coping skills, hope, and social support Teach skills to effectively cope with difficult and/or anxiety-provoking situations Teach ways to effectively manage feelings associated with negative experiences Build support networks and positive relationships
When implementing interventions that target resiliency, consider the following adaptations for children who are homeless or children in the child welfare system.
Incorporate common challenges and fears for at-risk children and youth including gang violence, death, drugs, and poverty.
Use a peer learning model to incorporate both older students as mentors and positive adults as models of adaptive coping.
Play Therapy
Play therapy is useful when students’ abstract thinking or language development is limited. Play therapy provides psychological distance from distressing thoughts or circumstances and offers opportunities to practice novel roles and skills. When utilizing play therapy, consider the following adaptations for children who are homeless or children in the child welfare system.
Rely on methods consistent with child-centered play therapy Be mindful of themes typical for this group of children: grief/loss, eviction, financial
instability, etc. Acknowledge and reaffirm these themes and associated feelings Include (1) real life toys/items, (2) aggression release toys/items, and (3) creative
expression toys/items
General Counseling Modifications
Problems with EngagementThere is a reluctance to engage in counseling if participation is forced by the parent, caregiver, or “IEP minutes”. Students may experience feelings of ambivalence, distrust, and even fear due
to a history of negative relationships with adults. Additionally, students often disengage or terminate early due to fears of losing the relationship with the school psychologist, counselor,
or social worker.
Considerations for homeless children and children in the welfare system: Monitor the child’s placement or living situation At the very least tolerate, or better yet, accept sporadic attendance due to
absence from school or the child’s choice to not attend Devote additional time to building rapport Meet in a comfortable, non-threatening environment. If you have a dedicated
office, provide soft furniture, art supplies, and age-appropriate toys or manipulatives. Do not ask the child to sit in a chair opposite your desk.
Progress at the child’s pace, not at the pace of the structured intervention Educate the child on the goals of your time together and avoid unpredictability
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Timing of Counseling
It is typically difficult for students to generalize the skills learned in counseling when life outside of school is unstable. However, it is generally not possible to wait for life to stabilize for this
group of students.
Considerations for homeless children and children in the welfare system: Provide short-term counseling focused on current transition the child is
experiencing Address the “here and now” and the child’s immediate concerns (e.g., anxiety
about transitioning to a new foster home or shelter) Assist the child in creating a “life story” (“life book”) or narrative of his/her life
(Connor et al., 1985). This is especially critical for children with multiple foster placements.
Collaborate with outside agencies that provide counseling or additional services to the child
Themes and Related Interventions
Complex Trauma
Exposure to multiple traumatic events that are (1) invasive, (2) interpersonal, and (3) wide-ranging and long-term. Complex trauma is associated with problems across the lifespan such as
addiction, chronic physical conditions, depression, anxiety, and self-harm.
Stress Management
Mindfulness / awareness interventions Transcendental meditation (TM) Relaxation exercises Life skills training Aerobic physical activity and sauna sessions with biofeedback technology
Considerations for homeless children and children in the welfare system:
Focus on attachment theory Parents’ sensitivity and responsiveness to the needs of the child Partners intervention—parent training program combined with teacher training Focus on the relationship between the foster child, biological parent, and foster parent,
which can be the source of much tension
Social SkillsWhen implementing evidence-based interventions designed to target social skills, ensure the following components are included:
Teach students to understand their own feelings and feelings of others Promote and reinforce pro-social behaviors such as concern for others and positive
peer relationships Build adaptive coping strategies for social problems, such as teasing and isolation Offer modeling and opportunities for role-plays
When implementing interventions that target social skills, consider the following adaptations for children who are homeless or children in the child welfare system.
For students in shelters, the lack of privacy and personal space may create tense social interactions. Ensure role plays address these privacy and personal space concerns.
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Interpersonal Conflict
When implementing evidence-based interventions designed to target violence and aggression, ensure the following components are included:
Identify and choose non-violent strategies for resolving conflicts Teach problem-solving skills Teach effective communication strategies Teach empathy, perspective-taking, and personal responsibility Offer opportunities to role-play strategies for responding to conflict
When implementing interventions that target interpersonal conflict, consider the following adaptations for children who are homeless or children in the child welfare system.
When role playing circumstances that provoke interpersonal conflict, encourage students to role-play current or recent circumstances with which they have real-life experience.
Pay close attention to students’ examples of recent conflict with peers. If a student is
being bullied, it may indicate the need for adult intervention.
Signs of Complex Trauma
Attachment and RelationshipsUnstable and unpredictable relationship with caregiversHesitancy to rely on othersIssues with friendships, interactions with authority figures, and romantic relationshipsOverly friendly with strangers
Emotional Responses
Difficulty identifying, expressing, and managing emotionsUnpredictable and explosive emotional responsesInability to self-calm or recover from extreme emotions
Dissociation
Mentally disengaged“Spacing out” or daydreamingImpacts perception of time and ability to take in new information
Behavior
Issues with self-regulation and impulse controlUnpredictable, oppositional, and volatile
Cognition
Limited executive functioning skillsDifficulty with reasoning, problem solving, and planning aheadEasily distracted
Self-Concept and Future Orientation
Shame, guilt, low self-esteem, poor self-imagePerception of world as meaningless or uncontrollableDiminished feelings of hope for the future
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Trauma-Specific Interventions The following interventions are evidenced-based treatments for children with trauma histories;
Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT) Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic Stress (SPARCS) Support for Students Exposed to Trauma (SSET)
When implementing these or other trauma interventions, consider the following adaptations for children who are homeless or children in the child welfare system.
Trauma interventions often include a parent component. For students cared for by non-parental family members or foster parents, revise homework assignments to refer to “trusted person” rather than “parent.”
Ensure homework that includes parents or caregivers is optional and offer an
alternative activity. Trauma interventions typically include a session during which children share a “trauma
narrative” or the story of a traumatic event. Students who are homeless or students in the foster care system have likely experienced a number of traumatic events. When sharing the trauma narrative, assist the child in selecting one event that is manageable and not overwhelming.
Violence and Aggression
When implementing evidence-based interventions designed to target violence and aggression, ensure the following components are included:
Identify triggers that lead to violence and aggression Teach positive ways to cope with anger and frustration Teach empathy and personal responsibility Offer opportunities to role-play alternatives to violence and aggression
When implementing interventions that target violence and/or aggression, consider the following adaptations for children who are homeless or children in the child welfare system.
For this group of children, feelings of anger and frustration are often normal reactions to abnormal situations. Prior to teaching more adaptive responses to these circumstances, validate students’ reasons for feeling angry and frustrated.
When role playing circumstances that provoke violence and aggression, encourage
students to role-play current or recent circumstances with which they have real-life experience.
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