In-Service Development for School Social Workers by Paulina Nunez

Here are some ideas of what school staff can do to be more supportive:

pnunez51 — 2022-04-25 22:07:29 UTC

1. Supply school materials.

2. Help children to get transportation, the school bus or public transportation.

3. In addition provide free food, breakfast, lunch and reduced-price lunch program.

4. Provide school clothes, personal hygiene items, and winter clothes.

5. Funds for extracurricular activities or hobbies

6. Coordinated housing assistance referrals with other community resources, mental health, counseling, and medical care.

Barriers to Education for Homeless Children and Youth

dsar1694 — 2022-04-25 22:13:48 UTC

Enrollment requirement- School record, immunizations, proof of residence and guardianship.
Lack of transportation
Lack of access to programs
Lack of school supplies, clothing, etc
Poor health, fatigue, hunger
Prejudice and misunderstanding
High mobility resulting in lack of school stability and educational continuity
Lack of financial resources
Lack of Wifi/Internet

Interactive Article

pnunez51 — 2022-04-25 22:14:05 UTC

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

dsar1694 — 2022-04-25 22:15:12 UTC

It's a federal legislation that ensures the educational rights and protections of children and youth experiencing homelessness.

It was passed in 1987 and it entitles homeless children to a free and appropriate public education.

It requires schools to eliminate barriers to their enrollment, attendance, and success in school and sets aside Title I funds specifically for their support.

Trauma Informed Care (TIC)

dsar1694 — 2022-04-25 22:21:28 UTC

-Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) is an overarching structure and treatment attitude that emphasizes understanding, compassion, and responding to the effects of all types of trauma.

- When working with students in constant contact with traumatic life experiences, implementing Trauma-Informed Social Work Practice delivers services that seek to create a safe environment, which enables trust, choice, collaboration, and empowerment that clients tend to lack in their everyday lives (Levenson,2017).

- When using TIC as a model in a school setting, social workers can find the intersection of trauma, health, and social issues, which could be especially helpful when working with the student population.

Restorative Justice Practice

dsar1694 — 2022-04-25 22:26:11 UTC

This work is not about labeling students; it's about forming authentic relationships to build trust, build strengths, and better respond to needs.

Investigating trauma in the students; this approach recognizes that what happens in students' lives outside of school influences how they participate in class. It is beneficial to the school's culture to be sensitive to the realities of student life.

Prepare students for the transition to life after high school.

Case Study (Westchester County)

dsar1694 — 2022-04-25 22:28:13 UTC

The issue of homelessness students in Westchester County

The issue of homelessness continues to increase throughout Westchester County and wealth inequality is undeniable in the County.

The issue of homeless students is an invisible issue according to Westchester Children's Association. Westchester Children's Association releases an annual report entitled, Making the Invisible Visible. The report provides statistics by village, town and cities. An example of wealth inequality is, the Village of Scarsdale, NY (ranked the second richest place to live) has 2 homeless students out of 4,749 students - verses Mount Vernon, NY which is a significantly smaller and a city with 925 homeless students out of 7,863 students.

Westchester County wide student population is 148,154 and 2,357 are homeless. The housing status is as follows:

1491 students are doubled up. Double up is when an individual or family lives with another household temporarily or shuffles indefinitely between homes often because of economic need.
41 live in a hotel or motel

470 are in shelter placement.

353 are transitional.

2 are unsheltered.

Predisposing/ Risk factors are parents who struggle with addiction, family breakdown, unemployment, lack of education and mental illness.

The percentages of Westchester County homeless students by race are a clear indication of systemic racism and oppression throughout the County. 43% of homeless students are Hispanic, 48% black, 5% white, 1.7% multi-racial and .7% Asian.

According to Westchester County Association for Kids, the further expansion of homeless prevention services and the collection and assessment of comprehensive data are recommendations to combat student homelessness.

Community Outreach Preventions

Local civic, faith-based, etc. organizations conduct annual coat and clothes' drives and back to school events.

Identification of the Issue

pnunez51 — 2022-04-25 22:29:14 UTC

Children who are experiencing homelessness are exposed to various traumatic experiences as a result of housing instability. According to American Psychiatric Association, Traumatic experiences tend to be unexpected life events outside of a person’s control, such as criminal victimization, accident, natural disaster, war, or exposure to community or family violence. Social workers learn that psychosocial history must be considered when clients face the damaging effects of child maltreatment and chaotic family environments, which produce problems later in life (Levenson, 2017).

Research has proven that trauma affecting early childhood is incredibly impactful on a person’s life (Levenson 2017).

How Teachers Can Support Students Experiencing Homelessness

dsar1694 — 2022-04-27 20:59:43 UTC

Welcome the child into your classroom community- Begin by getting to know them as an individual and work to build their trust.

Foster a sense of safety and security- Their current living situation may feel chaotic, and school is often their safe haven.

Give them ownership in the classroom- Empower them by giving them something that they can call their own: a defined space, a plant to take care of, a class pet to feed, a job to do.

Make sure they get lots of time for fresh air and play- School may be the only place they have to run and play. The playground is also where they may begin to connect with classmates and make new friends.

Set them up for success with school work- Make arrangements for additional tutoring or academic help if needed.

Supply students with the tools they need- Provide your student with a backpack with the work supplies they need and a clipboard to take home as a portable desk.

Provide emotional support- Help them find positive outlets for anger, and give them choices, when appropriate, to counter the loss of control they feel.

Educate yourselves- Be culturally aware and competent of the population you’re working with.

Provide Routines- Not having a consistent home provides a lot of instability. By having set routines in schools. It alleviates distress in anxiety and normalizes expectations and routines. Students thrive with stability.

NYT Article

pnunez51 — 2022-05-06 23:33:37 UTC

dsar1694 — 2022-05-07 00:13:38 UTC

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