Suppor&ng High Risk Students Through Red Zone Teams Pam Sturtevant Care Coordinator, LifeWorks Northwest Susan Winterbourne Juvenile Counselor, Washington County Juvenile Department Susan Salkield Safe Schools/Healthy Students Project Director, TTSD Sally Helton EBIS Coordinator Tigard Tualatin School District
Objec&ves Present a model for mul&- disciplinary teams serving students at high- risk. Discuss challenges of inter- agency collabora&on and how these can be met. Present data on benefits and outcomes.
12 10 8 10.3 Office Discipline Referrals per 100 Students per Month Tigard- Tuala<n School District ~ 1998-2012 8.9 8 8 7.8 6 4 6.4 6.5 5.6 4.8 5.4 4.7 4.5 4.7 4.1 2 0
Students at Risk of School Failure May have poor of failing grades. May have high levels of absenteeism. May have high levels of disciplinary referrals or suspensions. May have a mental health problem which may or not exhibit behaviorally but is concerning to school staff. May be involved with or receiving services from mul&ple community agencies.
And oten schools alone are not able to meet their needs.
Red Zone Teams include: School Principal, Counselor, Psychologist, Learning Specialist Mental Health Care Coordinator Juvenile Counselor at middle and high schools (available to elementary schools on request) School Resource Officers at secondary schools.
How are students iden&fied? On the basis of decision rules (ODRs, absences, and suspensions) If teachers, counselors, or administrators are concerned that a student has a mental health problem, students can be referred directly. If a student has a crisis or life event that increases his or her need for service.
What interven&ons are available? Mental Health Care Coordina&on Juvenile counseling Individual behavior plans Alterna&ve school programming Early interven&on/family contact by SRO Mentoring rela&onship with teacher or other staff Other individualized interven&ons
Mental Health Care Coordina&on
Mental Health Care Coordina&on Provides cri&cal support for student progress through: Engagement of family, school, and mental health provider or other community agencies Coordina&on, linkage and joint planning to close gaps between systems Increased communica&on.
Student Outcomes: Care Coordina&on Program For cohort of 62 students served by Mental Health Care Coordinators in Fall 2010, from semester of enrollment to two semesters ater enrollment..
Student Outcomes: Care Coordina&on Program Percent of students with 10 or more absences increased from 16% to 21%. Percent of students with one or more ODRs decreased from 39% to 35%. Mean ODRs decreased by 47% (from 1.55 to. 84). Percent of students with one or more suspensions decreased from 29% to 18%. Secondary students passing all classes increased by 100% (from 22% to 44%).
Challenges School buy- in Consider: best partners to champion need (e.g. school counselors, school psychologists) alternate entry points or referral sources, power of word of mouth. Family reluctance to par<cipate Consider: serve student on their own; Dghter school plans, consultadon with DHS, team up with Juvenile Department, try again later.
Challenges (cont.) Feedback and communica<on to referral source and other school staff Consider: regular Red Zone Team updates, status follow- ups with referral source. Parents want student to have treatment but student doesn t Consider: finding creadve ways to engage student, removing barriers. Ambiguous cases should I close it? Consider: about to transidon to next school level (elementary to middle, middle to high), an out of district placement under consideradon,
Juvenile Counselor
Juvenile Counselor Goal: Increase responsible behavior among youth Focus on our common purpose. Coordinate coopera&on, connec&on and understanding systems. Provide enhanced support towards reducing truancy. Facilitate parental/guardian involvement. Par&cipate in educa&onal mee&ngs and support educa&onal plans.
Juvenile System
Benefits Coopera&ve focus = beher outcomes and less conflic&ng messages Team approach = more ideas and real solu&ons Increased visibility = opportunity for interven&on/ preven&on
Challenges Increased Supervision = Increased Detec<on Consider: levels and types of responses and balance them with posidve behavior acknowledgments. Schedule Conflicts = Increased Academic Interrup<ons Consider: SeSng Dmes and places for juvenile counselors to meet with youth.
Challenges con&nued Zero Tolerance = Increased Disconnec<on with Educa<on Consider: finding acdvides to engage youth in school, consequences that keep youth in school, support networks that happen at school. Funding Reduc<ons = Decreased Educa<onal Alterna<ves
Student Outcomes: Juvenile Counselor Program For cohort of 21 students on the caseload of the Juvenile Counselor in 2009-10 and fall 2011, from semester of enrollment through one semester ater enrollment:
Student Outcomes: Juvenile Counselor Program Percentage of students with 10 or more absences reduced from 63% to 36%. Mean number of ODRs reduced by 3% (from 2.83 to 2.75). Percentage of students with one or more ODRs reduced from 75% to 45%. Percentage of students with one or more suspensions reduced by from 50% to 42%. Percentage of students passing all classes increased from 58% to 66%.
Lessons Learned It s a wise man who profits by his own experience, but it s a good deal wiser one who lets the rahlesnake bite the other fellow. By Josh Billings 19 th Century American Humor Writer
At the District Level It takes &me. Regular mee&ngs are needed to maintain and strengthen partnerships. It is important to formalize interagency opera&ng agreements (MOUs). Pay ahen&on to FERPA formalize procedures. Support and coach.
At the School Level It is cri&cal to meet regularly. Use data to iden&fy the students. But remember data is not always enough. Rela&onships are key. Communica&on loops are vital. Follow up is essen&al.
At the Student/ Family Level It is important for the school to prepare the family for contact. Tailor approach to student and family needs. Home visits may be a good op&on. It may not always be possible to engage, but the process leaves the door open
Ques&ons?