Support
Education
Advocacy
Mental Health and Schools Conference 2011 ~ Workshops
October 5, 2011
Session One
1A Responding to Children with Anxiety
Presenter: Ken E. Potter, LICSW
Warren Street Family Counseling
Responding to anxiety, fears, worries and nervousness is the job of all parents, teachers, coaches and adults who are actively involved in the learning and lives of young people. Anxiety is particularly difficult to address as its tendency toward fight or flight does not usually leave us with many positive options. For students, dealing with anxiety or fear can add a second step to the learning and engagement process. In this workshop, we will examine common circumstances and participants will discover varied and practical approaches to assist students in managing anxiety and fear. Participants will develop experience-fear language that can be useful in difficult situations where anxiety is present and having a negative affect; find new ways to support the student while addressing the anxiety and learn ways to reduce the anxiety while engaging children and adolescents who experience life restricting anxiety.
1B Being an Effective IEP Team Member
Presenter: Bonnie Dunham, Spec. Education Law and Policy Specialist
Parent Information Center
Productive IEP meetings rely on all IEP Team members having an understanding of the special education process, IEP requirements, academic, extracurricular and nonacademic expectations, and their role as a member of the IEP Team. Team members also must understand the child’s strengths, needs, preferences, interests, learning style and goals. Equally important, IEP Team members need to be committed to working together as partners in the special education process. This session will provide a brief overview of the special education process, with a focus on the IEP, and explore how the IEP can address more than just academics. Participants will be provided with tools and strategies to enhance their ability to work together as a team.
1C Psychiatric Medications for Kids: Identifying & Accommodating Side Effects
Presenter: Craig L. Donnelly, M.D., Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
This workshop will review the common psychotropic medications used in children and adolescents with focus on the side effects that may be encountered in the school setting. We will discuss the targeted symptoms and disorders and the expected rates of response for commonly used medications. We will discuss how teachers, nurses and school psychologists can monitor children who are taking psychiatric medications and how to help children manage side effects.
1D See the Person, Not the Illness
Presenter: Annette Carbonneau, Mgr. of Grant Operations & Volunteer Development
NAMI NH
What is stigma? Why is mental illness stigmatized? A diagnosis of an emotional or behavioral health disorder is a huge challenge for any family. But along with the diagnosis comes another
challenge – the stigma associated with it. This workshop will explore stigma and the impact it has on the student and their families. Participants will gain insight into a parent’s perspective and learn how words, actions and attitudes can effect positive change and promote understanding, all which will improve the student’s academic outcomes.
Session Two
2A Strong in the Broken Places: Developing Strength-based Service-Learning Projects
to Increase Resiliency in Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders (repeated in Session Three)
Presenter: Howard Muscott, Ed.D.
NH Center for Effective Behavioral Interventions and Supports
The purpose of this presentation is to help educators create effective service-learning projects for students with EBD. Techniques and procedures for identifying, designing, and evaluating service-learning opportunities that are well matched for students with EBD will be shared. Barriers to implementation and ways to overcome them as well as and model programs will also be discussed.
2B Resources: Who, What, When and Where?
Presenters: Terry Ohlson-Martin, Co-Director, NH Family Voices
Claudia Ferber, M.S., Director Child and Family Programs, NAMI NH
Professionals working with families are often faced with the challenge of helping those families identify and locate resources. Navigating the system is a formidable task and connecting with the right services and supports can greatly improve the outcome for the student and family. The current economic climate and recent legislation have impacted New Hampshire’s social service community and presented new challenges. This workshop will provide participants with information on where to refer families to begin a search for assistance, what is available and what questions to ask. There will be time for questions and answers.
2C Understanding ADHD in the Classroom
Presenter: Louise Morin-Davy, Ph.D. , A.T.R., Dir. of Child, Adolescent and Family Srvs,, Center for Life Management
This workshop will review the diagnosis of ADHD and explore the symptoms and behaviors to look for in the classroom. Disruptive behavior exhibited in the classroom will be identified and explored. Skills that can be used in the classroom with different age groups will be discussed with an emphasis on less invasive, more positive supports that engage students.
2D Barriers to Good Decision Making in Adolescence and Practical Approaches that Can
Make a Difference (also offered in Session Three)
Presenter: Erin Hiley Sharp, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Family Studies, University of NH
Dr. Sharp will provide a brief overview of the changes in cognition and brain development associated with adolescence and how these changes affect adolescent decision making. The focus will be on how cognitive and brain development impacts decision making around risk taking behaviors. A facilitated small-group discussion will center on how we can act as resources for adolescents to help them gain confidence and learn skills to become better decision makers. The workshop will conclude with a presentation of practical strategies for enhancing adolescent decision making.
Session Three
3A Barriers to Good Decision Making in Adolescence and Practical Approaches that Can
Make a Difference (also offered in Session Two)
Presenter: Erin Hiley Sharp, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Family Studies, University of NH
Dr. Sharp will provide a brief overview of the changes in cognition and brain development associated with adolescence and how these changes affect adolescent decision making. The focus will be on how cognitive and brain development impacts decision making around risk taking behaviors. A facilitated small-group discussion will center on how we can act as resources for adolescents to help them gain confidence and learn skills to become better decision makers. The workshop will conclude with a presentation of practical strategies for enhancing adolescent decision making.
3B Students at Risk for Suicide: What to Look For, What to Say and Do, and How to Connect with Appropriate Resources
Presenter: Ann Duckless, MA, Community Educator, Connect Suicide Prevention Program
School personnel are well-positioned to notice changes in youth behaviors, attitudes, academic performance or social interactions which may signal symptoms of depression, substance abuse, and/or other risk factors which may lead to suicide. Having key information on how to recognize the warning signs of suicide and connect with a youth at risk to get them appropriate help is a protective factor for all students and staff in a school community. In an interactive manner, this workshop will explore the risk factors and warning signs for suicide and will aim at helping participants to connect effectively with family members and community resources when dealing with a student in suicidal crisis.
3C Bipolar Disorder in the Classroom: Characteristics and Management
Presenter: Robert Walrath, PsyD, Director of Graduate Education, Rivier College
This workshop will review common characteristics of children with bipolar disorder including emotional issues and behaviors related to the disorder. Potential side effects of medications used in treatment will be covered, and specific behavior management techniques and general behavioral interventions will be presented. There will be time for questions.
3D Strong in the Broken Places: Developing Strength-based Service-Learning Projects
to Increase Resiliency in Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders (repeated in Session Two)
Presenter: Howard Muscott, Ed.D.
NH Center for Effective Behavioral Interventions and Supports
The purpose of this presentation is to help educators create effective service-learning projects for students with EBD. Techniques and procedures for identifying, designing, and evaluating service-learning opportunities that are well matched for students with EBD will be shared. Barriers to implementation and ways to overcome them as well as and model programs will also be discussed.
This event is in observance of
Presented by NAMI NH, in collaboration with Granite State Federation of Families, New Hampshire Association of School Psychologists, New Hampshire Association of Special Education Administrators, NH Department of Education, NH DHHS-Community Based Care, New Hampshire Family Voices , New Hampshire Parent Teacher Association, New Hampshire Psychological Association New Hampshire School Nurse Association, Parent Information Center, and Wediko Children’s Services.
The keynote presentation was funded by a grant from The Endowment for Health. Funding was provided, in part, through the Family Mutual Support Grant awarded to NAMI NH from the NH DHHS-Bureau of Behavioral Health.
