February-10-2020-Regular-Board-Meeting-Segment-3
[00:00:00] You can see under our education component, there are a lot of parts. Molly was highlighting that second steps work, which happensK  through eight in our district. Um, I do want to just say thank you, uh, to, um, director Fitch for pointing out. We've really put a lot of emphasis in these, um, parent education nights, and how do we become calm, connected parenting.
And our next two speakers are two of the people that are leading those all the time. So, um, Sarah, come on up. Hi. Thank you for having me. And Molly shared about second steps. Um, so I'm going to talk about the intervention piece now. Um, so we've talked about, you know, supporting our all, um, with wellness promotion and then the education that we do, and then the intervention steps that we, um, have within our district.
Um, we do have a cyst trained staff at every school, and that is a specific, um, comprehensive risk assessment. Um, tool that our counselors [00:01:00] and psychologists and other, um, admin are trained in. Um, so the assist trained staff or who are going to be intervening with the, um, with the child who needs a formal risk assessment.
For suicide. Um, and then I'll be talking a little bit more about QPR in the next slide here. Um, but I also wanna Oh, go up. Sorry. And, um, I also want to point out though, that we do have clear procedures in place. We have a very, um, detailed flow chart, um, that's on our website as well. Um, so every, everyone that has a concern about a student knows exactly what to do and the formal path, um, to get the child the support that they need.
Um, and then additional supports we have, we have school-based, um, groups. We have healthy teens that are led by, um, our school psychologist and calling that strong teens, sorry, strong teens at the high school. And then we also have girls circle, um, and then some other groups as well. And then, um, we of course have our crisis resources and mental health referrals that the counselors will provide to [00:02:00] families and parents that are needing those referrals.
Um, and then we actually, everybody has the crisis. Numbers right on our badge. Um, and that's for our students as well. Um, and then going into QPR. Um, so we decided. That we really wanted to, um, as a task force come up with, um, an intervention that could be easily, um, accessible and, and reasonable that hopefully we could train all staff in.
Um, and so QPRs and evidence-based training, um, and we chose it. Uh, that was one of the reasons we chose it. We also chose it because it can be done in as little as an hour. We typically do these in two hour trainings for our staff just to provide a lot of, um, complexity. Training there. Um, but it's, so that means that we can.
Train a lot of staff with that timeline. And then, um, the great thing, and I'm just gonna kind of start with this question here, what if our entire community were trained in QPR and [00:03:00] what we, QPR is really the CPR of suicide prevention. So it's just as if a lay person where. Seeing someone have a heart attack on the street and they were trained in CPR and they needed an emergency medical intervention until the train professionals, the paramedics were to come to provide the formal support.
QPR is an emergency mental health intervention that all of us can do as a community. We're really seeing that, um, suicide. Is preventing suicide as a public health issue, not just a mental health issue. So if our whole community is trained in these basic QPR, um, tech skills, then we have, um, much more opportunity to save a lot of lives.
So very briefly, um, QPR really goes into, um, training people, the signs and symptoms to recognize, um, um. Behavioral clues, verbal, nonverbal clues, situational clues. And then if they're really concerned about someone and they really, um. Feel that they could be at risk of [00:04:00] suicide. It teaches us about how to ask that question.
Um, are you thinking of suicide? Are you okay? Um, and then it talks about persuasion, which is really just the opportunity to provide space, to listen and provide hope, um, and then to refer them to the professionals. Um, so you're just staying with them, providing hope and support and getting them to the professionals, which in our district would be the assist trained staff.
Um, so. We love the training. So far we've done 10, I think so far. I'm trained quite a few staff. We've, um, offered it at a couple of the high schools, um, for many of the staff. We've had one community training so far, and we're offering another one actually here, um, in March. And then we're also offering one all in Spanish as well.
Um, and we hope to continue to offer a lot more. So, um, the feedback's been. Wonderful. And I think, um, people feel really empowered to have the skills that they [00:05:00] need to intervene. So. Awesome. Thank you. So moving from a wellness promotion to education to intervention. Now we're going to talk about what, um, the, the term is postvention.
So I'm gonna let Brittany view, holds our other amazing social worker. Take it from here. Um, thank you so much for having me here today. Um, so first I just want to kind of define what do we mean by postvention? So in our district we use it, I'm kind of in two different ways. One is if we have a student who, um, has contemplated suicide or has it been seen at the emergency department, um, kind of what steps do we take for them?
And then another space of what do we have of someone in our community, especially a soaking school community, does die by suicide. How do we all kind of, um, linked together and really support each other. Um, so first we kind of revamped as part of our, um, suicide prevention group, our safety plans and assessment processes.
So if an assist [00:06:00] train staff, um, does have a student who comes to them who has said, I, I'm contemplating suicide. I want to kill myself. We have a kind of a new, um. Kind of documentation process for that. We reviewed multiple different tools that, um, other schools were using as well as what was recommended by the suicide prevention resource center.
Um, and, uh, in agreements with our County about what is best practice, um, and kind of reviewed what are the questions we should be asking. And I think it really big component is how do we pull out the strengths that our student does have and the strengths in our community to really keep them safe. Which then includes creating a safety plan and not only just for students to have, um, kind of for, um, use in their community, but also for use at school.
When you're feeling like this at school, what are steps we can take? What are resources that we have and really providing them with that. Um, we encourage regular checkins for students, not only with the school counseling team or assist train staff. But the staff that they feel are supportive [00:07:00] adults to them.
And so that's definitely part of our process of identifying three adults that you feel like you can talk to. Um, when you're feeling really whatever the feeling of a student has. Sad, depressed, angry, I'm suicidal, and how can we support you there? Um. We have ongoing communication with her mental health providers in our district has actually hosted, I think two or three luncheons, um, with mental health and also physical health providers in the community to talk about how we can partner, um, and supporting our students.
Um, and, you know, kind of by just. Regular communication and how do we break down those barriers, um, to meet those goals. Um, and then our supports for the school community after there is a death by suicide. Um, we have a staff who are trained, um, for a team to call our flight team. Um, and that training is through the crisis management Institute.
Um, so we go into a school after there has been, um, either some sort of. Tragic death or a death by suicide or some sort of large crisis. Um, and we have a [00:08:00] staff group who all knows how to respond the same way we create. Um, different schools have different names for, we're kind of like a comfort room or just a safe space for students to come and really get that positive, um, connection and processing for their grief.
How can they write letters to the family in a positive way? Um, and you know, how can we respond as a school that, um, prevents suicide contagion. Which is part of our connect response planning that we've been doing. Um, connect is actually a gatekeeper training that was, um, kind of really, um, advertised by Clackamas County as something they really wanted to have our district and schools partner in.
And so what connect is done through NAMI of, um, Nani, NAMI, New Hampshire, excuse me. Um, and, um, it's gonna have a national training about. What to do as a community when somebody dies by suicide and how can we all partner together. So, um, I was lucky enough to be able to attend this training as a representative of our school [00:09:00] district.
Um, and they asked all school districts to have a representative from Clackamas County. There was also law enforcement members of the church community, um, peer support specialists. Um, just parents and people who really care about our community and talking about how do we all work together to support each other because suicide doesn't just impact one person or one family.
It's really at the community. Um, and so we were all trained in how to provide that information to the community. And then, um, it was four days long of training. And on the last day we really talked about what are things that we can do, um, kind of in our community to kind of bridge the gap and really support each other.
Yes. Awesome. Thank you. And so from there, we just wanted to, I'm obviously, this isn't work we're doing alone. We're doing it in partnership with lots of people, and these are a few of those partnerships. We have several people that actively meet, which, who's on that. Nice on. Great. That suicide [00:10:00] prevention coalition of Clackamas County.
Um, the picture up there, that fabulous person, her name is galley Marie, and she is a dynamo of positive energy and good work in our County on this topic. And she is someone that we have reached out to many times. Um, she met with us last Tuesday, did look at our newest update to our plan. What are we missing?
What else should we be thinking about? So, um, she's a partner with us in that way, but also. So in a very personal way, when we've had difficult times in our district, she'll come out and be there as part of the team with us. So really a great partner. Um, we've been, uh, when Sarah came onboard, um, cause she'd been in private practice, um, she was able to connect us with.
The social workers and intake specialists at Willamette falls emergency department about what really happens if we refer a child or a student over there to have an intake. What does that look like? And we learned a lot from, they came and talked to all of our school counselors and social workers and nurses about what that process is and what it isn't.
[00:11:00] And, um, so lots of, you know, lots of work ahead. Uh, but we've appreciated those partnerships. So as we think about next steps. We want to keep building that promotion. How do we keep building inclusive and equitable classrooms that support each child and every child? Um, we're going to, one of the new things that we've been teaching second steps for a long time, and we have a lot of ways to assess its impact just anecdotally.
Um, but we've been thinking about how are some other ways that we're assessing the learning. And so we are, um, have just, uh, entered into beginning to work with a company called Panorama, which again, is an evidence. Company that has student surveys around social emotional learning. There I'm aligned at and K through eight with the teaching and second steps and lots of other good things that we can give as a regular check in with, um, how are we doing?
How are students doing with growing these social emotional skills? Uh, we certainly are going to do some evaluation of the pilot. A project right now happening at [00:12:00] Westland high school on sources of strength, and if that is seeming like it's very promising, we're going to look for other ways to expand that to our other high schools.
Um, we're going to continue and increase those parent education and engagement opportunities. Um, throughout this work, we really want to increase. We, we. Put an audacious goal out there, what would it be like if we could have our all staff trained within three years on QPR? So we're a year and a half into that goal.
So I don't know if we'll make it quite in three years, but we're working on it. They're doing lots of, we have four trainers that are helping to provide those. We obviously are going to meet again, let's those administrative rules for Senate bill 52 come out. What we expect might be in there, that's not in our plan right now are some particular, um, attention.
To a subgroup, to two groups of students that may be at higher risk, that that's explicitly laid out in our plan. So that's one thing we know is coming in the plan, but we want to see the rules of how they want that to look and what they're expecting before [00:13:00] we do any more with that right now. And keep working on our, uh, partnerships.
And then of course, simultaneously, uh, the work that Def dr Ludwig has been keeping you in the loop on around the student investment account. Of course, one of its big components is about mental health. And so we will be considering those relevant investments through that process of the student investment account.
So that was kind of a long presentation. And so we thank you so much for your time, but, um, it had been several years since we brought this back to you. And so we just wanted to make sure that you knew the depth of work that was happening throughout our district on this very, very important topic. Can I ask a just a question?
Is that okay? Um, I had a question on the QPR training. Is it something we can also train our students in just because they are the ones that are with. You know, they tend to be the ones that their pairs go to. Or my question is, is that w do we feel like sources of strength is the [00:14:00] better program or can we do both?
Or, I mean, I understand to actually went online to say, you know, they feel like you need to roll out QPR first with the adults in the community and have them properly trained before you start to train the youth. So I'm just wondering, is that something that is coming down. The road. I'll let them answer the QPR one.
I do want to say that sources of strength, you know, is in that column before. It's not really, they don't talk about suicide and sources of strength. They're talking about developing positive mental health. Where are your resources? Who do you connect with? How do you belong? So it's sort of upstream of suicide, whereas QPR is that direct.
How are you feeling? Are you, you know, are you suicidal? So could you guys answer that one? Cause we've debated it several times. Um, great question cause we've talked about that as well. Um, so QPR does have a component that is for students. Um, they do encourage the adults be trained first in QPR. [00:15:00] So we've actually had the conversation, um, about.
Rolling out a training for youth, um, at arts and technology high school because all of their staff have been trained. Um, and so having that current timber, it's starting with them. How do they feel about it as I feel like a good fit. Um, and then we've also had conversations around, um, providing specific training to our adult.
Um. The advisors through the sources of strength and then talking about how we can reach those students to kind of roll out in pockets of, um, students, because we're kind of training adults in those pockets as well. So that has been a conversation that our team has been having, um, just for older students.
So it would not be something that we would be thinking about with younger students. So we're thinking junior seniors, older students is what the evidence spaces around. Yes. Thank you.
Thank you for this information. And one of the questions I had, I think it was kind of answered in the summit of slide and it was around that that very difficult process of measuring the [00:16:00] effectiveness of a program like this and what would be the next steps with them, particularly the pilot program sources of strength.
I think I have the answer that the Panorama would be involved with the measurement and hopefully we'll even have student voices coming back for that qualitative data, perhaps in the spring or fall. Um, and also of course, the Oregon healthy teen survey that is more asks very specific questions. Um, some of which, uh, when Mike Miller was talking about that adult mentors, that next program, that's one of the questions which we know is a big indicator.
Do you feel connected with an adult. In your school. So that's one that we'll get at with the Oregon healthy teen survey as well. Okay. But that's actually a nice segue in, and maybe the Oregon healthy teen survey is the answer to this question, but I am wondering what data. A source you consult. Um, as you think about, um, what population of our students are most likely to, [00:17:00] um, have suicidal ideation or self harm, or maybe even be subjected to bullying, do you have a reliable data source?
Um, and, and w if you do, what is that source and, and what do you learn from consulting that data.
Um, so I do know in terms of, um, kind of very students that feel at risk, the healthy teen survey does help us do that, um, in terms of our own district. Um, but there is, um. I mean, I think I could probably rattle off a lot of really big names that have like research that do specific things around our LGBTQ students being more at risk for suicide, um, due to kind of the connectedness.
Um, and then also, um, that's part of the, um, Senate bill 52 is around specific communities that they have named for us to actually be doing that training to like LGBTQ youth. So I know that is part of that [00:18:00] bill.
And then just kind of a general answer to that question from the sources of strength perspective would probably be our students who feel the least connected and feel the most isolated. So that's why the sources of strength program is really built around increasing connection between students, connection between students and their family, between students and community members, between students and positive adult mentors at the school.
So that's one thing. Sources of strength that's really trying to address through that program.
No, I, well, I was just going to say, we, we, um, like Dr. Spencer Adams was saying about our partnership with the County. We receive a lot of, um, local statistics as well for Clackamas County and then Oregon and, um, what our statistics are, and then they're really looking at that too, um, as well. So. Yeah. I think that goes to a couple of my questions.
One is the role [00:19:00] that the Clackamas County ESD might be playing in our efforts, and then, um, as board members, uh, how do we support this effort. With County commissioners or, um, you know, are there areas where you could, uh, we could aid, uh, the work that you're doing first? And I appreciate that question and, and I can't remember if we said it out loud, but one of the reasons we chose QPR is that, is there, there are several different kinds of trainings like that, you know.
I can't remember what the other ones were. Talk, talk, safe talk other things. But we chose QPR. One of the reasons is because Clackamas County suicide prevention had already chosen that. So we thought we want to be working alongside them and all of their efforts and be relate, um, calibrated with them and their work.
Um. I think that [00:20:00] the ESD, a Clackamas ESD, one thing that they have done both last year and they had one scheduled this year, it was just canceled. So I'm hoping it's going to be rescheduled, but can keeping up on all of these trainings, you know, making sure those are available. Some of them, like the a flight team training.
So every time we have new counselors, new nurses, we need to get folks to that training. So we're ready. If there is a, a response we need to have. So they have hosted that the last two years, which is really great because we did it the first two years when we were sort of developing our broad capacity.
But now we have. Pretty good broad capacity, but when we have new folks coming in, so that's a nice regional way to meet that need there. And then the assist training is really interesting because it's very broad. And there, a lot of our counselors, when they go to them, they're, they're free and they're often not just educators.
So it's always a kind of a learning experience. Cause we're used to just going to things with other educators. But there you might be with people from the national [00:21:00] guard or the fire department, um, and the assist training, which. Provides a broad, um, look at things. So I'll keep thinking about your question about what else could we be advocating for with our County commissioners.
I think that's a great question. And I think Kathy might, dr Ludwig might have some ideas. I would just say at the County level, when superintendents get together, we talk about collectively where can we align some of our systems and structures or resources so that we don't feel like we're 10 school districts kind of out there.
Um. Doing our own thing, but realizing the OMI aligner systems, we actually strengthen our support. Um, so those are some, and then looking at the student investment account, where there places where we might collectively invest in either people or resources. Um. And then there's opportunities when you've been to some of these, um, where we've hosted either a legislative forum or we've hosted County commissioners and we've made mental health one of the primary topics so they can keep hearing from school districts to what we're doing as well as where [00:22:00] we'd advocate for them to think about policy and resource and support.
I think we really would want to. Very specifically, thank you. As board members for your ongoing support. Um, your support has allowed us to expand. Um, and that'll call related professionals, um, that are in our district, uh, that helps support this work and help build capacity, um, and have been just, um, really stalwart and making sure that we're working together to try to solve this problem.
So I. Really, I'm thankful to have leaders such as you. I'm leaving our district. All right. Thank you Dr. Spencer rhymes and thank each of you as well for being here and a part of
Um, yes. We're going to take just a quick five minute break and we will resume with a [00:23:00] lot of financial information.
Wow.
No.