SHAC Minutes
January 25, 2016
Present:
Megan Schuler – Staff Liaison, Plano ISD
Bryan McCord – Staff Liaison, Plano ISD
Lisa Thibodeaux – Staff, Plano ISD
Linda Coleman – Parent/Community
Mary Swinton – Staff, Plano ISD
Janet Howell – Staff, Plano ISD
Cynthia Lee – Staff, Plano ISD
Sudi Randoing – Parent/Community
Julie Walker – Staff, Plano ISD
Guest Panel
Mark Allen – Staff, Plano ISD
Sandra Fida – Benefits and Risk Management, Plano ISD
Jana Hancock – Director of Guidance, Plano ISD
Krishna Upadhyaya – LPC Intern, Hope’s Door
Andy McGarrahan – Psychology, Children’s and Private Practice
Elizabeth Koury– LPC, Children’s
Sonya Schwalen – Psychologist, Children’s
Jane Callahan – Lead Counselor, Shepton HS
Not Present:
Charles Coleman – Parent/Community
Diane Davey – Parent/Community
Kelly Featherston – Parent/Community
Brady Field – Parent/Community
Dr. Andrew Kotas – Parent/Community
Molly Pipak – Staff/Plano ISD
Zack Pruett – Staff/Plano ISD
Karen Shepherd – Staff/Plano ISD
Margaret Sylvester – Parent/Community
Tina Venegas – Parent/Community
1. By-Laws Update
- Will continue review and present next meeting
- Current need, Nomination Committee, to meet separately for recruitment
2. Next March Meeting
- Need recommendations regarding Board request
3. Wellness Policy Subcommittee
- December 11 – full work day
- January 26 – full work day to compete policy and begin Plan
4. Panel discussion
What are the greatest stressors:
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In family life, lack of support
Family stress, anxiety,
Anxiety about school performance (wanting to make straight A’s)
Depression
History of abuse
Wanting to keep up with peers
Eating disorder dept. @ Children’s – treat the disorder and the accompanying needs
Biological factors (some genetics, family history), psychological (highly anxious,
obsessive compulsive tendencies), social aspects (family, peers, teams)
Students who are “internalizers” – often look okay in school
Social media – contributes to stress
Limited ability to communicate, parents who are “fighting the battles” for their
children
No signs of decreasing in eating disorders, patients can cross-over (between
multiple disorders, eg., cutting and eating disorders, Restricting, binging, purging,
over-exercising)
Personalities that want to compare and compete with others
Coaches – you’re not performing as well as you should
Fairly common that comments about weight “planted a seed”
Most common referral for private practice – depression and anxiety
Perfectionism, high-achieving
Children comparing themselves to others and not seeing themselves in a positive
light.
Families that don’t know how to help their children cope, or cannot cope
themselves
Gender issues
Academic stressors – students starting in the 5th grade worrying about their grade
point averages
In high school, much about social acceptance
Because of social media, it follows them wherever they go… very self-involved,
cannot get away from comparisons.
Students who are over-scheduled, no time to play
Students who lack resilience to deal with the moments when they do not do well.
Poverty
Recent migration – barriers related to acclimation, cultural variables, role reversal
(students taking on the adult role)
Exposure to trauma
Students seem to know so much about the adult problems – their family finances
Population of patients changing – used to be primarily anglo, but now seeing in
other cultures
Limited access to family time because of over-scheduling. Families that don’t spend
time together, don’t eat meals together.
Social media can impact the quality of time that families spend together – rules
around device time (no devices after 6 PM, etc.)
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Students indicating need for more device time at home because teachers are texting
HW, etc… Rules and structures needed around device time so that it’s not just like
“dumping the student out in NYC” with no parameters.
Important for students to
Adaptive and Maladaptive Behaviors – Related Recommendations
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Attendance issues
Shutting down, coasting through the day, “on auto-pilot,’ not engaged with others,
no positive interactions
Excessive, addictive video game, used as coping mechanism, an intentional isolation
response
Cultural differences – more Asian students who have anxiety related to high
performance
Positive behaviors – talk to others, learning who it is safe to talk to,
Students need an opportunity to understand their own narrative – critical thinking
skills and a narrative to go along with what they’re going through – normalizes their
experiences for them –
Opportunities for students to become aware of the moments in their life that they
can be grateful for,, that they can become aware of all the good things that they
have in their life.
The attitude of gratitude
“I” stations
Giving students access to the language that allows them to understand their own
narrative.
Children learning how to identify what’s going on emotionally, to be able to express
it, teaching students how to ask for support – this equates to acknowledging that
there are troubles.
Students who are able to identify emotions and connect them to behaviors – why
am I doing this? Why am I not doing this?
Currently in place – PISD parent education development –
What can we do as a school district to support the emotion health of our students?
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Opportunities to support the ideal of “family time” – schools that have family nights,
invite families to spend time together. – Other side, that type of experience is a
stressor for families
Assist families in building their internal support systems
Can you make family education classes required for parents? Or recorded and
offering web-based opportunities.
Assist teachers in health classes to be careful about the discussions – some issues
can be taken to extremes by students.
Vast majority of boys and girls have some issue on the spectrum related to poor
body image – can effect self-esteem, mood, relationships, depression… schools can
be careful in how they talk about nutrition, the purpose of food, consider “body
image” instead of “eating disorders”
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Be careful about celebrity, iconic posters in the schools – esp. those that can be
connected to body images – be aware of what types of messages are being sent on
the walls of our schools.
What are the small ways that we can impact student body image positively.
What is heard from the staff perspective with regards to mental health?
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Teachers who are blamed if there are failures, teachers who feel like they are trying
to juggle as much as students and parents are.
New teachers feels isolated, lonely
Crisis Fund – funded by the Education Foundation – employees helping employees –
to help employees. Recently – an employee living in a car, campus doesn’t know.
Others who don’t have transportation to work. Anonymous applications.
In what ways does the district staff know about this fund? Why they call Risk
Management for any other reason
EAP – Employee Assistance Program, will help staff members find elder care, child
care, etc. Being utilized more and more… More than counseling. 24 hour phone
response.
Plano ISD staff families in trouble because of job loss, medical situations,
Leave bank, short-term disability, life insurance, wellness assessments, website link
to pages of available resources
Of the calls that are received by Risk Management, how often is there something
available to meet their needs… almost always, but more funding could be used for
the Crisis Fund.
What do we do for teachers to help with stress? Is there any type of buddy system?
Ongoing mentor systems
Recommendation – to keep staff members pointed toward professional help when
they need it.
Build in video/workshop in the Safe Schools program to address stress for staff
members. Consider this a preventive.
What programs are promoting employee wellness? T hat celebrate healthy
behaviors?
Staff access to the gyms after hours –
Campus led after school opportunities for mental and physical health
Aroma therapy and smoothing music in lounges, adult coloring books
Principals emphasizing the importance of taking time to eat lunch, not working and
eating at the same time
Crock-pot club
Create a culture of “go home” – when the day is over, home by 5, everyone gets
lunch, but these challenges are worth it, for better employees
Educate campuses on the signs of domestic violence
Student Support Programs
- (see handout)
- Foundation is counseling and guidance program
- Guidance lessons, Individual and Small Group guidance and counseling, family and
parent support/connections, referrals school/community resources, staff training,
substance abuse prevention program, school age parent program, social work intern
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program, truancy prevention program, acceleration/credit recovery programs,
special program centers, services for families experiencing homelessness,
KEYSS/Journey, Community partnerships
We need to ensure that students are able to find time with their counselors when
they need/want it. Or counselors having time in classrooms, time with teachers.
Messages of available services need to be continuous, not just a single training…
Work through Student Services on SEL – social emotional learning, putting a group
together to study that topic more deeply – to consider/understand what we are
doing now, what does research tell us about this, what should we be doing… helping
students to understand their own behaviors and responses
Momentous Institute school trainings – 7-10 schools working with this group
Restorative practices for students in need
CMIT – related to district RtI program
Grant Halliburton work
Next Meetings
March 21, 2016 11-2
May 16, 2016 11-1