Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES
Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative
www.core-ohmboces.org
OHM BOCES CORE
Table of Contents
CORE Overview ........................................................................................................................................3
OHM BOCES SS/HS Programmatic Chart ...............................................................................................5
School Resource Officer & Bullying Prevention Program ........................................................................7
Center for Family Life & Recovery Inc. ..................................................................................................11
Insight House Prevention .........................................................................................................................13
Utica Safe Schools/Healthy Students Partnership, Inc .............................................................................15
Child Life Services/Wellness Centers .......................................................................................................17
Kids Oneida, Inc. .....................................................................................................................................19
Family Nurturing Center of Central New York, Inc. ................................................................................21
Primary Project .........................................................................................................................................23
For more information about the many programs and services offered through the
OHM BOCES CORE, contact Jane Goodwin, Project Director:
Telephone: 315. 223.6015 • Fax: 315.223.4740 • E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413
OHM BOCES CORE
Notes
For more information about the many programs and services offered through the
OHM BOCES CORE, contact Jane Goodwin, Project Director:
Telephone: 315. 223.6015 • Fax: 315.223.4740 • E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413
OHM BOCES CORE
Safe Schools/Healthy Students
Overview-Local Initiative
More than $32.8 million in grants have been awarded to 18 states and the District of Columbia as part of a joint effort by the
U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services and Justice to support schools in creating safer and healthier
learning environments.
•
The Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES is excited to announce that we have been awarded a grant from the Federal Safe
Schools/Healthy Students Initiative.
•
We join more than 350 schools and communities nationwide that are committed to finding solutions to the problem of
youth violence by working to provide safe, substance-free environments where students can learn, grow and succeed.
•
Building on the collaborative framework established among the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services and Justice, the OHM BOCES is implementing comprehensive and community-wide strategies aimed at promoting
school safety and healthy youth development for students, parents, educators, and the community.
•
The OHM BOCES has received approximately $1.4 million per year for four years, which is being used in partnership
with our school districts, law enforcement and juvenile justice agencies, mental health service providers, and other community organizations.
•
The OHM BOCES is working to reduce the risk factors that can come between our children and their ability to learn—at
home and in the classroom.
•
Working with our partners, we are providing our students with safer, healthier schools. We use evidence-based programs
– that is programs that have proven to be effective – to help our children make good choices in their lives by fostering
self-confidence and creating meaningful activities for them.
•
Our initiative will also address student needs in that it focuses on the following five elements: safe school environments
and violence prevention activities; substance abuse prevention and intervention; student behavioral, social, and emotional
supports; mental health services; and early childhood social and emotional learning programs.
•
Results are important. As we move forward, we will consistently evaluate our outcomes and measure our progress. We
look forward to reporting our successes to our schools and to this community.
For more information about the many programs and services offered through the
OHM BOCES CORE, contact Jane Goodwin, Project Director:
Telephone: 315. 223.6015 • Fax: 315.223.4740 • E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413
OHM BOCES CORE
Notes
For more information about the many programs and services offered through the
OHM BOCES CORE, contact Jane Goodwin, Project Director:
Telephone: 315. 223.6015 • Fax: 315.223.4740 • E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413
Bully Proofing Your School
District-wide Trainings
District Stipends for
School Resource Officers
School Resource Officer
Coalition
Community Partners:
NYS Juvenile Officers
Association, Oneida Co.
Sheriff ’s Dept., Local Stop
DWI, Law Enforcement
Agencies
Element 1
Safe Schools
Environments & Violence
Prevention Activities
2 FTE.
Probation Officers
Community Partners:
Oneida County Probation,
Participating Districts,
School Support Staff and
Safe Schools Healthy
Students Specialists
Initial Response Team
2 FTE. Substance
Abuse
Prevention
Counselors
Not on Tobacco
(N-O-T) Program
Teen Intervene
(7-12)
1 FTE.Prevention
Education
Specialist
Life Skills Training
Curriculum (6-8),
SECOND STEP (K-5)
Community/Curriculum
Coordinator to Facilitate
Curriculum
and Program
implementation within
the districts
OHM BOCES
1 FTE. School
Element 2
Alcohol/Tobacco
& Other Drug
Prevention Activities
2 Certified
Child Life
Specialist
Consultants
Establish
Wellness
Centers
to Provide
Child Life
Counseling
Services (K-6)
2 FTE.
Master’s
Level Social
Workers
Mental Health
Screenings,
Referrals,
and On-site,
School-based
Counseling
(7-12)
Element 4
Mental Health Services
* Four Safe Schools/Healthy Students Specialists to implement
IRT, PBIS, and after-school activities between Elements 1 and 3.
District Stipends
for After-school
Programming and
Activities
4 FTE.
Safe Schools
Healthy Students
Coordinators to
Implement IRT,
PBIS and
After-school
Activities*
PBIS (Positive
Behavioral
Interventions and
Support)
OHM BOCES 1 FTE.
PBIS Specialist/
Trainer
Element 3
Student Behavior,
Social & Emotional
Supports
Project Director - Jane Goodwin
CORE MANAGEMENT TEAM (REQUIRED PARTNERS)
Lead Educational Agency - Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES
Nurturing Parenting
Programs for Head
Start Classrooms Pre-k
Programs (target age
0-5)
Primary Project (K-2)
Element 5
Early Childhood Social
& Emotional Learning
Programs
Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES and Component School Districts:
Brookfield, Clinton, Holland Patent, New Hartford, New York Mills, Oriskany, Remsen, Sauquoit, Waterville, Westmoreland and Whitesboro
CORE PROGRAMMATIC CHART
OHM BOCES CORE
Notes
For more information about the many programs and services offered through the
OHM BOCES CORE, contact Jane Goodwin, Project Director:
Telephone: 315. 223.6015 • Fax: 315.223.4740 • E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413
OHM BOCES CORE
The OHM BOCES CORE
School Resource Officer and Bullying Prevention Program
School Resource Officers
BACKGROUND
School Resource Officer (SRO) programs have been in schools since the 1960s. The placement of law enforcement officers in
schools has grown significantly over the past decade and is increasing dramatically following a series of school shootings of
the late 1990s.
With more attention being paid to the safety of young people while they are at school, many communities are considering
strategies that are intended to make schools safer environments. One of the ways communities are taking action is by making
decisions that law enforcement officers of some type need to be assigned to provide coverage to schools so that safety, security,
and order can be better maintained. The presence of a SRO in the school links crime prevention in the community and crime
prevention in the schools, creating a positive, meaningful school-law enforcement partnership.
SROs typically focus their functions on the Triad Model, consisting of law enforcement, student counseling, and law-related
education. To fully understand this aspect of school safety, SROs and school-law enforcement relationships must be viewed as
the first line of prevention as opposed to a punitive/corrective approach.
Many SROs are law enforcement officers from local or county law enforcement agencies assigned to schools in cooperative
agreements with education officials.
SRO DEFINITION AND PROGRAM OUTLINE
Definition of School Resource Officer (SRO):
An SRO is a certified law enforcement officer who is permanently assigned to provide coverage to a school or a set of schools.
The SRO is specifically trained to perform three roles: law enforcement officer, law-related counselor, and law-related education teacher. The SRO is not necessarily a DARE officer (although many have received such training), security guard, or officer
who has been placed temporarily in a school in response to a crisis situation, but rather acts as a comprehensive resource for
his/her school (Center for the Prevention of School Violence CPSV 313 Chapanoke Road Suite 140 Raleigh, NC 27603 800299-6054 www.ncsu.edu/cpsv/).
For more information about the many programs and services offered through the
OHM BOCES CORE, contact Jane Goodwin, Project Director:
Telephone: 315. 223.6015 • Fax: 315.223.4740 • E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413
OHM BOCES CORE
The development of the OHM BOCES CORE SRO Program has been a collaborative effort between the OHM BOCES CORE
Initiative, the Oneida County Sheriff, Oneida County STOP DWI Program, the NYS Juvenile Officers Association, and local
law enforcement agencies and school districts.
In most cases, local districts have partnered with their community law enforcement agency together with Safe Schools/Healthy
Students funding to offer this program. No single district program is alike and has been specifically designed to meet the individualized needs of every community.
In cases where there is no local law enforcement option, districts are working closely with CORE staff and the Oneida County
Sheriff to provide these services.
THE SRO COALITION
OHM BOCES CORE Initiative has partnered with the State of New York Police Juvenile Officers Association to provide ongoing training, technical assistance and support to its local school resource officer community.
The State of New York Police Juvenile Officers Association (SNYPJOA) is primarily a training and advocacy organization
comprised of police juvenile officers and other juvenile justice professionals.
The mission of the State of New York Police Juvenile Officers Association:
A commitment to the development and implementation of quality training for all of its members. Through this training, law
enforcement and other juvenile justice and human services professionals will ensure that our communities remain safe and that
our young people have the opportunity to develop into successful and productive citizens of every corner of New York state.
Throughout the SS/HS initiative and beyond, this partnership will be developing and maintaining the infrastructure of the coalition and offering a variety of training to its participating law enforcement communities in the area of violence prevention and
school safety.
POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION SUPPORTS (PBIS)
PBIS is a decision making framework that guides selection, integration, and implementation of the best evidence-based academic and behavioral practices for improving important academic and behavior outcomes for all students. It improves student
academic and behavior outcomes by ensuring that all students have access to the most effective and accurately implemented
instructional and behavioral practices and interventions possible.
PBIS emphasizes four integrated elements: Data, Outcomes, Practices, and Systems. These elements are guided by six important principles:
• Develop a continuum of scientifically based behavior and academic interventions and supports
• Use data to make decisions and solve problems
• Arrange the environment to prevent the development and occurrence of problem behavior
• Teach and encourage pro-social skills and behaviors
For more information about the many programs and services offered through the
OHM BOCES CORE, contact Jane Goodwin, Project Director:
Telephone: 315. 223.6015 • Fax: 315.223.4740 • E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413
OHM BOCES CORE
•
•
Implement evidence-based behavioral practices with fidelity and accountability
Screen universally and monitor student performance and progress continuously
Schools organize their evidence-based behavioral practices and systems into an integrated continuum in which students experience supports based on their behavioral responsiveness to intervention.
A three tiered prevention logic requires that all students receive supports at the universal or primary tier. If the behavior of some
students is not responsive, more intensive behavioral supports are provided, in the form of a group contingency (selected or
secondary tier) or a highly individualized plan (intensive or tertiary tier).
Schools that establish and implement PBIS with integrity and durability have teaching environments that are:
• Less reactive, aversive, dangerous, and exclusionary
• Are more engaging, responsive, preventive, and productive
• Address classroom management and disciplinary issues (e.g., attendance, tardies, antisocial behavior)
• Improve supports for students whose behaviors require more specialized assistance (e.g., emotional and be
havioral disorders, mental health)
BULLY PROOFING YOUR SCHOOL
Numerous studies report that many children across the nation are fearful in their schools and in their neighborhoods. This fear
is not only due to the more extreme forms of school violence that have been reported in the media, but to the high incidence of
bullying and harassment that takes place daily in U.S. schools. Bully Proofing Your School (BPYS) is a nationally recognized
school safety program, implemented in school districts throughout the United States and Canada, with a scientifically proven
track record since its inception in 1992. BPYS is a critical element in the creation of safe, civil and caring school culture that,
in turn, promotes student attachment to school, attendance at school and achievement in school. (National Center for School
Engagement; Denver, Co).
The OHM BOCES CORE Initiative will be offering this program to the participating component districts through the Learning
Center at the main campus on Middle Settlement Road. We also have partnered with the National Center for School Engagement, program developers of Bully-Proofing Your School, to deliver this quality, evidenced-based program.
The National Center for School Engagement (NCSE) was established based on more than a decade of educational research
conducted by Colorado Foundation for Families and Children. NCSE has generated many resources about school attendance,
attachment, and achievement. NCSE provides training and technical assistance, research and evaluation to school districts, law
enforcement agencies, courts, as well as state and federal agencies - to name a few.
For more information about the many programs and services offered through the
OHM BOCES CORE, contact Jane Goodwin, Project Director:
Telephone: 315. 223.6015 • Fax: 315.223.4740 • E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413
OHM BOCES CORE
PBIS/Bullying Prevention:
Jodi Warren, OHM BOCES CORE Positive Behavior Intervention Supports Specialist/Trainer
4747 Middle Settlement Road
New Hartford, NY 13413
Telephone: 315.793.8578 Cell: 315.520.6216
Fax: 315.223.4740
E-mail: jwarren@oneida-boces.org
In addition to our partnership with the National Center, the OHM BOCES CORE Initiative has hired a Positive Behavior Intervention Supports Trainer/Specialist who will be coordinating both bullying prevention/intervention and providing training
and technical assistance for districts that wish to participate in using the Positive Behavior Intervention Supports model in their
schools.
CONTACT
School Resource Officer:
Jane Goodwin, OHM BOCES CORE Project Director
4747 Middle Settlement Road
New Hartford, New York 13413
Telephone: 315.223.6015 Cell: 315.272.7584
Fax: 315.223.4740
E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
Ed Schmidt, SRO Coalition Coordinator
srocoalition@gmail.com
Telephone: 315.796.5443
For more information about the many programs and services offered through the
OHM BOCES CORE, contact Jane Goodwin, Project Director:
Telephone: 315. 223.6015 • Fax: 315.223.4740 • E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413
OHM BOCES CORE
Center for Family Life and Recovery
Agency and Program Information
THE COUNCIL
Incorporated in 1967, the Mohawk Valley Council on Alcoholism/Addictions, Inc. is a non-profit agency providing information and assistance on alcohol and drug abuse. It is the mission of the Council to serve as a community
resource to increase awareness of alcoholism/addictions and act as a referral service to facilitate recovery. For over
40 years, the Council has been this area’s main resource for information about alcoholism and other addictions,
touching the lives of over 40,000 individuals each year.
The Community Education Program provides comprehensive prevention programs and services that help create
healthy communities. Services include research-based prevention programs for children as well as community
outreach and education initiatives. The Council works closely with the Central Region Prevention Resource Center,
whose mission is to create a network of community partnerships to build, maintain, and sustain healthy, safe environments across the region.
THE PROGRAMS
Second Step is a classroom-based social-skills program for children ages 4-14 that teaches skills aimed at reducing impulsive and aggressive behavior while increasing social competence. It teaches children to identify their
own emotions and the emotions of others; to reduce impulsiveness; to set their own positive goals; and to learn to
manage their own emotional reactions and decision making processes when emotionally aroused. Second Step is
currently the only violence prevention program that has been labeled exemplary by the United States Department
of Education.
For more information about the many programs and services offered through the
OHM BOCES CORE, contact Jane Goodwin, Project Director:
Telephone: 315. 223.6015 • Fax: 315.223.4740 • E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413
OHM BOCES CORE
Life Skills Training is a classroom-based substance abuse prevention program for children in grades six through eight, which
is proven to reduce the risks of alcohol, tobacco, drug abuse, and violence by targeting the major social and psychological factors that promote the initiation of substance use and other risky behaviors. Life Skills Training is in the distinct position of being
the top research-based prevention program in the country.
THE PLAN
It is the aim of the Council to spread these programs building-wide across the district and to assist schools in becoming selfsustaining with programming. Second Step will begin in the kindergarten classrooms and Life Skills Training will begin in
grade six. It is highly recommended by both programs that classroom teachers become the primary presenters with other staff
playing a supportive role. Teachers are the best choice because they know the students best and can adjust the lessons according
to students needs; they can model appropriate application of the skills throughout the day and integrate key points into other
parts of curriculum discussions while reinforcing the idea that teachers are support people who students can turn to at any time.
To accomplish this, a large piece of this plan is to train all classroom teachers in the program they will be using. In the first year,
Council staff will co-facilitate each program with classroom teachers. After this first year, teachers will begin implementation
on their own and receive technical assistance from Council staff. The Council will help develop program support teams for each
school receiving programming to keep the teachers, schools, and community connected and moving forward. These support
teams will become a networked infrastructure for programming, supporting not only each other but offering support to new
schools as they come on board and strengthening the link between school and community.
CONTACT
For more information about the Council, Second Step, or Life Skills Training, please contact:
Samantha McCarthy, Credentialed Prevention Professional and Community Education Program Coordinator of the Center for
Family Life and Recovery
502 Court Street
Utica, NY 13502
Telephone: 315.733.1709
E-mail: smccarthy@cflrinc.org
For more information about the many programs and services offered through the
OHM BOCES CORE, contact Jane Goodwin, Project Director:
Telephone: 315. 223.6015 • Fax: 315.223.4740 • E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413
OHM BOCES CORE
Insight House Prevention
For each individual school, the servicing Insight House (IH) counselor will be the initial contact as far as referrals are concerned. Each school will maintain a simple binder that contains blank referral forms in triplicate. This binder will be housed in
the counselor’s mailbox in the mailroom. Any staff making referrals can fill out the triplicate referral form and leave it in the
binder. When the IH counselor receives the referral, the yellow copy will remain in the binder, and the white and pink copies
are maintained for internal record keeping and reporting purposes at Insight House.
NOT ON TOBACCO (N-O-T)
An anti-tobacco program specifically designed for high school students who want to quit smoking. N-O-T helps teens to stop
smoking or reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke by identifying why they smoke, pinpointing social influences that encourage them to smoke, combating social pressures, understanding immediate benefits of quitting, setting realistic and attainable goals for change, and developing life management skills.
TEEN-INTERVENE
A research-based early intervention program targeting 12-19 year olds who evidence the beginning stages of substance abuse
addiction. It combines stages of change, motivational enhancement, and cognitive-behavioral theory. The author, Ken Winters,
is an industry leader in the assessment and treatment of adolescent drug abuse. These youth may be using drugs or possessing
them but do not yet demonstrates daily use or substance dependence. This includes both student and parent sessions that offer
the opportunity to address both the individualized needs of the students and support to the families who learn about chemical
use and how to communicate more effectively with their teen. Research has shown that brief interventions of two or three onehour sessions work best with adolescents who experience mild to moderate chemical dependency.
2009-2010 UTILIZATION STATISTICS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Students who decreased substance use/refrained from new substance use – 93%.
Students who reported thinking about consequences before making decisions – 82%.
Students reporting they have a better capability of controlling anger – 84%.
Students who report engaging in fewer risk behaviors – 78%.
Students who report having friends who use alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana – 73%.
Students who showed improvement in resiliency skills in regards to peer use – 96%.
Students reported being affected by family addiction – 55%. Of those students, those who showed improvement in
resiliency skills in regards to that issue – 94%.
Students who addressed and improved self esteem issues – 74%.
*Please see your school’s Insight House Prevention counselor for more information, to make a referral, or to set up a classroom/
assembly program.
For more information about the many programs and services offered through the
OHM BOCES CORE, contact Jane Goodwin, Project Director:
Telephone: 315. 223.6015 • Fax: 315.223.4740 • E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413
OHM BOCES CORE
CONTACT
Paul Vitagliano, Prevention Director
Insight House Chemical Dependency Services
2512 Genesee Street
Utica, NY 13502
Telephone: 315.624.7999
E-mail: pvataglian@insighthouse.com
For more information about the many programs and services offered through the
OHM BOCES CORE, contact Jane Goodwin, Project Director:
Telephone: 315. 223.6015 • Fax: 315.223.4740 • E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413
OHM BOCES CORE
Utica Safe Schools/Healthy Students Partnership, Inc.
Utica Safe Schools/Healthy Students (USSHS) is an independent not-for-profit agency, which works very closely with both
the Utica City and Rome City School Districts. Our mission is to “ …reduce the barriers to learning” so that we can keep kids
in schools, where they belong. We know that the more a child is educated and progresses through the educational process, the
more likely it is that that child will be able to have a happy and healthy life. We also know that although our schools are tasked
with educating our children, not every student enters the school building on the same “level playing field” – some face varying
barriers of poverty, violence, hunger, crime, and academic challenges.
We are very excited to partner with OHM BOCES on the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative through our experience in
the following programs:
•
Initial Response Team (IRT) (family group conferencing)
The goal of the Initial Response Team (IRT) model is to divert potential persons in need of supervision and juvenile
delinquency (PINS/JD) petitions in family court through early school-based intervention using the evidence-based
practice of family group conferencing. This process allows intervention involving a community/team approach to
incorrigibility, truancy, and juvenile offenses by developing an intervention/restitution plan outside of the courtroom
and is agreed upon by all parties involved. The IRT model continues to be highly successful in both the Rome and
Utica Safe Schools/Healthy Student (USSHS) sites, with this initiative seeking to expand upon the successes of
these models. USSHS is the lead implementing agency for the IRT model, which is conducted at Donovan Middle
School for the Utica City School District (UCSD), and is a key partner and agency responsible for the oversight of
the project at the Rome City School District (RCSD) sites. As such, USSHS has extensive experience in successfully
implementing and achieving the desired goals and objectives of the IRT model, in compliance with federal regulations
and standards.
•
Afterschool Programs
Research indicates afterschool programs are essential to help keep kids safe, especially since the greatest at-risk time
of day for delinquency is after school, and students who participate in afterschool programs are less likely to drop out.
During afterschool hours, unsupervised teens are four times more likely to smoke, three times more likely to have sex,
and four times more likely to use drugs. USSHS offers a variety of successful afterschool programs for the UCSD and
all of our afterschool programs are designed to meet the needs of the students, to be fun and engaging, as well as a
learning experience. The students in the programs play a vital and key role in helping to design the programs, which
creates buy-in and leadership skills.
We know these programs will have a significant impact on the students, families, schools, and communities as they have in
Rome and Utica.
For more information about the many programs and services offered through the
OHM BOCES CORE, contact Jane Goodwin, Project Director:
Telephone: 315. 223.6015 • Fax: 315.223.4740 • E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413
OHM BOCES CORE
For instance, we know that:
• Truancy rates have a direct correlation to substance abuse, vandalism, auto theft, teen pregnancy rates, gang behavior,
and graduation rates.
• Adults who were truants as juveniles tend to exhibit poorer social skills, have lower paying jobs, are more likely to
rely on public assistance, and have an increased likelihood for incarceration.
• Federal and state prisons use third grade reading level to predict the number of beds they will need in the future.
• By reducing barriers to learning, children become more successful in their academics and are more likely to engage in
the education process, which in turn increases graduation rates, creating more highly skilled and productive citizens.
• The number of Pre-PINS and PINS will be reduced, as will the number of DSS placements, as a result of connecting
kids and families to services at the onset of an issue rather than waiting for the issues to manifest to the point where
DSS involvement is necessary.
• Graduation rates will improve, as will the number of low-income students going to college, who will then in turn return to their community with more earning power and a stronger sense of civic pride and community engagement.
• Our afterschool programs provide a positive alternative to the above negative activities and actual enhance
children’s school attendance, academic performance and behavioral activity.
CONTACT
Anne Lansing, Executive Director
E-mail: alansing@uticaschools.org
Jeremy Butler, Associate Director of Programs and Services
E-mail: jbutler@uticaschools.org
106 Memorial Parkway
Utica, NY 13501
Telephone: 315. 792.2205
Fax: 315.792.3636
Web: www.usshealthystudents.org
For more information about the many programs and services offered through the
OHM BOCES CORE, contact Jane Goodwin, Project Director:
Telephone: 315. 223.6015 • Fax: 315.223.4740 • E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413
OHM BOCES CORE
Child Life Services/Wellness Centers
BACKGROUND
The Child Life Services/Wellness Centers seek to moderate the impact of stressful or traumatic life events and other situations that may affect the development, health, and wellbeing of children and families. Research has shown the effectiveness of preparing children
for upcoming procedures. Studies have indicated that children who are prepared for surgery are less anxious and that the use of medical play, in particular, can reduce the anxiety
of children undergoing medical procedures (Thompson & Stanford, 1981; Gaynard, et. al,
1990; Ellerton & Merriam, 1994; Hatava, et. al, 2000).
Through our experiences in school systems, we found that children coping with grief and
loss had not been identified previously and that many of these children required assistance
in working through their grief. Research has shown that children who have experienced
the death of a loved one experience anxiety during school hours and that this is a factor
in underachievement during the bereavement period (Abdelnoor & Hollins, 2004). Glazer
and Marcum (2003) described the use of storytelling and artwork to help children express
their grief and loss. Child Life Services provide the children with an opportunity to work
through their feelings with these methods. It is felt that the Child Life Services/Wellness
Center model is the perfect environment for offering these activities. Children spend onethird of their waking hours in school each day, thus it is essential that the school meet the
needs of the child under stress.
HIGHLIGHTS
Hospitalization, medical procedure, serious illness (their own or a love one’s), separation
and divorce, and loss can be frightening and stressful for children. Child Life Services help
to reduce the stress and anxiety associated with these experiences by providing:
• Medical play to encourage children to gain a sense of control, allowing them
to express fear and misconceptions while getting accurate information from a
trained child life specialist.
• Pre-procedural teaching at an age-appropriate level to help children understand
what will happen and what to expect before a medical procedure or operation.
• Procedural support to offer coping techniques, distraction, and emotional support
during medical procedures.
• Education and support to parents and siblings. A family’s need to be involved and
informed is respected.
• Grief and bereavement services for children who have experienced the loss of a
family member, friend, or pet.
• Therapeutic group, when deemed necessary, to help children understand that they
are not alone and their feelings are normal.
Child Life Services
in Action
“Children and families are
benefiting from the Child
Life Services Program at
our elementary school”
~Paul Dischiavo, MSW
School Social Worker
“A school setting is an
ideal place to provide Child
Life Services”
~Lois Pearson, MS.Ed, CCLS
Child Life Educator
Edgewood College,
Madison, Wisconsin
For more information about the many programs and services offered through the
OHM BOCES CORE, contact Jane Goodwin, Project Director:
Telephone: 315. 223.6015 • Fax: 315.223.4740 • E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413
OHM BOCES CORE
LOOKING DOWN THE ROAD
When appropriate, the Child Life Services/Wellness Centers Program will begin recruiting child life specialist master’s level
graduate students for internships. At the graduate level, child life specialist students are allowed to do an internship in an alternative setting. Ms. Brown and Ms. Cooper will recruit master’s level student from Wheelock College in Boston, MA and Bank
Street College in New York City. A child life specialist master’s student is one who has a child life certification or is eligible to
sit for the exam. This will enable the program to be expanded to more schools in the OHM BOCES system without additional
costs. When grant funding ends for this program, with minimal funding, the program can be maintained through the use of
graduate students under the supervision of a certified child life specialist. Another option would be to offer a fellowship to a
child life specialist student who has recently graduated, taken the certifying exam, and is seeking experience in an alternative
setting. Also, there are other grant sources that will be explored before the funding ends for this program.
CONTACT
For information or referral, contact:
Civita A. Brown, MS.Ed, CCLS
315.794.1032
E-mail: civitabrown@gmail.com
Civita Brown, certified child life specialist, has more than 30 years of experience working with children and families in a
variety of settings. She has been a consultant to numerous clinical and academic child life programs throughtout the United
States. She holds a Master of Science Degree in Inclusive Education. Most recently, she designed and implemented the first
child life services program in an elementary school. She has presented at many conferences including the Child Life Council
International Conference in June. In addition, she is the author of numerous articles on child life including a chapter titled, “The
School Setting” in Child Life Beyond the Hospital.
Susan E. Cooper, B.S., CCLS
315.723.1266
E-mail: suecooper@adelphia.net
Susan Cooper, certified child life specialist, has been working with children and families as a child life specialist for more than
25 years. She provides support for children and families experiencing a traumatic event as well as acts as a crisis and grief management resource for schools, businesses, fire departments, and EMS and law enforcement agencies. Mrs. Cooper has provided
educational programs related to stress, grief and loss, crisis management, child development, and children under stress locally
and statewide.
For more information about the many programs and services offered through the
OHM BOCES CORE, contact Jane Goodwin, Project Director:
Telephone: 315. 223.6015 • Fax: 315.223.4740 • E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413
OHM BOCES CORE
Kids Oneida, Inc.
OHM BOCES Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative: Mental Health Services
A BIT ABOUT WHO WE ARE
Kids Oneida, Inc. is a licensed Article 31 Mental Health Clinic. The mission of Kids Oneida, Inc. is to keep families together.
Over the course of our tenure, we have worked to empower children, families, and individuals who have high-service needs
to enable them to live in ways that are productive, healthy, and meaningful. Our agency, within a wraparound model of care,
provides an individualized, client-directed, and integrated system of care, reaching youth with serious emotional and behavioral
challenges who are involved in the juvenile justice, mental health, and social services systems. Furthermore, Kids Oneida, Inc.
has experience working with rural areas in both Oneida and Herkimer counties. We have a clear understanding of the variation
of needs and resources available as well as the variations in social and cultural norms.
Since our inception, we have streamlined county-wide processes by bringing together the Oneida County Departments of
Mental Health, Social Services, and Probation to better serve the needs of our community’s youth. Our work has significantly
improved the delivery and cost effectiveness of treatment and services to youth and families in our county. With over 10 years
of experience reaching youth and families with high needs in Oneida County and improving the efficiency and effectiveness
of services county-wide, Kids Oneida, Inc. is excited to expand our operations to create a replicable strategy to improve and
enhance learning environments in education settings.
*Additional information about our agency can be found at www.kidsoneida.org*
A BIT ABOUT WHAT WE WILL DO
Kids Oneida, Inc. will provide mental health services to grades 7-12 for the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES Safe Schools/
Healthy Students Initiative. We will focus on early detection and treatment as well as parent and youth empowerment and
engagement. The treatments and interventions will focus on skill development and enrichment activities that supplement academic goals and encourage positive social development.
A BIT ABOUT HOW WE WILL DO IT
Kids Oneida, Inc. will employ two full-time licensed clinicians who will work closely with school district staff, Safe Schools/
Healthy Students staff, and other contract agencies. The clinicians will be responsible for:
• Completing comprehensive assessment.
• Implementing evidenced-based treatments.
• Coordinating referrals to community providers.
For more information about the many programs and services offered through the
OHM BOCES CORE, contact Jane Goodwin, Project Director:
Telephone: 315. 223.6015 • Fax: 315.223.4740 • E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413
OHM BOCES CORE
Services will be provided in both group and individual settings, during business and non-business hours, and at various locations (i.e., school settings, in family homes, community locations, agency office, etc.) in an effort to eliminate potential barriers
to participation.
CONTACT
Virginia Whitford-Anken, Licensed Master Social Worker - Clinical Director
Kids Oneida, Inc.
310 Main Street
Utica, NY 13501
Telephone: 315.731.2644
E-mail: vwhitford@kidsoneida.org
For more information about the many programs and services offered through the
OHM BOCES CORE, contact Jane Goodwin, Project Director:
Telephone: 315. 223.6015 • Fax: 315.223.4740 • E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413
OHM BOCES CORE
Family Nurturing Center of Central New York, Inc.
Programs And Services
For Families With Young Children
NURTURING PARENTING PROGRAMS®
Parenting education based on a model of empowerment for parents and children, developed by Dr. Stephen Bavolek, Introduced in New York State by Donna LaTour-Elefante in 1988. Distinct, specialized Nurturing Parenting Programs for:
• Prenatal families.
• Parents and their infants, toddlers, preschoolers.
• Parents and their school-age children.
• Parents and adolescents.
• Teenage parents and their children.
• Parents and their children with health challenges.
• The ABCs for parents and their kindergarten children.
SAFE SCHOOLS/HEALTHY STUDENTS INITIATIVE
The Family Nurturing Center has partnered with the OHM BOCES Safe Schools/Healthy Students initiative to provide Nurturing Parenting Program training to local Head Start and Pre-K programs within the component districts it serves. This “train the
trainer” model will allow these programs to offer parenting education (parents and their infants, toddlers, and/or preschoolers)
to the parents of young children (ages 0-5).
The Adult Adolescent Parenting Inventory (AAPI - 2) will be used to assess the parenting and childrearing attitudes of adult
and adolescent parent and pre-parent populations. The AAPI-2, an assessment tool that has over 20 years of research to support
it’s findings, is a validated and reliable inventory used to assess parenting attitudes/beliefs.
This inventory will be administered as a baseline pretest at the time of the initial home visit with parents who are enrolled with
their children in the Nurturing Parenting curriculum.
Other inventories will also be used such as the Nurturing Quiz to determine pre/post knowledge of parenting practices/techniques; the Nurturing Skills Competencies Scale to determine perception of strengths/weaknesses in skill practice; and the
Family Social History Questionnaire to determine learned patterns in families that may be a contributing factor to parenting.
These additional inventories will be administered at the first session of the program, during the program, and at the end of the
program to determine the results of the intervention.
For more information about the many programs and services offered through the
OHM BOCES CORE, contact Jane Goodwin, Project Director:
Telephone: 315. 223.6015 • Fax: 315.223.4740 • E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413
OHM BOCES CORE
Districts can also opt to utilize grant specific district stipend dollars to expand programs and services to target other age groups
in the specialized areas listed above.
CONTACT
Donna LaTour –Elefante, Executive Director
Family Nurturing Center of Central New York, Inc.
209 Elizabeth St., 4th Floor
Utica, NY 13501
Telephone: 315.738.9773
E-mail: admin@fnccny.org
FAMILY NURTURING CENTER PARTNERS:
Pam Gardinier
Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency, Inc.
Telephone: 315.624.9930, ext. 250
E-mail: pgardinier@mvcaa.com
Lisa Roach
Small Blessings Preschools
Telephone: 315.853.1002
E-mail: lroach@westmorelandschool.org
For more information about the many programs and services offered through the
OHM BOCES CORE, contact Jane Goodwin, Project Director:
Telephone: 315. 223.6015 • Fax: 315.223.4740 • E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413
OHM BOCES CORE
Primary Project
AN OVERVIEW
Primary Project, a school-based early detection and prevention program, seeks to enhance learning and adjustment skills and
other school-related competencies and to reduce social, emotional, and school adjustment difficulties in preschool through
primary grade children. Carefully selected trained paraprofessionals, called child associates, provide timely, effective help to
children who are just beginning to show adjustment difficulties.
Through the use of carefully developed screening and detection methods, young children with early school adjustment difficulties that interfere with learning (e.g., mild aggression, withdrawal, and learning difficulties) are identified. They are given
effective support from carefully selected, trained child associates who work under close professional supervision. Evaluation
studies show that Primary Project helps many children become more productive in school (Cowan, et al., 1996; Nafpaktitis &
Perlmutter, 1998).
The Primary Project is supported by a wealth of research, demonstrating its effectiveness. In 1985, it was awarded the Lela
Rowland award by the National Mental Health Association as an outstanding prevention program. It has more recently been
cited as an exemplary program by other reviewers (Dwyer & Bernstein, Hampton, Ryan, Adams, 1997) and included as an effective program in other materials (Albee & Gulotta, 1997, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1997).
The key structural components of Primary Project allow for the adaptation to the local districts/sites, while retaining the flexibility to meet the uniqueness of the individual setting. This makes Primary Project applicable to a broad range of children and
communities.
Primary Project began in 1957, in a single elementary school in the Rochester City School District in NY. This cornerstone program is the prevention program for which Primary Mental Health Project Inc. (PMHP Inc.) is named. Since 1957, the program
has been developed and expanded, refined and clarified. It has been cited as perhaps one of the most extensively researched
prevention programs in history.
KEY STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS
•
•
•
•
•
Focus on young children.
Early screening and selection.
Use of paraprofessionals to provide direct service to children.
Role change of the school-based mental health professional.
Ongoing program evaluation.
For more information about the many programs and services offered through the
OHM BOCES CORE, contact Jane Goodwin, Project Director:
Telephone: 315. 223.6015 • Fax: 315.223.4740 • E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413
OHM BOCES CORE
After initial training, child associates begin to see children regularly. The number of children seen will depend on whether the
child associate is working full- or part-time, or as a volunteer. A part-time (15-20 hours per week) child associate can see 10-15
children in a week and have sufficient time for participation in training, supervision, and completion of necessary documents
related to program implementation.
When a child begins Primary Project, he/she is made aware that he/she will come to the playroom, which is intended to provide
a safe and welcoming environment where the child and adult can interact. The child sets the pace of the interaction and child
associate supports and reflects what the child is doing and saying. Expressive play is the primary activity of the child and when
the child chooses, invites the adult to participate. It is not the role of the child associate to interpret or analyze the play, but to
support the child in his/her activities. These sessions are supported through weekly supervision by a mental health professional.
Some projects have added a parent component. There is a wide variety of options among programs including parent conferences, parenting classes, home visits, or other activities. At a minimum, parental consent must be obtained prior to a child
participating in Primary Project.
CONTACT
Stephanie Dietz, School Community Curriculum Coordinator
Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES CORE
4747 Middle Settlement Road
New Hartford, New York 13413
Telephone: 315-223-6094 Cell: 315.520.6144
Fax: 315.223.4740
E-mail: sdietz@oneida-boces.org
For more information about the many programs and services offered through the
OHM BOCES CORE, contact Jane Goodwin, Project Director:
Telephone: 315. 223.6015 • Fax: 315.223.4740 • E-mail: jgoodwin@oneida-boces.org
4747 Middle Settlement Road, New Hartford, New York 13413
Brookfield
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