Evidenced Based School Counseling: Day 1

I just returned from the Sixth Annual Evidenced-Based School Counseling Conference, in New York City.  This was my third visit to the "boutique" conference featuring learning opportunities from School Counselor Practitioners, Educators, Supervisors and leaders in the field.  The word "boutique" of course refers to a small conference, but the impact and quality of sessions was anything but.

The program welcome to EBSCC 2018 states:
"This conference was created to prioritize and disseminate what works in school counseling and to engage practicing professional school counselors, counseling administrators, and school counselor educators as leaders in that context...By using evidence-based and culturally responsive interventions to remove barriers to success for all students and to support achievement through multiple interventions, school counselors can be central players on the education team."


The 2 day conference provided opportunities to attend a keynote and five 50 minute sessions each day.  There was also the option of attending  a number of double sessions for 2 hours offered both mornings.  As is often the case, there were multiple sessions I wanted to attend being offered at the same time.  The first morning I had to choose between these 2 hour sessions: Using School Data to Show Accountability, Motivational Interviewing Techniques, and Starting Universal Screening in your School District.  Any of the three would have been a winner, but I chose Motivational Interviewing.

Motivational Interviewing (MI) was a topic I had been hearing a lot about.  Its directive and client-centered style fits well with my own personal identity as a School Counselor. I learned MI empowers the student to set goals and action plans.  In doing so, it is the job of the School Counselor to involve the student in exploration and support rather than exhortation, persuasion, or argument.  The responsibility and argument for change is left with the client.  When students want to be the next NBA or Rap Star, it's okay to say, "Great, what do you need to do to get there?"
In MI the School Counselor does not fight the student's resistance.  When students are not interested in change or tell you they just don't care, "roll with the resistance."  Tell students you respect that they don't care, thank them for their time and invite them back if they want to change something.
The 5 principles of MI focus on empowering students. 
1) Express and show empathy towards students
2) Support and develop discrepancy
3) Deal with resistance
4) Support self-efficacy
5) Autonomy

Check out these Amazon titles:  Miller and Rollnick (2013) 3rd Edition Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change  
North (2017) Motivational Interviewing for School Counselors

My next session was "What are Social Stories and How Do I Write Them?" with Dr. Emily Goodman-Scott. The term Social Stories has been copyrighted by Carol Gray who pioneered their use.  You will want to check out this link to learn more about Social Stories and their development.  Carol Gray Social Stories.

Social Stories were originally developed for use with children with Autism.  Their use has expanded to provide an evidence based intervention for all students.  Social Stories can be used for helping students process any situation from adjustment scenarios, event preparation, anxiety, appropriate social skills, and understanding a new culture.  Social Stories most often feature the child at the center, however stories using popular cartoon characters have also been successful.  Social Stories can be designed, with the student, as a book in PowerPoint using Google Images or actual photographs (or selfies) of the student and situation.  They should be written in first person language and explain the situation or behavior, prepare students for what will occur, and show expected behavior,  Collaborating with all stakeholders involved with the student is important to be sure all aspects of the story are covered and to provide reinforcement.

This intervention can be used as Tier 3  and is great for collecting outcome data with students at any level.  I have a 6th grader with a behavioral disability and speech issues who has difficulty going to class and staying in class. I plan to write a Social Story with him about this topic.  This will allow me to collect the needed outcome data and will show the behavioral impact of a story written specifically to help him manage his behavior about staying in class.

My next session was about using Hip Hop and Spoken Word Therapy as a Group Counseling Framework in Schools. In this session the presenter has taken his love of Rap music and created a Donor's Choose project to fund a studio in his counseling suite.  He shared how 2/3 of adolescents today have experienced trauma and how trauma negatively impacts self regulation. He discussed how students of color are often put in a position where their emotional expression is considered disobedient, causing them to feel isolated and unsupported.  Lyric writing and recording hip hop beats allows students to express their emotional obstacles.  When students come together to share their experiences, they must listen to each other to create a cohesive track.  This group provides a way for students of color to cope, to express emotions, and reflect on their experiences. 

What's a School Counselor to do who is not familiar with Hip Hop, Spoken Word Therapy, or laying down beats?  Start with the students and ask them to teach you or find  someone in your community who has the skills and knowledge and ask for their help.

My last session of the day was Exploring Systemic Factors of White Spaces Within Educational Institutions and the Role of the School Counselor.  We were asked to examine our biases and how they impact our services to students. We heard how we must be compassionate about the socio-ecological realities of our students.  What are these and how do they impact our students?  Many students of color are characterized as underachievers.  It is important to ask deeper questions about discrepancies, for example, why are there a lower number of students of color taking AP courses? Our students come full of knowledge, how do we use it?  We ended with this powerful YouTube video below by Sy Stokes titled "Dear White  Counselor."  For more in depth understanding of this topic it is important to read about critical race theory, white fragility, and colonization mindset.

I hope you enjoyed reading about this unique professional developmental opportunity on evidence-based practices.  This conference is offered each Spring and will be held next at Ohio State University on March  10-11, 2019. 
Next week, Day 2 of the Evidenced-Based School Counseling Conference.