N A N C Y VA N GA G E N C Y A N A LY S I SS O C I A L W O R K 1 8 0O C T O B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 0B A R B A R A F O S T E R

John Burroughs Elementary School K-Six Intervention

Program

The K-Six Early Intervention and Prevention Program is an energetic and dynamic area of school base social work. The program operates at eight other elementary Schools; K-Six is a component of CPS, Child Protective Services and a part of Fresno County Department of Social Services. The K-Six Program with the number “6” being spelled out to distinguish it from the grade levels that the Program serves.

K-Six

The K-Six office at John Burroughs, room 30.

The room is shared with four workers from other programs. One license Marriage and Family Therapist, and three workers from First 5 Fresno County public organization.

K-Six Room 30 continue

K-Six Room 30 continue

K-Six room 30 continue

Here is the door into the Social Workers office.

K-Six room 30 continue

Here is the student intern office which is right next to the Social Workers office.

K-Six room 30

This is the end of the room tour.

The interagency concept of the K-Six Program

The K-Six social workers from the Department of Children and Family Services are the front line facilitator of this collaborative effort in consultation with probation and mental health.

Referrals come directly from the school teachers at the school. The program helps students who are referred by teachers and staffs. These students

may have academic, behavioral, personal/emotional, peer relationship, family/home, attendance concerns and safety/crisis issues.

K-Six aims at removing behavioral and social barriers that interfere with the child’s ability to progress in school and to prevent to the degree possible, the variety of social ills that might otherwise occur.

Direct services to the children (group and individual sessions), as well as family contacts with extensive parenting skills training, are provide by K-Six Social Workers.

Continue

Referrals to a wide variety of community services to help solve child and family issues.

K-Six social workers at each K-Six School interviews children and families referred by teachers to assess their appropriateness and willingness to participate in the K-Six program.

The case issues are then reviewed at each school site by a multi-disciplinary school-based team, (SBT) alternatively referred to as the child study team (CST), students study team (SST), or child and family intervention team (CFIT). This team include the parent(s), as well as the child, as appropriate.

The school team then decides which specialty, including K-Six, can best address the issues of the children and families.

K-Six Case Management Flow Chart

Roles and duties of K-Six Social Worker

The K-Six Social Worker assesses and treats, not only the child’s classroom and school behavior, but also the child’s functional level within the family, especially as family issues affect the child’s academic functioning.

The Social Worker functions as a counselor and consultant to the teacher, the child, as well as the child’s family.

The K-Six worker also performs linkage and brokerage for other needed services in the community, as well as assessing and developing needed resources.

The worker needs to be in contact with the child’s teacher at least once per week, and with the child preferably more often even if it’s a few minutes on the playground, the lunchroom, and classroom.

Parents will be regularly informed about their child’s progress. The K-Six Social Worker attends IEP’s and Parent-teacher

Conferences concerning K-Six Children.

continue

The K-Six worker’s role may expand within the scope of their practice on smaller campuses, but focus more on the primary case management role in larger schools with strong consultative and collaborative involvement with various specialized school staff, such as school nurse, reading teacher, RSP, school psychologist, speech therapist, and student assistance counselor.

The K-Six Worker is advocate, service provider, resource broker, community liaison and resource developer.

Burroughs Boys Social Skills Club and Girl Power Group

K-Six Social Worker and student intern at Burroughs are currently running two group meetings every Wednesdays.

The first one is Boys Social Skills Club, a program to help enhance positive interactions among the students. Boys who join the club will be working on peer relationships, conflict resolution, self-esteem, how to handle stress and conflict, and appropriate social skills. The purpose of the program is to promote positive character traits and help tech young boys appropriate behaviors that will help them be more successful in school and in their community.

continue

The Girl Power Group focuses on leadership skills, promote self-esteem, self-worth & importance of an education as well as increase with skills to cope with teenage challenges.

K-Six Early Intervention and Prevention Program

John Burroughs Elementary School and other School’s with this program benefits greatly because K-Six Social Worker is preventing problems that would otherwise be disruptive to the school and classroom.

References

www.co.fresno.ca.usHttp://fresno.networkofcare.orgK-Six information book/pamphlet