The document discusses the role of school social workers in linking research, theory, and practice to support students. It outlines objectives to explore how social workers can epitomize their work with students through this link, and ways to enhance engagement between student services and academics. The document then provides background on the presenter's work implementing a brief, solution-focused reentry model using qualitative research with social work students. Outcomes showed that around 50% of students did not reenter the juvenile justice system.

1. MARVA FURLONGUE-LAVER MSW
BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
MARALEXHAM RESOURCES FT. LAUDERDALE FL

2.  The precept of social work in schools is that the
service and classroom curricula are equal in
importance
 The demands that are placed on School Social
Workers requires a shift in thinking and a closer
link between research and intervention.
 There is a tension that exist within social work in
the relationship between theory and practice
 To be an effective practitioner it is important for
you to have a sound theoretical base

3.  Objectives:
1. Explore How School Social Workers can
epitomize their work with students to link
Research, Theory & Practice
2. Up scaling of School Social Workers supporting a
strong relationship with Academia and Student
Service Personnel and the balancing of power
between the two entities
3. Ways to enhance engagement and connection
between the Student Services and Academia

4. Workshop Objectives:
• Effective re-entry practices are critical to curtailing high
rates of juvenile recidivism and providing youths with
the services and support needed to promote successful
re-integration into the community.
• The intervention that will be presented has a dual
purpose - One to support the youths in realizing that
their current situation is just a pause, a break; and
engaging them in activities that will place them back on
the steps that will lead them to their plan for their life.
• The other purpose is to help Social Workers in schools
in their roles as they provide support to students

5.  BACKGROUND
 Opportunities to engage in small scale qualitative
research
 As the School Social Worker hired by MDCPS to
support the students who are receiving their
education through Dept. of Juvenile Justice, I
developed and implemented Re-entry procedures
using Brief Solution Focus Therapy based on
Theory of Hope
 Social Work Students used theory and evidence
based intervention in their practice and also
engaged in the process of research

6.  BACKGROUND
 The Research
 Changing Lives Through H.O.P.E; The implication for
Solution Oriented work with Adolescents involved with
Juvenile Justice.
 I begin with the assumption that human actions are goal
directed; and goals are the targets of mental actions; in
order to reach their goals, people must view themselves as
being capable of generating workable routes to those
goals
 I hypothesize; If Hope is such a critical element of every
successful person, as evidenced in President Obama’s
book “The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the
American Dream”. The empowerment of youths in
identifying a goal and envisioning a future is critical to
them becoming successful individuals.

7.  My working thesis is that HOPE four letters; when
said individually means nothing but strung
together form one of the most powerful word in
the work of a School Social Worker re-entering
students into the education community.
 I engage in solution oriented, forward looking
youth centered approach when working with the
students.
 The goal of the research was to develop an
educational counseling transition/re-entry model
of intervention through the youth identified
vocational/ educational future focused goal

8.  Model of Implementation:-
 Train Social Work Masters level students
during their internship in the use of Brief
Solution Focused Therapy
 Model the use of Brief Solution Focused
therapy for students
 Train students on the use of the Solution
Focus Transition/Re-entry Questionnaire as a
guide during their sessions with youths
 Circular strength based youth centered
responsive questioning techniques

9.  Model of Implementation:
 Research is an integral part of being a social
worker
 Create an environment that supports the
development of Social Scientists
 Opportunities to engage in small scale qualitative
research
 Build Student’s confidence as evidence based
practitioners; thinking of an answerable question
they can research
 Provide opportunities for students to read and
review research articles, focusing on the research
quality and methodology

10.  BACKGROUND INFORMATION/JUSTIFICATION
 Youth Violence is a source of concern for Public
Health
 The education of our youths contributes to the
decline in the homicide rate
 Effective re-entry practices are critical to curtailing
high rates of juvenile recidivism
 Research indicates that most youth who re-offend
do so within nine months of release from a Juvenile
justice program, therefore making successful re-
entry practices a critical component of success.

11.  BACKGROUND INFORMATION/JUSTIFICATION
 Blomberg, T.G., Bales, W.E. & Piquero A.R (2011)
research examined how educational achievement
and attendance contributes to recidivism across
race and sex of Florida students released from
juvenile justice commitment programs one year
post release
 Students with high educational achievement were
less likely to reoffend, hence having a lowering
recidivism rate.

12.  BACKGROUND INFORMATION/JUSTIFICATION
 The Labelling theory focuses on the triggering
effects that labels may have as they serve to
exclude individuals from certain activities. Labels
serve as social control; labelled offenders have
fewer options to conventional life, which can lead
to weak social bonds.
 Educational attainment as a positive label leads to
career attainment.
 Education gap exist between black and white
students. White male students are more likely to
be labelled gifted and black male students labelled
mentally retarded

13.  BACKGROUND INFORMATION/JUSTIFICATION
 The use of labels contributes to the outcome of
educational attainment.
 Effective intervention is needed to redirect the path
of students’ lives; turning points are needed
towards more adaptive paths.
 Research also shows a correlation between school
attendance and re-arrests
 Students with higher absences from school leads to
higher arrests upon release.

14.  As a Social Worker; Hope is critical to the success
of my role in providing the young people I serve
with a glimpse into the possibilities of them being
a part of the American dream once they Exit the
Programs with support that means no return.
 Successful outcome is measured by completion of
Secondary Education, post secondary training,
college/vocational education and shift in
thinking; begin to think about career goals

15.  H.O.P.E. four letters; when said individually
means nothing but strung together form one of
the most powerful word in the work of a Social
Worker. Hope springs vision of a future. Young
people need to know that there is a future for
them; a future that is their vision their preferred
future; not one that is designed by adults, but
one where they have a voice. Young people who
have experienced any period of incarceration
need to know that they are valued and have a
future.

16.  H – HELP PROVIDED
 O – OPPORTUNITIES TO INSPIRE/SHARE
 P – PASSION PROJECTING TOWARDS THE
FUTURE
 E – ENGAGING EXIT WITH NO RETURN

17.  The goal of this intervention is to support young
people on a journey that is solution oriented and
directed by them; they have an active voice in
how their story is told and ends. Supporting
students in realizing their future perfect, and
realize that nothing lies beyond their reach
 Youths without the vision of a future have a
harder time in life; they have no positive
motivation, no sense of purpose, and no hope of
being any different than they currently are.

18.  THE INTERVENTION WAS A PART OF MIAMI-
DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
TRANSITION/RE-ENTRY PLAN FOR 2014-
2015 SCHOOL YEAR

20.  TRANSITION ACTIVITIES BEGIN WHEN THE
YOUNG PERSON IS COMMITTED

21. School Social Worker
receives notification of
student’s exit from JJC
School to Program.
Planning for re-entry
begins
Transition/Exit meeting
held at program School
Social Worker receives
notification of meeting
attends meetings if
program is local
Submit written feedback
for out of county Re-
entries
School Social Worker
reviews student’s
electronic records;
engage in solution
focused goals oriented
interview with student if in
a Local Program. Contact
SPED representative for
input; contacts JPO for
input and acts on
recommendations from all
parties.
Consults with
Administrators from One
Stop Educational and
Community Service Center
Student receives
successful placement
based on
recommendation
Re-entry process
completed.

23.  Local Transition/Re-entry from Commitment
Program.
 The Transition Worksheet

24.  Interview student to gain their view of their
educational/career goals

25.  Solution Focus Re-Entry /Transition
Questionnaire
 Collaborative inquiry in which the students
will affirm their best qualities
 Shift the attention away from problems and
towards possibilities and hope (what is
wanted)
 Follow-up sessions would involve the co-
construction of achievable homework task or
activity, relevant to the student’s strengths,
successes and goal

26. • The Solution Focus Re-entry Questionnaire is
also used with students who re-entered from
out of county placements and are receiving
their post commitment support through AMI
Kids Inc.

27.  The conversations support students on their
journey towards identifying their preferred
future; goals and recognizing the skills,
abilities and strengths they have within them.
 The students over time come to see
possibilities; noticing times when they
engaged in positive activities and interactions
with others; not dwell on past mistakes.
 We only glance in the past and focus on the
future and all the possibilities that it holds.
 Students identify career goals, interest and
passions that they have.

28.  Responses are non-judgmental, circular
questioning is utilized; the student leads the
discussions responses are to what the students
say in the conversation.
 Listening is the key; active listening without
prejudice, assuming a position of ignorance and
curiosity.
 Students will engage in scaling as an activity of
identifying how close they are to their goals
during each session; students will start each
session by identifying what has been different
and better since the last meeting.

29.  The intervention should be for a maximum of
nine sessions. The purpose of the
intervention is to support the youth; in the
end they will not stay focused on where they
are now, realizing that their current situation
is just a pause a break and engaging in
activities that will place them back on the
steps that will lead them to their plan for
their life.

30.  A Key Component to Success is
 Consulting with Parent other educators;
Administrators and JPO

31.  Recording

32.  Collaboration Brings Results
 One Stop Educational and Community Service
Center Key component of successful Re-entry
for students involved with DJJ

33.  The One Stop Process – An Example of a
successful re-entry from a Local Commitment
Program

34.  Successful Re-entry from Dade Juvenile to
Alonso and Tracy Mourning High
 Student engaged in Solution Oriented Work
identifying his goal and preferred future of
returning to High School upon his release

35.  Other Forms of Re-entry :- Day Program Exit

36. Other Forms of Re-entry :- Day Program Exit

37. ITS ABOUT OUTCOMES

38.  Of the approximately 50 students that we
have provided re-entry service to from their
exit of the commitment program to follow-up
approximately 25 or 50% have not reentered
the Juvenile Justice system.
 Of the 50% that re-entered the Justice System
approximately 10 or 5% of them have been
due to parole violation such as school
nonattendance

39.  CONCLUSION
 A study by Davis, Gervin, White, Williams, Taylor and
McGriff about Bridging the Gap Between Research,
Evaluation and Evidence-Based Practice shares the
following:
1. The integration of evaluation practice into social
work curricula and field setting has been a
challenge for the social work profession.
2. Students’ lack of enthusiasm about research,
statistics anxiety, and poor preparation have
contributed to courses like research method and
statistics as the most unanticipated courses for
students.

40.  Conclusion
1. Social Workers who serve as field instructors
rarely embrace the use of research in their
practice and tend to use the least
sophisticated research method
The goal of the research was to identify
strategies that would increase the use of
research, evidenced based practice as a
standard for social work education and field
instruction

41.  CONCLUSION
Many advantages to carrying out research as a
practitioner
1. Allows you to engage in qualitative social science
research
2. Social Work students help with the time pressures
that can accompany the research
3. Research data can inform future practice
4. Provide real time data for use in intervention
discussions
5. Enhancement of social worker’s capacity and quality
of work

42.  Instruction
Classroom
 Knowledge of
Students
Academic needs
 Academic
Theories
 Current
Research
• Practice
Knowledge of
Students needs
• Knowledge of
Theories
• Interventions
Resources
• Current
Research
 Student
 Success
ACADEMIA SOCIAL
WORKER

44.  Blomberg, T.G., Bales, W.E. & Piquero A.R
(2011). Is educational achievement a
turning point for incarcerated delinquents
across race and sex? Journal of Youth and
Adolescence, 202-216 doi:10.1007/s10964-
011-9680-4
 Blundo, R, Bolton, K & Hall, C (1999) Research
on Hope and Solution Focused Practice
University of North Carolina at
Wilmington
 Davis, S, Gervin, D, White, G, Williams, A,
Taylor, A & McGriff, E (2013) Bridging the
Gap between research, evaluation, and
evidence based practice

45.  Metcalf, L(2000) Solution Focused RTI:- A
Positive Personalized Approach to
Response to Intervention (1st ed.) San
Francisco, CA; Jossey-Bass
 Seagram, B.M.C.(1997) The Efficacy of
Solution Focused Therapy With Young
Offenders Unpublished Dissertation York
University (Canada)
 Selekman, M (2005) Pathways to Change
(2nded.) New York, Guilford