MSPA Spring Conference: Interventions to Support the Whole Child

MSPA Spring Conference: Interventions to Support the Whole Child

Morning Session: Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) for accommodating students’ social, emotional, and behavioral health: A primer for schools based professionals. By: James McDougal

Description of Presentation: Children’s unmet mental health needs have been coined a mental health crisis with up to 20% of children presenting with some form of diagnosable behavioral disorder. These difficulties are particularly pronounced in high-risk populations of children, with both low socio-economic status and exposure to trauma/ adverse childhood experiences (ACES). Without intervention, these unmet student needs result in an increased risk for behavior disorders, substance abuse, depression, suicidal behavior, school drop-out and other delays in adaptive, academic, and social behavior. Effective school-based approaches have been developed and the literature suggests that when school support services are preventative, comprehensive, and integrated, students with behavioral health challenges demonstrate the greatest improvement in emotional, behavioral, and academic functioning. The proposed presentation is a primer for educational professionals interested in implementing empirically based Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) for accommodating students’ social, emotional, and behavioral health needs in the schools. Attendees will learn the prevalence and trajectory of common behavioral disorders, common measures for student screening and progress monitoring, and core components of effective MTSS models being used in the schools. Results from a large project implementation in the Boston Public Schools will also reviewed to discuss implementation issues and present achievable student outcomes.

Titles of PM Sessions (Registrants will select 1)

1) Data based decision-making within MTSS: Screening, intervention design, and monitoring student progress By: James McDougal,  Psy.D.

Description of Presentation: A central feature of MTSS is the use of data for screening, progress monitoring, and program evaluation. While the use of data is central to these school-based models, traditional behavior rating scales are often too lengthy for screening and are not generally sensitive enough to assess short term progress. This presentation will review recent advances in behavioral assessment focused on developing brief, repeatable, measures used to conduct student screening and progress monitoring. Participants will be taken through a process for data based decision making, learn approaches to intervention design, and discuss strategies for progress monitoring. Further, they will be given data and asked to go through the data based decision making process in small groups. Lastly, attendees will benefit from presentations of data from screenings and evaluations of actual school based interventions.

Goals of Presentation:

• Attendees will learn the prevalence and trajectory of common behavioral disorders, common measures for student screening and progress monitoring.
  
• Attendees will learn the core components of effective MTSS models being used in the schools.
  
• Attendees will learn a process for data based decision making, learn approaches to intervention design, and discuss strategies for progress monitoring.
  

2) Using the NASP Practice Model to Support Expanded Behavioral Health Services By: Andria Amador, CAGS, NCSP

Description of Presentation:This session will review how school psychologists can use the NASP Practice Model to embark on a systems change projects designed to better meet the behavioral health needs of students. By sharing the essential elements of MTSS and discussing ways to build integrated mental health partnerships this session will help school staff plan for making improvements to the functioning of their schools. Understanding the role that implementation science and leadership play in developing new initiatives helps school design model of change that are effective and stand the test of time.

Goals of Presentation: 

• Participants will be able to identify components of the NASP Practice Model
  
• Participants will learn skills require to lead change Participants will identify ways to expand behavioral health services
  
• Participants will be able to identify essential elements of MTSS
  

Presenter Biographies:

Dr. James McDougal is the Director of the School Psychology Program at the State University of New York at Oswego. Dr. McDougal teaches courses in assessment and intervention for academics and behavior, consultation, and supervises field based practicum and internship experiences. He is the former Mental Health Coordinator for the Syracuse City School District where he integrated mental health services in the schools and provided consultation services to forty schools and programs.  

 Dr. McDougal has over 25 years of experience as a practicing school psychologist and has conducted over 200 training seminars in the areas of academic and behavioral assessment/intervention and implementing Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) in the schools. Dr. McDougal is a senior author of the Behavior Intervention Monitoring and Assessment System- second edition (BIMAS-2). The BIMAS-2 is a brief, change sensitive measure, for screening school aged students for social-emotional and behavioral difficulties and progress monitoring their response to multi-tiered interventions. This system is currently being used for data-based decision making and evaluation in several large MTSS projects including the Comprehensive Behavioral Health Model being implemented in 60 Boston public schools. 

Dr. McDougal also has two published books in the areas of Functional Behavioral Assessment and Response to Intervention. In addition, he has published over 30 peer reviewed articles on behavioral assessment/intervention, RTI,  and implementing multi-tiered system of support in School Psychology Review, School Psychology Quarterly, Psychology in the Schools, School Psychology Forum, Journal of Applied School Psychology, the Canadian Journal of School Psychology, Journal of Psycho-Educational Assessment, and others. 

Andria Amador, CAGS, NCSP, is the Senior Director of Behavioral Health Services for the Boston Public Schools (BPS).  Andria has dedicated her career to urban school psychology and began her career as a school psychologist before becoming an administrator.  Andria, along with her staff and partners, have developed the Comprehensive Behavioral Health Model (CBHM).  CBHM is a multi-tiered system of supports designed to support the behavioral health needs of students across a continuum of prevention, early-intervention and intensive services.  Implementation of CBHM requires BPS school psychologists to expand their scope of service delivery to include all NASP Domains of Practice.  Andria has the pleasure of serving as the Immediate Past President of the Massachusetts School Psychology Association.  She is also the coordinator of the NASP Supervision Interest Group and a member of the NASP Practice Model Committee.

Kathleen T. Williams, PhD, NCSP has been a classroom teacher, speech pathologist, and school psychologist. She has worked for assessment and curriculum publishers, has taught graduate and undergraduate courses, authored reading and vocabulary assessments, and currently provides continuing education workshops in the areas of language and literacy. She has a BS in Audiology and Speech Sciences, an Med in Elementary Education, an MA in Educational Psychology, and a PhD in School Psychology.