OVERVIEW & EXPERTS
SCCATVinfen's School Community Consultation and Treatment (SCCAT) program provides highly accessible clinical and support services to a diverse population of children and families in schools, homes, and communities.
During the 2004-2005 school year, SCCAT served more than 500 children and their families in 35 Boston public schools.
SCCAT works in partnership with the schools it serves. Each school provides physical space in which clinical work can be performed, and resources such as a telephone, school-time access to the children, and the staff's collaboration in working together to identify and address the mental health needs of the school are provided. SCCAT, in turn, provides the level of service to which it has made a commitment in a specific school.
SCCAT services include:- Individual, group, and family therapy- Crisis intervention- Violence prevention- Conflict resolution and mediation- Behavioral management- Leadership development- Case consultation- Training and education- Functional behavioral assessment- Family outreach- After-school programming
SCCAT staff members are credentialed clinicians fully licensed by the state of Massachusetts. The program also offers training placements for students in graduate schools of social work and education.
VINFENEstablished in 1977, Vinfen is a private, nonprofit human services organization that provides an array of programs to individuals facing the challenges of mental illness, mental retardation, and behavioral health disabilities. Vinfen supports 3,000 individuals each year in more than 250 residential, respite, day, and crisis intervention programs and services in eastern Massachusetts and northern Connecticut. Vinfen's 2,000 dedicated employees are experienced, highly trained professionals who provide a full range of educational, rehabilitative, and clinical services.
EXPERTS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS- Linda Palladino, LICSW, associate vice president for Child & Family Services, Vinfen.- Alexis Silver, LICSW, SCCAT program director, Vinfen.
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New to School: is it shyness or anxiety?
Leaving home for the first time and starting school can be an extremely trying time for many children. It can be especially difficult on those who have not spent much time away from home and from their parents. Many children experience "back-to-school" jitters that tend to dissipate once a normal school routine is established. Sometimes, however, a child experiences more than just normal distress or nervousness.
"Some younger children may experience a form of school phobia, in part, because of separation anxiety. For some of them, it is only a sign that they are not used to being away from home and from their parents. But for others, it can be a critical sign that something more traumatic is happening." says Linda Palladino, LICSW, associate vice president for Child and Family Services at Vinfen, a private, nonprofit human services organization that provides an array of programs to individuals with disabilities. "A child may be afraid to go to school because he or she fears that they need to be home to care for someone " whether it is a sick family member or a stressed or depressed parent."
However, school anxiety is usually experienced by older children and adolescents due to a variety of reasons. Children with school phobia may fear many normal school social situations, such as using the school bathroom, being teased or bullied when writing on a chalkboard or riding on the bus, but may also be afraid of failure when reading in front of the class. "Outside of school, these children may be fearful of attending dances or parties, speaking with adults or ordering food," says Palladino.
But external traumatic factors are the main trigger of school anxiety. Some children will develop anxiety disorders because of happenings at home, or because he or she experiences an extreme mental or emotional stress or a physical injury. Children living in disadvantaged neighborhoods face stresses that threaten to overwhelm their coping capabilities. And these situations go beyond the difficulty of economic hardship. An alarming number of urban children have undergone homelessness, have witness or experienced violence, and have lived in families exposed to life threatening problems.
According to Palladino, children experiencing anxiety disorders such as school phobia often develop physical ailments that may preclude them from going to school. These can include stomachaches, headaches, and fatigue. "You may also see that your child may become less interested in exploring new things," says Palladino. "He or she may also be shy around non-family members and in some rare instances have some mild speech problems."
Recent studies by the National Mental Health Information Center of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services show that anxiety disorders are among the most common mental, emotional, and behavioral problems to occur during childhood and adolescence, with more than 10% of children and adolescents ages 9 to 17 experiencing some kind of anxiety disorder. Fortunately for children with an anxiety disorder such as school phobia, a variety of treatments and counseling services exist. For many children, cognitive behavioral treatment " in which children learn to deal with their fears by changing the way they think and behave " is very successful. Additionally, children can partake in relaxation techniques and biofeedback to control stress and muscle tension.
"There is no clear cut right way to approach an anxiety disorder. Every situation and every patient is different and unique," she says. "For some, a combination of medication and one or more of these therapies will prove to be the most beneficial." If left untreated, however, school phobia can lead to many hardships, including repeated school absences or an inability to finish school, impaired relationships with peers, low self esteem, and academic failure. Before taking any actions, however, Palladino stresses that parents should first talk to their child's health care provider to determine if the symptoms are caused by an anxiety disorder or another condition. Then, if necessary, they should look for a mental health professional specialized with children. "Most importantly " don't be afraid to ask questions about the condition and the possible treatments," she said. "The best way to help a child is to be well informed. And no one knows children better than their own parents. Clinicians and psychologists can only help if they are working in partnership with parents."
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SCCAT, strengthening communities by providing supportto children in schools and their families
School is out for the summer, but Vinfen's School Community Consultation and Treatment (SCCAT) program is busy gearing up for the start of the 2005-2006 school year. This past year, SCCAT served more than 500 children and their families in 35 Boston public schools, including more than 30 children at the Emily A. Fifield Elementary School in Dorchester, Massachusetts. The Fifield's students come from some of the most economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in Boston, where children constantly face a broad range of challenges including family trauma and sudden deaths due to illness or violence. Theses difficulties are then felt in the classroom, causing deficits in learning and concentration. This is where SCCAT comes in.
SCCAT clinicians provide individual counseling services and work in close partnership with the principal, teachers, and parents to support each child's overall development. According to Fifield's Principal Craig Lankhorst, "The people from SCCAT have become an integral part of the school community. They provide a place for children to discuss their issues. You can just see how happy the children are when they meet with the counselors. We can attest that there have been dramatic changes in children's behavior and academic performance since SCCAT began here." Clinicians served approximately 10 percent of the student body in individual counseling this past school year, but as Lankhorst underlines, their presence is felt throughout the school and has benefited every student. In addition to individual counseling, SCCAT provides consultation to teachers, Second Step conflict resolution and violence prevention programs in the classroom, as well as family outreach.
But most importantly, SCCAT makes it possible for teachers to focus on teaching and for children to concentrate on learning.
Noticing difficulties, emotional disturbances?Here are some warning signs:
1. Social peer situations: Is your child withdrawn or rejected by other children? Does your child pretend to be physically ill when confronted with a social situation?
2. Aggressive behavior: Does your child bully others? Does your child initiate fights? Is your child violent toward objects, including toys? Is your child self-destructive?
3. Depression/anxiety: Does your child look depressed or uninterested? Does your child show excessive fear, easy frustration, or anxiety when doing certain activities?
And remember to always work with the school team: ask your child's teacher if problems have occurred in the classroom and what you can do to help at home.
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Helping 8-year old Tanya cope with stress
School is out for the summer, but Vinfen's School Community Consultation and Treatment (SCCAT) program is busy gearing up for the start of the 2005/2006 school year. SCCAT served more than 500 children and their families in 35 Boston elementary and middle schools this past school year, including 8-year old Tanya* at the Emily A. Fifield Elementary School in Dorchester, Massachusetts.
When Tanya severely injured herself after falling off the monkey bars on the playground, she missed almost a month of school. Not surprisingly after missing so much school, three surgeries, and wearing a large arm brace, she started to show signs of depression. In addition, Tanya faced other difficulties at home, including her parents' divorce, her mother's health problems, and her own struggle to get back on track with the school's schedule after such a long time away. It soon became obvious to her teacher and to the principal that Tanya, who was frequently absent, was not getting the proper support and attention she needed.
After encountering obstacles in getting the required consent for a home tutor, a SCCAT clinician was asked by Principal Craig Lankhorst to visit Tanya's home and meet with her mother. Vinfen Clinician Alicia Perkins reached out to Tanya's mother to help her understand the importance of Tanya attending school regularly. Tanya's mother did not realize the magnitude of her daughter's absenteeism until reading the actual numbers of days Tanya missed. Since then, they agreed that it would be beneficial for Tanya to participate in counseling and they developed strategies for Tanya's mother to get support from her relatives when she is sick. Now, Tanya's godmother and older sister are much more involved.
Tanya was able to adjust to the accident-related trauma in just a few short months and her absenteeism is now history thanks to SCCAT. "She is very proud of herself and of her mother for supporting her," says Lankhorst. At the end of the school year, Tanya and SCCAT decided to tackle school performance issues. She attended in-school tutoring one afternoon a week, and SCCAT enrolled her in an intensive after-school program. "Tanya is a very determined little girl" emphasizes Clinician Alicia Perkins, "she has a wonderful family that has been very open and responsive to letting SCCAT into their home and lives to help Tanya succeed." Tanya is now ready to start a new school year.
* The name of the student has been changed to protect her confidentiality.
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