MSPA NEWS

Membership needs to be renewed for the year 2011-2012 by November 1st in order to retain MSPA privileges. Please contact the membership committee or renew online as soon as possible. We value your membership and are eager to provide MSPA services to you. Please renew your membership as soon as possible. FI you have already renewed your membership- thank you!

The MSPA Fall Kickoff has been scheduled for Thursday November 10th from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Jillian’s Boston on Landsowne Street. This will be an exciting evening of socializing and networking with school psychology students and early career school psychologists. Food will be provided and there will be a raffle for FREE memberships in MSPA. Don’t forget your student ID’s. If you can attend, please email Lauren at laurendelahanty@gmail.com to RSVP! Click here for the Flyer. This will be fun!

There are several important items that need attention. On October 25th the Behavioral Health Bill “An Act relative to safe and supportive schools” will be discussed at a hearing with the Joint Committee on Education at the state house. You can read this bill on the MSPA News page or by clicking here. MSPA is supporting this bill. Both the Legislative Committee and the Education Committee have shepherded the Behavioral Health efforts in the state which has resulted in a final report (click here). The MSPA Legislative Committee will have letters for individuals who who want to support this bill at the Conference. Read more on the MSPA News page.

The MSPA Conference scheduled for October 14th, this Friday, still has seats available. Do not miss this opportunity to learn more about supporting children and their families with Autism Spectrum Disorders and the opportunity to network! The Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative will have information available at the conference.

The GALA to celebrate an important anniversary and to raise money for minority scholarship will be held Thursday evening. If you plan to attend and have not signed up please let us know ASAP that you are coming.

MSPA is signing on as an organization in support of the Behavioral Health Bill below (H.1962). The Board of the Massachusetts School Psychologists Association feels that this bill is extremely important for children and adolescents in our state, and in addition, will support the work of school psychologists on behalf of children. The bill is coming before the Joint Committee on Education on October 25th. The MSPA Legislation COmmittee will have letters available at the October 14th Conference so that members can support the bill individually. For those not attending the conference, MSPA will shortly have a letter posted which can be downloaded and sent to the Joint Committee or to your local legislator. Please read this bill and join in our efforts to help schools provide supportive school environments and to establish a commission to make recommendations related to statewide implementation of the framework. This is important-please help us.

Bill H.1962
An Act relative to safe and supportive schools

Hearing with the Joint Committee on Education is scheduled for 10/25/11

SECTION 1. Chapter 69 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding after section 1N the following section:-

Section 1O. (a) The department of elementary and secondary education shall, in consultation with the advisory commission established pursuant to this section, maintain and update, when necessary, the behavioral health and public schools framework developed by the task force on behavioral health and public schools pursuant to section 19 of chapter 321 of the Acts of 2008.

The department shall: (i) provide technical assistance on using the assessment tool developed pursuant to section 19 of chapter 321 of the Acts of 2008 to measure the capacity of schools to address children’s behavioral health needs, collaborate with behavioral health services and provide supportive school environments; (ii) publish guidelines for implementing the behavioral health and public schools framework in schools; and (iii) establish a grant program, subject to appropriation, to test and develop an effective process for school districts to implement the behavioral health and public schools framework as set forth in this section. The program shall require the first cohorts of schools implementing the framework to participate as members of the advisory commission established pursuant to this section.

(b) There shall be an advisory commission to examine and make recommendations relative to the statewide implementation of the behavioral health and public schools framework. The commission shall consist of the secretary of education or his designee and the commissioner of elementary and secondary education or his designee, who shall serve as co-chairs of the commission; a parent of a child with behavioral health challenges; a regular education teacher; a special education teacher; an early childhood education teacher; a post-secondary education teacher; a school nurse; a member of the board of elementary and secondary education; a representative from the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents; a representative from the Massachusetts Secondary School Administrators’ Association; a representative from the Massachusetts Administrators for Special Education; a representative from the Massachusetts Teachers Association; and 3 representatives from community-based behavioral health providers, 1 of whom works with schools, 1 of whom works with parents of children with behavioral health needs, and 1 of whom has expertise in the behavioral health effects of trauma.

The commission shall, on the basis of one or more findings and recommendations included in the reports submitted by the behavioral health and public schools task force in accordance with section 19 of chapter 321 of the Acts of 2008, make recommendations relative to the statewide implementation of the framework, including the specific timelines and resources necessary for such implementation, and to address critical issues, such as: (i) consistent access to culturally and linguistically appropriate services; (ii) the development of data systems to measure outcomes of school success; (iii) professional development for all staff; and (iv) best practices for collaboration with parents of children with behavioral health needs. The commission shall have access to data which shall be maintained by the department to oversee and evaluate the outcomes resulting from the implementation of the framework, and shall have authority to convene stakeholders to facilitate solutions to challenges as they arise in the implementation process.

The commission shall issue a final report containing recommendations on or before June 30, 2012. The commission shall report to the general court its recommendations, together with drafts of legislation necessary to carry out such recommendations, if any, by filing the same with the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives who shall forward the same to the chairs of the joint committee on education on or before June 30, 2012.

SECTION 2. Section 59C of chapter 71 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the first sentence in the fifth paragraph, in line 48, the following sentence:- Said plan shall contain the school’s planned actions for implementing the behavioral health and public schools framework set forth in section 1O of chapter 69 by December 31, 2016.
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SECTION 3. Said section 59C of said chapter 71, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the fifth paragraph the following paragraph:-

Each school district shall develop a district-wide plan for implementing the behavioral health and public schools framework set forth in section 1O of chapter 69. Said plan shall contain outcome measures and a plan to support the district’s schools to implement the framework as set forth in their school improvement plans.

School Psychology Awareness Week will be celebrated November 14–18 this year. The theme for this year’s School Psychology Awareness Week is, “Every link matters. Make a connection.” The focus is helping students and the school community, with an emphasis on strengthening positive relationships and increasing positive connections, both interpersonal and cognitive. There are a number of resources available online on the NASP website, including school psychology awareness activity suggestions, poster activity suggestions, and a sample explanation for a parent bulletin.