** Want more renewal credits for the same workshops? Consider registering for the event for Winthrop University credit: https://gradschool.winthrop.edu/register/?id=412a4a91-bbc5-4f82-81a3-682ea87cb1e5
**Please contact the SCASP office at scaschpsy@bellsouth.net for information on discounts for full school level or district level crisis or threat assessment teams.
SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS
2024 Spring Conference
A Focus on School Safety
March 21-22, 2024
Myrtle Beach Hilton
AND Virtual through Zoom
Reservation link: https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/myrbhhh-sps-53c87f8f-b802-471c-a9c8-adf3b4313953/
or call (800) 876-0010, Option 3 for Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort or Option 4 for the Royale Palms Condos. Mention SC Association of School Psychologists.
SCASP is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists to offer continuing education for school psychologists. SCASP maintains responsibility for the program.
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Full-day Workshop
Thursday, March 21, 2024
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM Snacks/Coffee and Registration
8:30 AM – 4:30 PM Full-day Workshop (1 1/2 hour break for lunch)
Supporting Challenging Students and Keeping Schools Safe: Putting Theory into Action with the Brain in Mind
Michelle Malvey, Ed.S., Synergetic Education Institute
This workshop will focus on interventions that are based on brain science and which support our most challenging students and assist in keeping our schools safe. Participants will review different brain states, perceived threats and how behavior escalation occurs, and the importance of matching appropriate brain aligned strategies to exhibited behaviors.
In this workshop participants will also engage in learning about layered behavior plans and how to support other adults in the school setting using our Developmental Mindsets Paradigm ™.
Learning Objectives:
- 1. Participants will be able to describe different brain states and the impact they have on behavior.
- 2. Participants will be able to explain how need/response mismatches impact student behavior.
- 3. Participants will apply learning to a case study using a layered behavior plan model.
- 4. Participants will use the Developmental Mindsets Paradigm ™ to determine how they might support adults working with challenging students.
Michelle has 35 plus years of educational experience including administration, teaching, District RtI Coordinator, as a school psychologist working at the elementary, middle and high school levels and working at the Colorado Department of Education. Michelle has presented on many topics at the local, state and national level including SEL, MTSS, Trauma-Informed Schools, discipline through a mental health lens, and advocating for children, youth and families. While serving as an elementary principal, she assisted in the acquisition of a Kaiser Permanente Thriving Schools grant and worked closely with the District Social Emotional Learning Coach and other principals to create and implement an SEL framework which resulted in increased academic results, decreased disciplinary incidents and an overall increase in positive connections with the school community. This work led to ongoing consulting in this area with schools, districts and states across the country as part of the Synergetic Education Institute team. Michelle believes that social emotional wellness is critical to the educational setting for everyone involved including students, staff, families and the community. Her focus is on systematically teaching, supporting and coaching these skills much like we do with reading and math in order to establish a learning environment that meets all of the needs of the humans who spend their time there.
Friday, March 22, 2024
7:30 AM – 8:00 AM Snacks/Coffee and Registration
8:00 AM – 4:30 PM - Full day workshop
Advanced Threat Assessment: Legal and Special Education Considerations Utilizing a Trauma Informed, Brain-Based Approach
The South Carolina Department of Education has been offering threat assessment training for K-12 schools since 2019. It is critical to ensure best practices are followed and the process is legally defensible; thus, this advanced workshop is appropriate for anyone serving on threat assessment teams.
The workshop will begin with an overview of best practices in threat assessment, including the importance of assessing online/digital behaviors. Legal and ethical considerations, prior court cases, and reviews of after-action reports will be reviewed to inform how to improve implementation fidelity and make your school/district’s BTAM process more legally defensible. Dr. Reeves will also share lessons learned from her own experience of serving as an expert witness in court cases involving threat assessment and targeted school violence. This workshop will also include addressing bias, equity, disproportionality, and conducting threat assessments through a trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate lens. Best practice guidance regarding parent permission vs notification, information sharing, storage of records, discipline, and change in programming and/or placement decisions will be discussed. This workshop will then discuss how IDEA, 504, and ADA Title II “Direct Threat Standard” intersect with threat assessment to ensure districts are complying with federal law and avoid violating special education protocols and procedures.
Lastly, participants will engage in a case study to practice applying the knowledge learned in this session and also Thursday’ session (Supporting Challenging Students and Keeping Schools Safe: Putting Theory into Action with the Brain in Mind). Thus, it is strongly recommended that participants attend both sessions if possible. This workshop accompanies the book authored by Dr. Reeves titled Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management: K-12 Schools. https://ncyi.org/shop/landingpages/15-minute-focus-series/
Participants will:
- learn how to build a high-quality behavioral threat assessment and management program utilizing best practice strategies to build a legally defensible process.
- understand how to conduct a threat assessment using trauma informed and brain-based strategies that increase equity while decreasing bias and disproportionality
- learn the clear distinction, yet complementary aspects, between threat assessment and suicide risk assessment.
- · learn how IDEA, 504 and ADA Title II “Direct Threat Standard” intersect with threat assessment and the considerations needed to ensure districts are complying with federal law.
- be provided best practice guidance regarding parent permission vs notification, information sharing, storage of records, discipline, and change in programming and/or placement decisions
- be provided recommendations for improving the fidelity of implementation of the BTAM process
- apply knowledge learned to a case study
Dr. Melissa Reeves, Ph.D., NCSP, LPC is a nationally certified school psychologist, licensed special education teacher, licensed professional counselor, and former district coordinator of social/emotional/behavioral services. She is past president of the National Association of School Psychologists (2016-17), most recently was an Associate Professor at Winthrop University, and previously worked for the Cherry Creek School District in Colorado. She has over 20 years’ experience working in public schools and a private school, in addition to providing mental health services in day and residential treatment settings. She is a senior consultant with ONTIC (formerly SIGMA Threat Management Associates) and lead author of the South Carolina Department of Education School-Based Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management Best Practice Guidelines. Dr. Reeves is co-author of the internationally and nationally recognized NASP PREPaRE School Safety and Crisis Preparedness curriculum and former Chair (and current member) of the NASP School Safety and Crisis Response Committee. She travels both nationally and internationally training professionals in the areas of school crisis prevention through recovery, threat and suicide assessment, the impact of trauma on academic achievement, and works with schools on establishing a positive and safe school climate. Dr. Reeves is also a threat assessment & mental health specialist and senior advisor for Safe and Sound Schools, an organization founded by two parents who lost their children in the Sandy Hook tragedy. Dr. Reeves has authored six books and multiple publications and has also served as an expert witness in court cases involving targeted school attacks and threat and suicide risk assessments.
