Systematic Identification of At-Risk Students is Key
By: Dr. Mariam Azin

Can guns in the classroom prevent the next school shooting tragedy? The National Rifle Association has proposed arming teachers as a deterrent to the next Adam Lanza or T.J. Lane. While school districts will need to find the security solutions that they and their communities are comfortable with, I'd like to see our teachers, principals and staff armed with something potentially more powerful ? the tools and information to identify students who are headed for a mental health crisis.

Every time a troubled young person commits a horrific act of violence, we try to understand what went wrong. The media is still looking into Adam Lanza's upbringing, mental health status, and school records for clues to the Newtown, Conn., tragedy. We've done the same for James Holmes, Jared Lee Laughner, TJ Lane. In every case, we find that there were warning signs, usually years in advance. One thing we know: a mentally healthy, socially secure and well-balanced teen doesn't just wake up one morning and decide to kill a dozen people. Teachers, neighbors, peers and relatives always are able to look backwards and identify things that just "weren't quite right."

Mental health experts estimate that one in 10 teens has a mental health issue, and as many as 80 percent of them may be undiagnosed. Mental health problems like schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder often manifest between the ages of 14 and 24. It is no accident that many of the most publicized mass shootings have been carried out by young people (often men) in their teens or twenties.

What role can schools play in ensuring that teens who need mental health services are identified, referred and receive services? We may want to exempt schools from this responsibility and insist that they focus only on academics. But the reality is, they cannot focus on academics unless they have first established a safe environment for learning. Students who are in a mental health crisis are a disruption to the learning process in the best case, and a danger to themselves, their peers and school staff in the worst case.

We can?and should?talk about appropriate security precautions. But this addresses only one piece of the problem. If we could make our schools perfectly secure, a troubled student intent on homicide would then take his weapon to the theater, the mall or the public park. We need to figure out how to prevent these kinds of attacks from happening at all, without turning ourselves into a police state.

The way to do this is to focus on early identification of students who are showing signs of risk, and establishing a strong referral and monitoring program to make sure that students in need of mental health services actually receive and benefit from them. It's not enough to simply log an incident report and walk away. We need to ask what kind of services does the student need? The family? And make sure they have access to appropriate resources. And then we need to follow up, to make sure that the connection was made and interventions are working. If they're not, we need to try something else.

Why should schools be involved in the identification and referral process? Because that's where the students are. Our high schools and colleges are the front lines, and the last place where we will have young people all gathered together. We cannot count on every family being able to recognize potential problems and self-refer. But we can train our teachers, school counselors and administrators to do a better job of recognizing emerging issues, and give them the tools and resources they need for appropriate identification, referral and management of school- and community-based resources.

Keeping our children and communities safe requires more than security precautions. We have a responsibility to potential future victims to do everything we can to prevent future tragedies like Sandy Hook. We also have a responsibility to potential future perpetrators to find them before their demons carry them too far away from us to save.

We may not be able to rescue every future Adam Lanza from the demons within. But recognizing and treating signs of dangerous mental illness at the onset will do more to keep our communities safe than all the guns, locks and metal detectors our money can buy.

About Dr. Mariam Azin: Dr. Mariam Azin holds a doctorate in applied social psychology and has more than 20 years of experience in educational research and evaluation. She has been the principal investigator on numerous large-scale evaluation efforts related to at-risk learners; curriculum and instruction; educational technology; and community programs spanning mental health, substance use and criminal justice. She served as joint principal investigator on three federal Safe Schools/Healthy Students evaluations. In 2012 she founded Mazin Education (www.mazineducation.com), an educational company focused on software solutions that help schools to better assess, identify and serve at-risk students.

MADDIE CASE is a 7th grader at North Scott Junior High in Elridge who is running in for the LIVE UNCOMMON Race Team.  Her 2013 efforts are about much more than just winning race (which she does a lot of - she is currently the 7th Grade Girls Iowa State Cross Country Champion) -- Maddie is running to raise awareness and funds for her Charity of Choice - Make-A-Wish.  Since January, her LIVE UNCOMMON Race Team efforts have raised over $2,000.  Her goal is $4,000 - which is the cost to grant a Wish.

Maddie's school, North Scott Junior High, announced its intention to help Maddie reach her goal.  They have posted a bigger-than-lifesize poster of Maddie in the school, which students sign when they donate $1 to Maddie's effort.  This is a ONE WEEK fundraiser which began on Monday and runs through tomorrow (Friday, April 12).
Independent Scholars Evening

Open Discussion.  7.00 P.M.

A few times in the year we have free-form open evenings. This is one of  them.

Please bring your ideas, writings or any concept for discussion with the co-learners and attendees

PLUS  scheduling for upcoming ISE.

Doors open at 6.30

The Moline Commercial Club
on the 2nd. Floor
above the Phoenix Fine Art Gallery
1530 Fifth Avenue
Moline. IL 61265

The Independent Scholars' Evenings are sponsored by The Institute for Cultural and Healing Traditions, Ltd.
a 501(c)3 at State and Federal levels since 1996.

www.qcinstitute.org
Moline, IL - The Salvation Army is offering a low-cost Summer Day Camp. For the ninth year running, children can come spend their summer in a fun-filled and safe setting at the Community Center, located near downtown Moline. The Summer Day Camp runs from June 10th to August 2nd.

Children entering kindergarten through 6th grade will be cared for Monday through Friday, 8:00am-4:00pm. The cost is $75 week for the 1st child, $60 second child, and $50 for any additional children. Parents can also apply for partial scholarships, if they qualify for financial assistance.

Activities will include swimming twice a week, weekly field trips to places such as: Niabi Zoo, Family Museum, the IMAX Theater, and much more. This will be a fun, educational summer for your children!

Space is limited; please stop in at The Salvation Army located at 2200 5th Avenue Moline, IL to register ASAP.

If you have any questions please call 309-764-6996 ext. 209 or ask for Duane.

A scholarship fundraiser for the Jerry Wilkerson Scholarship Fund at Scott Community College will be held on May 18, 2013 at RME RedStone Room from 5pm-11pm.

Featuring musicians like Ellis Kell and members of Funktastic 5 and other local musicians from the area.  Along with other entertainment there will be a silent auction and 50/50 drawings.

CHICAGO - Lt. Governor Simon will declare April as Sarcoidosis Awareness Month in Illinois during a visit to the Bernie Mac Sarcoidosis Translational Advanced Research (STAR) Center on Thursday. Simon will be joined by Mayor Richard M. Daley and Rhonda R. McCullough, widow of Bernie Mac and President and CEO of the Bernie Mac Foundation.

"The work of the Bernie Mac STAR Center helps promote research and awareness of Sarcoidosis as we focus efforts to decrease health disparities in the city and throughout the state," Lt. Governor Sheila Simon said. "I'm pleased to promote the organization's work by declaring April 'Sarcoidosis Awareness Month.'"

Simon serves as the honorary chairperson of the Bernie Mac Foundation and first visited the Bernie Mac STAR Center in December. The Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising funds for research and increasing awareness of Sarcoidosis, a disease where inflamed cells form on various organs, most frequently the skin or lungs. Mac died in 2008 from complications of Sarcoidosis.

DATE: Thursday, April 11

TIME: 10:30 a.m.

PLACE: Bernie Mac STAR Outpatient Care Center - Suite 3C, 1801 W. Taylor St., Chicago

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Scott Emergency Communications Center (SECC) is pleased to announce that the 911 center has received American Professional Communications Officials (APCO 911) Iowa's Chapter "Team of the Year" award. SECC was nominated for team of the year for the teamwork portrayed during the September 1, 2012 airplane crash at the Quad Cities Air Show. APCO judged nominations received throughout the State on several criteria items. The items which SECC was chosen from included: "Commendable handling and control during an emergency situation" and "A willingness to participate as team players".

In 2011 SECC began operations in a consolidated 911 environment. Previously, there were four emergency communications centers in Scott County; Bettendorf 911, Davenport 911, Scott County 911 and Medic EMS Dispatching. On September 1st at 1:22 PM SECC began receiving 911 calls of a jet airplane that had just crashed. Countless 911 calls were being received by 911 dispatchers. In the now consolidated environment, dispatchers were able to be shifted to assist where heavy call load levels were being experienced. Dispatchers, supervisors, management team members and off duty personnel joined in on the coordination and response of handling all of the 911 and radio traffic that soon followed.

The effort and synergy that SECC and Medic EMS Dispatch were able to apply toward this event far exceeded the capabilities of the previous emergency communications centers. All of the team members really showed team spirit and coordinated well during the event. This was truly one of the first tests for a new consolidated center.

Brian Hitchcock, Director of SECC, stated that it is a great pleasure to see so many employees experience a challenging 911 consolidation and form to be strong team members allowing SECC and Medic EMS Dispatchers to respond to serious events with high call load levels. To see the team in action, handling all of the 911 calls and radio traffic from the jet crash was phenomenal. They acted as a well coordinated team. The team performed very well especially considering that not only did they handle the jet crash, they also had to keep up with all of the other 911 and radio traffic that was taking place in the County.

SECC personnel that handled the event are:

Dispatchers: Caroline Eakins, Deb Beadel, Mandy Mayer, Patricia Shorter, David Rowland, Sunny Blaesi, Tammy Walker, Kayla Mathews, Kathryn Hale and Todd Malone

Supervisors: Doris Moreno, Stacey Green and Kathleen Schwarz

Management: Deputy Director Pam Paulsen and Director Brian Hitchcock

Medic EMS personnel that handled the event are:

Vikki Habben, Michelle Arp, Crystal Eakins and Jim Doran

(DES MOINES) - Last month, state Sen. Herman Quirmbach put a price tag on the governor's education reform plan, which was 4% increase in state aid in each of the next two years. The quote:

"The price now for education reform is 4 and 4, I want the governor to know this." - Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, Mason City Globe Gazette, March 6, 2013

"The Branstad administration acknowledged this, and understands this is the price for the governor's education reform," said Branstad spokesman Tim Albrecht. "We expect Senator Quirmbach to remain true to his word and support the plan put forward by House Republicans today, which included four percent growth each of the next two years, and contains the governor's education reform plan. This is a good faith compromise with the Senate Democrats' funding priorities and Republican reform priorities, and is legislation both parties in both chambers can support. The governor supports this legislation and hopes Senate Democrats will join him and Iowa House Republicans in this truly historic effort to make Iowa's schools the best in the nation once again."

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