helping latino immigrants adjust to the school setting national association of social workers,...

Helping Latino Immigrants Adjust to the School Setting

National Association of Social Workers, Specialty Practice Sections, Teleconference

June 8, 2007

Gilberto Pérez Jr., MSW, ACSW Northeastern Center, Inc.

Ligonier, [email protected]

ObjectivesGain a better understanding of interventions that help Latino youth and parents adjust to the school setting.

Gain knowledge on practical capacities and approaches when intervening with Latino youth and their families.

Gain knowledge on the core elements in practical application and success of cultural competence.

The nation’s minority population reached 100.7 million, according to the national and state estimates by race, Hispanic origin, sex, and age. A year ago, the minority population totaled 98.3 million.

U.S. Census Bureau, 2007

Latino youth and School Dropouts

Between 1990-2000 high school drop out rate for Latino youth grew dramatically, from 347,000 to 529,000.Drop out rate for native born Latinos declined over that period from 15.2 percent to 14.0 percent.Pew Hispanic, 2003

Latino Youth and School Dropouts

A lack of English-language ability is a prime characteristic of Latino dropouts. Almost 40% do not speak English well.The 14 percent of 16-19 year olds who have poor English language skills have a dropout rate of 59%.In 2000 20% of Latinas dropouts reported having a child within the previous rate.The poverty status of Latino dropouts is similar to white non-Hispanic dropouts. Pew Hispanic, 2003

Understanding structural factors such as size, school resources and school processes is important for both policy and research reasons.

Much of the research on the achievement gap between Hispanics and whites has focused on the characteristics of the students--factors such as family income, nativity and parents' level of education and ability to speak English.

While all of these factors are important, they do not produce a complete picture. Student characteristics alone do not explain the entire achievement gap.

Examining the context of learning--most broadly the characteristics of schools--is also essential.

Pew Hispanic Center, 2005

How are Latino youth connected:

Internet, blogs, marches, cell phones, gangs, my space, facebook, chat rooms, coffee houses, soccer

Neighborhood

Family

School

Mentors

Church

StudentStudent

Resiliency at all times

Ecological Perspective: Helping Latino Ecological Perspective: Helping Latino Students Adjust to the School SettingStudents Adjust to the School Setting

Family

Peers

Friends back home

Explore issues: 2-8 months (key questions and concerns)

• If not addressed what will block constructive change?

• What cultural and educational dilemmas do Latino youth face? (gangs, deportation, segregation, family separation)

• How are Latino students and host dominant students linked together? (clubs, blogs, cell-phones)

• What protective factors are in place?

Understanding Context, Causes, & Solutions

Adapted with permission: Lederach J.P. Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame, kroc.nd.edu/faculty_staff/faculty/lederach.

Latinos And The Schools They Attend

Latinos are much more likely than whites or blacks to attend the nation’s largest public high schools.

Latinos are more likely to be at high schools where lesser instructional resources are available.

In California, nearly 40% of Latino students attend large, and relatively disadvantaged high schools, in comparison with 8 percent of whites and 30% of blacks.

Pew Hispanic Center, 2005

MALDEF Files Brief in U.S. Supreme Court School Desegregation Cases on Behalf of 16 Latino Organizations

OCTOBER 16, 2006 - MALDEF filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief in the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of 16 national and local Latino organizations. At issue in the two cases, Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 and Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Education, is the continued authority of local school districts to take voluntary action to reduce racial segregation and isolation in their schools.

http://www.maldef.org/pdf/18401_Simons.pdf


The 1990s saw the end to decades of civil wars in El Salvador and Guatemala, leaving both countries' infrastructures in ruins and their populations scarred and struggling to survive. These nations and their neighbors were further battered by the devastation of Hurricane Mitch and the earthquakes that struck those already devastated areas.

By Candace KattarThursday, August 24, 2006; GZ06 Washingtonpost.com


The poor, who too often suffer the most during times of political oppression and natural disasters, came to our county in large numbers during this period. Although they have found refuge from their plight, and their presence here has enriched our economies and social structures, our school system has had a more difficult time trying to put into place the programming and support these families need for their children to achieve their educational potential.

By Candace KattarThursday, August 24, 2006; GZ06 Washingtonpost.com


Relationships: 1-2 years• Who are the Latino youth that have most

potential to serve as agents of change?• Identify Latino youth who have respect,

linkages, understands culture?• What training and capacity would

improve Latino youth ability to intervene with their peers?

• In this context, what programs and people provide personal change and growth for Latino youth?

Transformation

Capacities and approaches

Develop community needs assessment.Develop focal groups to address dilemmas facing Latino youth.Develop structured blog in school setting.Link development, culturally appropriate interventions.

Capacities and Approaches

NEC developed a community needs assessment: www.nec.org

NEC social worker serves on multiple community boards.

Treatment being given at outpatient clinic: 3 SA Groups, 1 Anger management, individual therapy, school based therapy, Kid Power group.

Offer support to partner agencies: prayer rally’s against drugs, diversity day, Latino youth cultural leadership forum.

Meet regularly with State Representative of Noble County to discuss initiatives.

Bienvenido ProgramParticipants are encouraged to describe their immigration experience, and group discussion provides acknowledgement and support. Acculturative stresses and local values of cultural diversity are topics that provide examples of on-going risks for emotional distress, and potentially adverse behavioral consequences.

Bienvenido ProgramEach module provides information about topics related to development and sustenance of mental health and enhanced quality of life.

Strengths identification Support system identification Family and good mental healthAcculturative stress DepressionAnxietyRisk factors & Protective FactorsEffective CommunicationIncidence of alcohol and drug use

www.nec.org (Click Latino Services)

Bienvenido ProgramThe Bienvenido curriculum asks students how they feel.Insight into students emotional needs.Helps build relationships with the students.Helps to evaluate the needs of your school.The classes become an outlet to vent frustration.Material is easy to follow.The Bienvenido Program is in Spanish.

Melanie Tijerina, Asst. Principal, West Noble Elementary

[email protected]

Bienvenido Program Evaluation

Evaluated by Dr. Delia Saldaña, Ph.D. University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX.

Evaluation planLiterature ReviewRefine curriculumCreated homework assignmentsData results: quantitative and qualitative

What are students sayingMy classmates and I are like family. My thinking has changed and my home life is better.The program helped us raise our self-esteem and helped us value each other more.The class is according to our needs and thank you for this support group.

What are students Saying

Elkhart Memorial HS: The classes helped me understand things better such as my feelings. I used to cry a lot now I don’t cry as much anymore.It helped me to value myself more and value each other more.I liked the classes.

Elkhart Central: I do more exercise.I laugh and play more.I am making goals for myself.I want be healthier.I want to talk more with my friends.


Ligonier Elementary, Ligonier, IN

Bilingual take home book bag with books on divorce, grief and effective communication.Parents and children are encouraged to read together and talk about issues of adjusting to school setting.

[email protected] Lisa Crick, School Counselor


Prairie View School – Goshen, INMeet with Latino parents on a quarterly basis to listen to needs and concerns.Incorporating dance and music into curriculum.Developing partnerships with local agencies and churches.Fomenting a sense of community environment.Ray Helmuth: principal [email protected]


Waterford Mennonite Congregation and Comunidad Cristiana Adulam, Goshen, IN

Engaged with school to provide summer program with students.Engaged with community in creating a Blue Grass on the Lawn/Latino [email protected], Neil [email protected], Tina Schlabach [email protected], José Luis Gutiérrez


El Puente Project – IndianapolisEl Puente embraces the dreams and possibilities of Latino/a youth. El Puente stands for the fair and equal access that Latino/a youth need to realize those dreams and possibilities. El Puente invites teachers, parents, and community members to forge a community of support for Latino/a youth as they LEARN, LEAD, and SERVE.


Identify needs and abilities early.Communicate with and help parents networkEstablish communities of support.Organize and mobilize design teams.Give students and parents a voice in program matters.Latino students must be coaxed to engage opportunities.The work is not about the few, but of many.

www.elpuenteproject.com – Kathy Soucha-Mora

Student


Chicago Public Schools – Youth Summit, Martha Valerio, Community Coordinator

The Summit, entitled “The Making of Changes” will invited 300 Wells students to be active participants in four rotating seminars conducted by outside agencies, including representatives from the Attorney General’s Office, Chicago Police Department, and other social agencies.

[email protected]


Creation of a Latino Behavioral Health Summit to address gaps in mental health care for Latinos.

November 2-3, 2005November 9-10, 2006November 8-9, 2007 Pokagon State Park

Angola, INwww.nec.org

Capacity Building

Northeastern Center and Learning Generation Intiative.

Office of Community and Rural Affairs: Indiana

Awarded $75,000 to Learning Generation.NEC will train 50 young adults in Bienvenido curriculum to implement in their community.Offer 16 hour study programTo begin July 26

Capacity Building

Latino Youth Immigrant Leadership Initiative

Offer six month study program to Latino youth and young adults in NE Indiana, Fall 2007.Partner with local literacy agency: LEAP of Noble County.Seek partnership with 2 other agencies: Workforce development and Latino physician.Partner with South Texas College: offer e-learning opportunities: Meet on July 6, McAllen, TXPartner with National Autonomous University of Mexico.

Empowering ParentsEmpowerment of parents is critical to establishing strong support for children and adolescents.Have a functioning Parent Association that cares deeply about the needs of the students.

By Dr. Juan Ramos, Ph.D. Retired from NIMH

Parent Management Training (Oregon Social Learning Center - Latino parents completing a culturally-specific parent-training program reported improvements in the use of effective parenting practices, improvements in their children’s behavior, and a drop in the likelihood of their children suffering from substance abuse problems in the future.

http://content.apa.org/journals/ccp/73/5/841

Empowering Parents

Parent School Partnership (PSP) MALDEF- Started in 1989, PSP is a national program designed to train parents, school personnel, and community-based organizations to lead in the educational attainment of children.

Founded in 1968, Mexican American Legal Defense Fund, the nation's leading Latino legal organization, promotes and protects the rights of Latinos through litigation, advocacy, community education and outreach, leadership development, and higher education scholarships.

Empowering Parents

MALDEF Commends Graduation of 216 Parents in National Community Program

National Program Encourages Greater Parental Participation in Children's Education: Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston, and, Chicago.

DECEMBER 18 - This month, MALDEF graduated 216 parents as part of its National Parent School Partnership (PSP) Program.

Recognizing that parents are their children's best advocates, MALDEF created PSP in 1989 to train Latino parents on how they can effectively participate in their children's academic endeavors.

http://www.maldef.org

Cultural CompetenceMeaning and ingredients of cultural competence are being sought by a growing number of professionals.Becoming culturally competent is the developmental process that is beginning to be seen as an integral part of professional competence.Unfortunately, neither the intended or unintended consequences of the organization, financing and delivery of human services have received serious attention from scholars, policy makers, and human service practitioners.

Dr. Juan Ramos, Ph.D.Retired NIMH

Cultural CompetenceRetrain helping professionals through continuing education.Change and improve the effectiveness of service delivery system as it pertains to culturally diverse populations.Add multicultural content to certification and licensing examinations.It is the work of institutional change that must take place to the voicing of concerns.


Core elements in practical applications of cultural competenceValue diversity – culture as a resource for

helping, not a problem to be solvedBe aware of your own cultural valuesUnderstand the dynamics of difference, for

it impacts services in hard to miss waysDevelop and use cultural knowledge, e.g.

values, group’s diversity & unique practicesAdapt to the culture: services should be

designed to fit with beliefs & practices of the local community & tap into resources

Used with permission: Dr. Delia Saldaña, Ph.D. University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX.

Core elements in practical applications of cultural competence

School level.Social workers are trained in the skills necessary for diversity-sensitive practice, and multicultural awareness.Cultural competence permeates school activities: interventions (soccer, art, music, etc.)


School: Education Policy is made by School District Boards and when no one on the Board or the leadership (superintendents and associate superintendents) is Latino the policies proposed and approved do not have a clear picture of the needs of Latino school youth in mind.



We need Latinos involved in the politics of education. We need Latinos involved in the education game.We must be sensitive to language needs and process of Americanization. Attention must be placed on bi-cognitive development.



An alliance among people and organizations from multiple sectors.Active listening.Leadership needs to be created from within.Focus initially on only a few outcomes.

Source: Biglan, Brennan, Foster, Holder, 2004.

Emerging PracticesPromoting Healthy Families in Your Community: 2007 Resource Packet - Developed for service providers, this packet highlights strategies to strengthen families by promoting key protective factors that prevent child abuse and neglect.

http://www.childwelfare.gov/preventing/res%5Fpacket%5F2007

Emerging PracticesProject SUCCESS – Schools Using Coordinated Community Efforts to Strengthen Students. Prevents and reduces substance abuse among high risk, multiple-problem middle and high school students.

http://modelprograms.samsha.gov/pdfs/details/success.pdf

Underage drinking – Community intervention model that involves community strategies, youth and parent education and activities:

http://www.preventionpartners.samhsa.gov/foc0414_alcohol_p2.asp www.hablemos.samsha.gov

Emerging PracticesHealth Communities Health Youth – The Search Institute developed a strength based initiative that focuses on development of mental and social well-being in young people.

Parenting with a PurposeWalking your Talk: Building Assets in Organizations that you servehttp://www.search-institute.org/assets/

Emerging PracticesFamily Connections – FC is a promising risk and protective factors strengths-based social services model that uses a comprehensive family assessment, individualized and tailored interventions, and community outreach to establish as helping alliance that empowers families.

http://www.familyconnectionsonline.org

Emerging PracticesGrowing up in a New Country: A Positive Youth Development Toolkit for Working with Refugees and Immigrants. Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services and US Conference of Catholic Bishops, provides technical assistance to “bridge gap” between child welfare and other organizations.

http://www.brcs.org/

There’s Lots of Room for Change

Learn new knowledge about lots of things.Be open to attitude change about areas that you’re not even aware of.Understand that learning is like a dance: it works best when approached as a two-way partnership.Skills require practice, new insights, learning from failures, and lots of information sharing.Leaders can learn from the front-line, but the front-line requires guidance & support from leadership.


Core Elements of Success:Change is Hard & You Really

Have to Want to Do ItEmphasize the critical role of administrative support and leadership.Recognize the importance of practitioner motivation and skill acquisition. Acknowledge that cultural competency comes in incremental steps.


Social workers must work organizing youth energy.Social workers must work at building alliances with youth and their friends.Social workers need to think outside of the school building and become involved in broad coalition work.

Neighborhood

Family

School

Mentors

Church

StudentStudent

Resiliency at all times

Ecological Perspective: Helping Latino Ecological Perspective: Helping Latino Students Adjust to the School SettingStudents Adjust to the School Setting

Family

Peers

Friends back home

helping latino immigrants adjust to the school setting national association of social workers,...

Documents

latino students

school dropouts

latino youth face

latino immigrants

soccer slide

school processes

school resources

high school