Transcript SARB Panel Orientation - LAUSD School Mental Health

Los Angeles Unified School District
Pupil Services
SARB Orientation for Interns
Presented by:
Garyn Valdemar, LCSW
Stephanie Lartelier, MSW
SARB Chairs- ESC West
November 13, 2013
Agenda
• Introductions
• Education Code, Truancy and Notifications
• Tiered Interventions
• Resources and Referrals
• Intensive Case Management
• SARB Overview
****Break***
• Mock SARB Panel
• Debrief
• Evaluations
What are Possible reasons why
students do NOT attend school ?
Education Code
Truancy Definitions
Truancy Notifications
EC 48200: Compulsory Full-Time Education
Each person between the ages of 6 and 18 years
…shall attend the public full-time day school or
continuation school or classes for the full time
designated as the length of the school day…in
the school district….of the residency of either
parent or guardian is located and each
parent…shall send the pupil…for the full time
designated…..
EC 48202
Excused Absences
What is an “excused absence” ?
– Due to illness
– Due to Quarantine
– For the purpose of having medical, dental, optometric, or chiropractic
services rendered
– Funeral services: One day in California; 3 days outside California
– Jury Duty
– Illness or medical appointment of a child of whom the pupil is the
custodial parent
– Justifiable personal reasons: appearance in court, observance of a
religious holiday, religious retreats, education conference and prior
approval by the principal or designee
– C.C.R Title 5, Sec 420 – same as above.
– CCR – California Code of Regulations
Pop Quiz
1. Is kindergarten attendance mandatory ?
2. Parent called- upset that their 4th grade GATE student
received a truancy letter when the family went to
Thailand to accompany dad for a movie shoot. Parent
upset that the school is classifying their 4th grader as a
“truant”. Is parent complaint justified?
3. Second grade student had so far 27 absences and
parent said it is due to “asthma”. You checked with the
nurse and there is no medical note indicating student
has asthma nor is there an inhaler at school.
Are these absences excused?
Truancy
EC Section 48260
A pupil…absent from school without valid
excuse three full days in one school year
or tardy or absent for more than any 30minute period during the school day
without a valid excuse on three occasions
in one school year or any combination
thereof, shall be reported…as a truant.
EC 48260.5 - Parent Notification
• Upon a pupil’s initial classification as a truant, the school district shall
notify the pupil’s parent or guardian, by first class mail or other
reasonable means, of the following:
– That the pupil is truant
– That the parent or guardian is obligated to compel the attendance of
the pupil at school
– That the parent or guardians who fail to meet this obligation maybe
guilty of an infraction and subject to prosecution
– That alternative education programs are available in the district
– That the parent or guardian has the right to meet with the appropriate
school personnel to discuss solutions to the pupil’s truancy
– That the pupil may be subject to prosecution under section 48264
– That the pupil may be subject to suspension, restriction, or delay of
the pupil’s driving privilege
EC 48261
“Any pupil who has once been reported as a truant
and who is again absent from school without valid
excuse one or more days, or tardy on one or more
days, shall be reported as a truant to the attendance
supervisor or the superintendent of the district.”
Second Truancy Letter –
Request for Parent Conference
When should Truancy Letter #2 be sent?
Should be sent after:
– The parent/guardian has received the Initial Truancy Letter
– The parent/guardian has been given a reasonable
opportunity to respond
– Student has one or more additional unexcused absences,
tardies in excess of 30 minutes after the Initial Notification
of Truancy was sent (minimum is 4 unexcused absences)
EC 48262
Any pupil is deemed an habitual truant who has been reported
as a truant three or more times per school year, provided that
no pupil shall be deemed an habitual truant unless an
appropriate district officer or employee has made a
conscientious effort to hold at least one conference with a
parent or guardian of the pupil and the pupil himself, after the
filing of either of the reports required by Section 48260 or
Section 48261.
For the purposes of this section, a conscientious effort means
attempting to communicate with the parents of the pupil at least
once using the most cost-effective method possible, which may
include electronic mail or a telephone call.
Third Truancy Letter –
Habitual Truant Reclassification
When should Truancy Letter #3 be
sent?
Should be sent after:
– The parent/guardian has received the 1st and 2nd Truancy
Letters
– The parent/guardian has been given the opportunity to attend a
parent conference
– Student accumulates one or more additional unexcused
absences, tardies in excess of 30 minutes after the second
truancy letter was sent (minimum 5 unexcused absences)
Resources
and
Referrals
Community Resource Referral Form
•
•
•
•
Use when referring families to outside agencies
Template is available in SARB Intervention Guide
States that LAUSD assumes no responsibility for the
services provided or fees charged, retain a copy of the
form for your records
Agencies must be non-profit unless student has private
insurance
Provide at least 3 referrals for each type of service
from your School Resource Guide and Community
Resource Referral List
•
Community Resource List
• What types of services are included in your
Community Resource List?
• How did you find these resources?
Intensive
Case
Management
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21
Intensive Case Management – Steps
• Includes individual interventions (conferences,
home visit, SART, SARB, etc.)
• Identify students with attendance problems
• Maintain list of target students
• Document all contacts (telephone, mail,
conferences, etc.) in the ISIS call log and/or
Record of Contacts form
• Issue all required absence notifications
• Maintain protocol for Pupil Records BUL–2469.0 (ie:
Access, Confidentiality, Notice of Educational Rights ,
etc.)
Role Play Activity
1) Pick a partner
2) Take turns playing role of PSA and Parent
3) 5 minutes for each conversation
Scenario #1: Conference with parent of a 3rd
grader who has missed 4 consecutive days and
has not contacted the school.
Scenario #2: Conference with a parent of a High
School Freshman that has missed 13 of 30 days
so far this school year.
Resource
Panel
Resource Panel
• What are the two PRIMARY functions of
Resource Panel?
1. Case consultation for difficult cases
2. Case presentation for SARB Referral
• Resource Panel Composition:
–
–
–
SARB Chairperson/s
PSA Administrator
PSA, School or District Staff (IEP Nurse, etc.)
Resource Panel Preparation:
Know Your Student
What should you know about your
student/family when presenting a
case to Resource Panel?
RESOURCE PANEL PREPARATION
• Notify SARB Chairperson to be added to
Resource Panel calendar
• Complete all required forms (see Resource
Panel/SARB Document Checklist)
• Bring original forms along with 1 copy (singlesided 8½” x 11” paper, unstapled) to Resource
Panel
CASE PRESENTATION TO RESOURCE
PANEL
• Present and discuss the case
• Panel determines if additional interventions
and/or referrals are warranted
• A letter may be mailed by the SARB Chair
informing parent that a Resource Panel has
been held
• SARB Chair will schedule case for a hearing
when and if case is ready and appropriate
Accessing the SARB Intervention Guide
Accessing the
RP/SARB Referral Checklist
School Attendance
Review Board
(SARB)
School Attendance Review Board
• Established by CA legislature in 1975.
• Purpose is to enhance the enforcement of
compulsory education laws.
• Diverts students with school attendance or
behavior problems from the juvenile justice
system until all available resources have been
exhausted.
Purpose of SARB
• Enforce CA Education Code Section 48200: Children
between the ages 6 & 18 must attend school regularly.
• Truancy is a complex problem: it involves the student,
family, and community as a whole.
• SARB is a strategy that utilizes school & community
resources to help the student improve his/her
attendance and deal with barriers to school attendance
and graduate.
Multi-Agency SARB
Representatives may include:
• LA County Dept. of Children & Family Services
• LA County Dept. of Public Social Services
• LA County Dept. of Probation
• Law Enforcement (DA, CA & Police)
• Community Agencies
• School District Professionals
(i.e., Pupil Services, Mental Health, Nursing, Psych Services,
Special Education)
Role & Responsibilities of the School
• Take accurate attendance.
• Exhaust school interventions & document
the case management process.
• Prepare and present cases to Resource Panel
and SARB.
• Monitor, support, and refer student and
parents post-SARB as required.
Case Referrals
Recommended student age is 6-16 years:
• with chronic attendance issues.
• who have recently started to miss school and
would benefit from the SARB process.
• who are most likely to attend school regularly
following the SARB hearing.
Health Issues
• With appropriate accomodations, students
with medical diagnoses (e.g., asthma,
diabetes, epilepsy, etc.) can and should attend
school on a regular basis.
• Accommodations may be made per doctor’s
recommendations (e.g., certain treatments,
medication, physical activity, etc.).
• Safety is always top priority.
Students with IEPs
• Students with IEPs are subject to the SARB process
when they do not comply with compulsory education
laws.
• With appropriate accommodations, most disabilities
should not prevent a child from attending school on a
regular basis.
• Ensure Special Education Students
 Current IEP
 Appropriate placement as determined by their IEP
 Chronic absenteeism is not related to disability
Cases not appropriate for SARB:
•
•
•
•
•
Student is currently on formal probation.
Student is in foster care or group home.
IEP is out of compliance.
Disability is the cause of the absenteeism.
Confer with SARB chair for students 17-18
years of age.
Special Education Students
Can these students be referred to SARB ?
Role of SARB Chairperson
• Strategically develop, maintain and conduct
Resource and SARB Panels.
• Provide training and support to schools and
SARB panel members.
• Forward and track cases as they progress from
Resource Panel to mediation and court.
• Prepare and submit annual reports to LACOE.
• Presides over SARB hearing, issues contract to
the family.
Task of SARB Panel Members
• Seek to understand why students are
experiencing attendance/behavior problems.
• Find solutions to unresolved student
attendance & discipline problems.
• Assist SARB Chair with direct questioning of
family.
SARB Myths
•
•
•
•
SARB is court
SARB is a punitive measure
SARB will magically solve the problem
Referring school/staff member is no longer
responsible for the case after SARB
Tone of SARB Hearings
• SARB Chairs set the tone for each hearing.
• Parents are our partners and we need to be
sensitive to the struggles faced by our students
and their families.
• SARB’s take a formal, serious, problem-solving &
positive tone.
• Belittling, berating and threatening parents or
students will not be tolerated.
• SARB panel members will be reminded at each
meeting to be respectful at all times.
Confidentiality
• Information obtained during the performance of
duties as a SARB panel member must remain
confidential (CA Ed Code, Sec. 49076).
• Families appearing before the SARB entrust
sensitive information to the board.
• All documents presented to the panel will be
used for the purpose of finding solutions.
• All case documents/packets will be collected and
destroyed.
• Mandated child abuse reporting is applicable.
Confidentiality Forms
• All panel members must sign a confidentiality
form each school year before their first SARB
hearing.
• A confidentiality statement is on the SARB
Hearing sign-in sheet.
Review of Records
• SARB case packets for each case will be
distributed to the panel at the beginning of
each hearing for review.
• Documents provide panel members with a
comprehensive summary of the student’s
education history.
Packet Documents
• Case Anecdotal Summary with interventions &
school & community referrals
• Attendance summary
• Grade summary
• Other pertinent documents
Note: All packets will be collected at the end of
the SARB hearing.
SARB Hearing
(prior to family entering hearing)
SARB Chair’s Opening statement to panel (5 min.)
a.
b.
c.
d.
Sign in
Announcements
Confidentiality, tone & time management reminders
Review of records
School representative presents case (5 min.)
a.
b.
c.
d.
Summary of absences
Presenting problem(s)
Pending referrals/interventions
Family strengths & areas needing improvement
SARB Hearing
Family present
Meeting w/ Family ( 20-30 min.)
a. Family enters the meeting room.
b. Introduction of panel & family.
c. Parent is asked to explain and elaborate on school
absences and why lack of compliance of the law and
the SART contract.
d. Panel proceeds to analysis of barriers and strengths,
using solution focused problem solving.
e. Resolution phase: recommendations and
implementation strategies for school services &
outside resources (e.g., community agencies)
SARB Hearing
Family present, cont.
Finalizing Contract and Meeting: 5-10 minutes
d. SARB Contract phase: review of contract,
directives, referrals and signing.
e. Consequences of failing to meet the terms of
the SARB contract are explained.
f. 30-Day Follow up Meeting Notice is given to
the parent.
g. Hearing is adjourned and the family is
dismissed.
Activity: Mock SARB Hearing
• Assignment of Roles
• Hearing
• Discussion and Debrief
Post-SARB
• School continues to monitor student/family
progress (attendance & compliance w/ SARB
directives).
• School continues providing the student/family
with support and assistance in complying with
the SARB directives.
• PSA/School staff holds a 30-day follow-up
meeting with the parent to evaluate progress.
If Attendance Problems are not
Resolved after SARB
• Case is referred to District Attorney for mediation when:
- student is at fault (incorrigible).
- parent is at fault (contributing to the
delinquency of a minor), and lives outside the City of
LA.
- if both are at fault.
• Case is referred to the City Attorney for mediation when:
-parent resides in the City of Los Angeles and is at
fault (contributing to the delinquency of a minor).
• Case is referred to Court.
Final Points to Consider
• We are the advocates for these children.
• However – we also have to enforce the law.
• Is this a conflict in your belief as a school
social worker?
Intern Participation on SARB Panels
Prior to Participation in SARB, Interns Must:
• Complete this mandatory SARB training
• Complete 75 hours of internship
• Attend a Resource Panel
• Be registered and scheduled centrally for SARB
• Plan accordingly: first come – first serve basis
• Do not wait until the end of the school year
Interns (continued)
• Interns are limited to one SARB hearing
unless they are directly involved in other
cases.
• Interns are not permitted to counsel or
question families at a SARB hearing.
• Additional information can be found in the
guide, Interns and the SARB process, or you
may contact your SARB Chair.