“We are around kids all day…I don’t want to Forget to Play”: LiveChat Transcript from SSWNetwork on Tier 1 Implementation
Another great LiveChat thanks to Krista Sodt and the other SSW who joined in. Check it out and join us on future Saturdays for more practice wisdom from our SSWNetwork colleagues. Check out Krista’s article for SSWN introducing her week of hosting on our sister social media site SSWNetwork, “Forming a Magical Implementation Team” and check the network for updates on our regular Saturday morning LiveChats, 9-10 a.m. central time. As Krista says later in the chat that follows, “Honestly, it’s walking through the project steps from what we learned at SMHAPP that has made this possible…Previously I would have had a good idea, but been lacking many of the implementation skills that make a change project possible.”
We are around kids all day… I don’t want to forget to play-Krista Sodt, SSW
LiveChat Transcript, SSWNetwork, March 7th, 2020
Michael Kelly Ok, let’s get things started. Hi everyone, my name is Michael Kelly, Professor at Loyola Chicago SSW and Director of the School Mental Health Advanced Practice Program (SMHAPP). We’re excited today to have one of our awesome SMHAPP students Ms. Krista Sodt here with us today to talk about Tier 1 implementation of behavioral expectations in an elementary context and to hear from the larger group what they’re doing to build Tier 1 in their contexts as well.Welcome Krista! Do you want to do a short introduction and we can then ask the group to introduce themselves?
Krista Sodt Sure!
Good morning! I’m Krista, I work in an PK-4 building in a suburb of Seattle. I have about 350 kids in my school, and I am full time in one building, which is amazing. I have only recently discovered my extreme love of Tier One intervention…
Michael Kelly “extreme love” that’s funny, I’ll want to ask you about that in a minute. Let’s hear from the group–your name, practice setting and maybe one thing you hope to discuss/learn in this morning’s chat. Lisa, do you want to go first?
Michael Kelly and while Lisa is typing if others want to start introducing themselves, that would be great.
Lisa Johnson Haire Good morning, I am Lisa Johnson Haire. Social Worker at a High School in St. Louis County (Missouri) we have 1700 students. I am with general education so tier 1 is something I am interested in.
Michael Kelly great–Kathleen and Penny?
Krista Sodt Lisa, thinking about Tier One with 1700 high school students…
Michael Kelly yeah I know right–and high schoolers too!Hi Beth, are you on with us?
Michael Kelly Not sure if Kathleen or Penny are actually in the chat or just signed on the SSWNetwork right now…if you are, please say hi and jump in!
Beth Frank-Heath Hi everyone!
Krista Sodt Good morning Beth! I’m glad you could join!
Lisa Johnson Haire Hi Beth
Michael Kelly yes welcome Beth–we’re asking people to talk about where they practice and what brought them to the chat today?
Beth Frank-Heath I’m new to SSW. Monday is my first day. I’ve worked 6.5 years in Foster Care and CPS. The last 2.5 years I’ve worked in vocational rehab with students with disabilities. I’ve collaborated with schools to provide work readiness skills under WIOA and PreETS.
Penny Williams-Wolford Hi, I had some technical problems. I’m Penny. I am a SSW at Bellwood Early Childhood Center. We have 300 students between two buildings
Krista Sodt Beth, I’m so glad you found the network… I wish I had this resource my first year! I’m in my 3rd. Hi Penny!Penny, did we meet in Chicago last July?
Michael Kelly How cool–Beth you’re getting started on your SSW adventure, and you came to spend some time with us! We’re good people to hang with, you’ll see…love the people in our SMHAPP program and the network overall.
Penny Williams-Wolford Hi Krista, I am fortunate it was around my first year. This is my second year as a SSW.
Lisa Johnson Haire Beth, congratulations!!
Beth Frank-Heath My new school is 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders, CI classroom and Autism classroom. 500 plus kiddos. I will be with a team of professionals. I’m full time, two ft psychologists, one speech, two ot. And a new asst. principal.
Penny Williams-Wolford I think so…were you at the SW Summer Institute in July? If so, I think we did.
Krista Sodt Yes!!
I am fortunate (SSWNetwork) was around my first year. This is my second year as a SSW.–Penny Williams-Wolford
Michael Kelly this is great some of my fave SSW on the chat today–let’s get into Krista’s topic now. I’m going to post her SSWN article here and get into it a bit with Krista, and then encourage everybody else to chime in too. Sound good?
Lisa Johnson Haire Yes, Krista you definitely met Penny! Hi Penny!
Penny Williams-Wolford09:20 amKrista, I hope to see you there again this summer! I am looking forward to it.
Michael Kelly Forming A “Magical Implementation Team:” A SSWN Forum On How To Implement Changes At Tier One
My name is Krista Sodt and I am a school social worker at a PK-4 elementary school near Seattle. I am in my 3rd year working in this position. I am also in my final year of the School Mental Health Advanced Practice Program (SMHAPP) certificate at Loyola.
Beth Frank-Heath Thank you everyone. I felt the same when I stumbled upon it.
Penny Williams-Wolford Hi Lisa, I look forward to seeing you at the Summer Institue again this July too! 🙂
Michael Kelly This is the article that Krista did summarizing her efforts with her team to do Tier 1. Krista, what made you want to focus on this for your article?
Lisa Johnson Haire I am planning to be there, Penny
Beth Frank-Heath Before we leave today if someone can tell me about the summer institute.
Krista Sodt I think I first noticed the “mood” of my school was shifting, as we moved to a new building. I was standing on the stairs every day greeting kids, and working to make everyone feel welcome and connected, but I felt like there was a shift in how things were feeling at the water cooler. Around that time we were also looking at attendance data and seeing that we were having some new concerns… more absences this year and negative trends with kids who were at risk.
Krista Sodt Our district initiative this year was to improve connections between each child and caring adults at school, so we were collecting data about that and finding that we had more than 20% of kids that didn’t feel there was a special adult at school who really cared about them, or they could go to with a problem
Michael Kelly Say a bit about your implementation experiences thus far–there are so many great details in your article!
Penny Williams-Wolford Krista, I’m glad you notice the attendance data. Oftentimes, this is overlooked or teams do not have time to analyze the data. What research-based interventions did you use for attendance?Beth, I will try to find the information for the Summer Institute. Or, Professor Kelly may post it.
Krista Sodt I met with my principal and had this data. I also did the Tier One Fidelity tool from PBIS that I learned about in a SMHAPP class. I proposed that we work on building the adult capacity to feel connected, welcome, respected and supported.
Michael Kelly SWPBIS%20Tiered%20Fidelity%20Inventory%20(TFI).pdf
Penny Williams-Wolford Krista, 20% of students did not have a connection with an adult. That makes me sad. I want to hear what you all did to change this. How did you access the number of students who felt connected to an adult?
Krista Sodt I had admin support to try a tier one intervention, I proposed a ‘house system’ where every student would have a connection to their group (4 houses, so about 100 kids per house)
Michael Kelly that’s the tool that Krista just referenced–it seemed from your article that the tool told you some things that were working and others that needed improvement. Tell us more about those findings?
Beth Frank-Heath My new school has a 48 percent truancy trend. Under reading and math goals. I was in the area when I was with CPS and it’s high risk, low income families. It really seems like the focus of the school is community.
Michael Kelly The “House System” idea (with the Hogwarts-y theme overlay) was brilliant Krista!
Penny Williams-Wolford Krista, How did the staff feel when you shared you wanted to work on building adult capacity?
Krista Sodt Their fidelity tool let me know that we needed a team approach to tier one supports, instead of just social worker on the job. We needed more community approach and we didn’t have any data about how our program was working (or not)
Krista Sodt The grown ups have been the most fun part of this, so far. I did a presentation to staff and proposed that they join the “House of Blakely”. I have been very intentional about bringing novelty, play and connection to our work together. I invited everyone to the meeting with scrolls and butterflies
Michael Kelly What Krista just said is SO important, and a big theme I know we’re trying to develop more in the SMHAPP and other work I’m doing: how can school social workers be leaders on Tier 1 (and even Tier 2) teams, but also not take it on as their sole job. Great stuff.
Krista Sodt The energy of play, and shared support… It felt like fresh air, honestly. Of course I am in the early stages of implementing this project, so there are bound to be bumps in the road.
Michael Kelly Another key finding I think from your implementation work so far Krista–the importance of play and humor in doing implementation. I’m in many, many research meeting contexts where that is very hard for the implementation researchers to either 1) understand or 2) even if they “get” it, to actually make happen.
Penny Williams-Wolford Krista, I love your energy and how intentional you are when you’re working with various systems.
Beth Frank-Heath Very creative work Krista. I can see how making it inviting is important.
Krista Sodt We know that positive school climate leads to increases in academic achievement, as well as reduced absences. And those things can be tracked and measured.
Penny Williams-Wolford Tell me more about how your school collaborated with parents?
Krista Sodt I wanted to model for the people doing with day to day work, that the joy of engaging and playing together makes the process function. We do it together, so that they can send that energy to the rest of the school.
Michael Kelly Agreed Penny and Beth–it would be cool to imagine how different implementation of Tier 1 supports can go when we have not just “buy-in” by teachers and other adults in the building, but enthusiastic excitement about an intervention or strategy. I know it’s very early days for your project work Krista, but you’re already laying that groundwork, and it’s very compelling stuff.
Krista Sodt So far I have presented to the PTO, with a plan to push out more information at our “Maker Faire” coming this spring.
How has (implementing the Tier 1 work with a sense of) play impacted the staff? Are you seeing increased positivity from them too?-Lisa Johnson Haire
Penny Williams-Wolford Krista, have you considering presenting to the Rotary Club in your community?
Krista Sodt I named the work group “Magical Implementation Team” and gave everyone a charm for their ID badge if they joined. Part of our work is to be a school climate team, including planning for how best to include parents and community.
Lisa Johnson Haire How has the play impacted the staff? Are you seeing increased positivity from them too?
Penny Williams-Wolford Lisa, great questions
Krista Sodt So far, I have a very high level of engagement from the staff. They self selected to join, so that makes sense. I set up tea and cookies, with battery operated candles for our first meeting, and then we got to work on our spreadsheet, haha. Teachers have told me it’s like a ‘secret society’ where we all belong
Krista Sodt We are going to try to roll out in the fall, so it’s still so early. Still, the energy around it feels positive. I have engaged several staff ‘leaders’ and asked advice and gotten them on board.
Michael Kelly This, 100% this. When teachers start to articulate feeling “special” being part of an initiative in a school, you’re really on to something, Krista.
Lisa Johnson Haire Yes, Krista! That’s awesome.
Krista Sodt Honestly, it’s walking through the project steps from what we learned at SMHAPP that has made this possiblePreviously I would have had a good idea, but been lacking many of the implementation skills that make a change project possible.
Michael Kelly say more about that Krista, what those steps were and how they helped you do this work?
Penny Williams-Wolford Beth, Here’s the information about the Summer Institute. I hope to see you there. https://schoolsocialworkers.mn.co/events/save-the-date-ou…
Beth Frank-Heath Thanks Penny. Now that I have summers off I’m probably free.
Michael Kelly yes Beth, come join us 7/15-17 in lovely downtown Chicago! ?
Beth Frank-Heath I’m just outside of Detroit so it’s not far.
Krista Sodt I learned to look at the data as a tier one problem from my data class. I might have struggled to put out small fires before that. I also learned to identify stakeholders, evaluate the program needs from their perspective, and plan for those. I thought about end users and what might make the program successful. Developing the program components started in my brain, but I quickly realized that I needed a team approach for really looking at each piece. I also came back to our social work roots to make sure that we utilize an equity lens
Lisa Johnson Haire It’s worth it. There is a lot to learn about growing your practice intentionally, Beth.
Beth Frank-Heath What is SMHAPP?
Michael Kelly Thanks for elaborating a bit more on your process Krista and what you learned in the SMHAPP.
Lisa Johnson Haire School Mental Health Advanced Practice Program
Beth Frank-Heath Oh that’s the acronym for the summer program.
Michael Kelly Beth the SMHAPP is the post-master’s online certificate I run at Loyola, and all these other fine folks today on the chat happen to be in it
Penny Williams-Wolford Beth, that’s the acronym for a post mental health certificate program at Loyola.
Beth Frank-Heath Yeah, just treatises that.
Michael Kelly The summer institute is a part of the larger SMHAPP, but it’s also mostly a CEU event and you don’t have to do the certificate to join us in Chicago this Summer!
Lisa Johnson Haire It’s 15 graduate credits taken over two years that helps your grow. You work with a cohort or peers.and learn to push yourself while growing…we learn as much from each other as we do from our professors.
Krista Sodt Here, here!
Penny Williams-Wolford Beth, I attended the Summer Institute program prior to enrolling in SMHAPP. I loved it!!!
Krista Sodt I have learned SO much from you, Lisa.
Michael Kelly What’s cool about the summer institute though is that our SMHAPP students present their work (including stuff like what Krista has shown us today) and we also have some other speakers and experts join us too.I would say Beth it winds up being about 50/50 SMHAPP students presenting their cutting-edge work and the other half being more standard keynote/workshopp-y stuff.
Krista Sodt I think what really struck home for me is the feeling of being a Tier One leader in my school. Having the ability to look at the data and understand how to approach a change project, that didn’t make me the center of ‘crisis’ has been a huge takeaway
Penny Williams-Wolford Beth, last summer I earned CEUs, met a host of like-minded Social Workers, building professional relationships and learned a bunch about the SMHAPP. I hope to see you there…you won’t regret attending.
Beth Frank-HeathThis is great information.
Lisa Johnson Haire And I, from you Krista
Krista Sodt And social workers are so well positioned to understand the ways to foster feelings of safety, connectedness and respect at school
Lisa Johnson Haire I met Penny on this site while I co-hosted a PLC on restorative practices.
Michael Kelly Krista, I’m working on a piece for SSWN with our colleague Ali Hearn from Midwest PBIS (she keynoted last year) and we are focusing on how to help SSW move out of the reactive crisis mode all the time and into more Tier 1 and 2 leadership spaces–your work here today is a great example of how that can begin to happen. Hope to have the piece done and up by next month.
Krista SodtI was so grateful to learn from Ali. Her keynote directly influenced this project. I’m so excited to see her piece!!
Penny Williams-WolfordLisa, your PLC was the answer to a need I had as a first-year SSW. Lisa, I will never forget you. You helped me increase my professional practice as a newbie. Thank you!!!!! XOXOX
Lisa Johnson HaireI love the thought of moving out of crisis mode and move preventative.
Beth Frank-HeathMy district uses PBIS. It’s probably the lead behavior program?
Krista SodtWhat are you all finding about the ‘mood’ in your buildings?
Michael Kelly It’s going to be great Krista–we did a 30-minute webinar where she built on the “Crisis About Crisis” work and we’ll add some extra cool stuff to it and invite people to chime in with how they’re helping their schools be more intentional about crisis (spoiler alert: it’s all about having clear expectations and functional structures using data at Tier 1 and Tier 2)Krista, say more about what you mean by “mood” here?
Lisa Johnson HaireThank you, Penny!
Penny Williams-Wolford Lisa, 🙂
Krista Sodt One way I think about school climate is the mood at school… the shift I was noticing seemed subtle, but some of the routines and shared experiences were dropping off. The feeling in my building has been shifting…
Penny Williams-Wolford Krista, Do you have time to speak to your Tier 2 interventions?
Lisa Johnson Haire Beth, PBIS is more of a frame work than a program. Everyone picks how they implement it and they make it their own so no building is identical.
Michael Kelly The reason I asked Krista was that I think “school mood” is actually a better concept than some of the ways we often conceptualize school climate, I have to think on that some more…
Penny Williams-Wolford Krista, I am looking forward to reading your article. It sounds like it will definitely help me with my research project. I am focusing on attendance too.
Lisa Johnson Haire Penny, do you mean at her location or overall?
Krista Sodt I’m happy to chat about Tier 2 as well, thought I have to admit that it has been more of a thorn in my side than extreme love
Michael Kelly lol, well as we have about 5 minutes left, Krista do you want to say a bit about it now?
Penny Williams-Wolford Lisa and Krista, yes, I am referring to in her buiding.building
Lisa Johnson Haire Tier 2 is often the hardest to implement. I’ve found 1 and 3 are the most natural.
Michael Kelly I see that a lot in practice too, Lisa, a really important insight you’re bringing to this today.
Krista Sodt Sure…. I’m leading a Tier 2 project in my building that is improving our RTI process. In the middle of my project our team has been reduced and our poor school psychologist has been given 2 additional buildings. My principal has lost his assistant, so he is often not able to attend our meetings.
Penny Williams-Wolford It sounds like a lot of what Krista has done at Tier 1 – assessing the relationships (Pyramid Model) is critical…They will not come to school if they do not feel connected to a loving and caring adult.
Krista Sodt Exactly Penny. It’s what I am hoping to see… a REASON to come to school. Connected, safe, respected, reflected and FUN
Lisa Johnson Haire They are natural, tier 1 is everyone while tier 3 are the situations that take the most time and attention.
Krista Sodt The non-academic barriers to coming to school…Lisa, I totally agree with this!
Penny Williams-Wolford Krista, that sounds like my leadership. Our principal does not have an assistant and our program is in two buildings.
Krista Sodt It has been a real challenge to implementation.
Lisa Johnson Haire Keep you the great work! I know it’s hard at times. Thanks for bringing the fun ?Up not you
Krista Sodt I’m so glad you were here!
Beth Frank-Heath From what I’m reading on sites it’s unusual for a school to have the ft supports mine has. I’m feeling pretty luck, I have so much to learn and having them in my building will help.
Krista Sodt We are around kids all day… I don’t want to forget to play.
Michael Kelly Yes, that’s a nice way to sum things up Lisa, “bringing the fun” to Tier 1 implementation. Krista, I am so glad you shared this work with us today–any last words before we sign off?
Penny Williams-Wolford Krista, you are definitely an agent of change at your school. You are valuable and visible and needed. You are doing some great work. I look forward to hearing/reading more about your project in the SSWN site. Congratulations on what you and the team have achieved so far!!!!
Krista Sodt Just thank you, to all of you for being here and for your support!I love social workers! Happy School Social Work Week!
Michael Kelly It’s been a great morning to be together and welcome to our merry band here at SSWNetwork Beth–hope to see you in future chats and maybe in Chicago this Summer too. Take care everybody.
Penny Williams-Wolford Yes, Happy School Social Workers Week!!!!! Keep up the great work…agents of change!
