Upcoming Events
WSW Summer Institute
August 6, 13, and 20 | 9am – 12pm PDT
Virtual – $100/per session or $250/for all three sessions
Clock Hours Offered
WSW Summer Institute | Tiered Solutions to Complex School-Based Mental Health Topics
Hosted by the WSW, University of Washington (UW) SMART Center & UW School of Social Work
Join the University of Washington’s SMART Center and the School of Social Work for three, three-hour workshop and interactive training designed for Educational Staff Associates (ESAs), including School Social Workers, School Counselors, School Psychologists, and Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs).
This event is tailored to professionals working in K–12 educational settings who are looking to expand their behavioral health toolkit for addressing students with the most complex and urgent needs including self-inflicted and externalized violence and school refusal. Participants will explore these challenges using a tiered approach to behavioral health that aligns with Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), with a strong emphasis on current, research-based prevention and intervention strategies.
Through a mix of didactic instruction and experiential learning, attendees will gain access to proven frameworks and practical tools that can be applied immediately within school systems.
Session 1 – August 6th
MTSS Approaches to Chronic Absenteeism, School Refusal, and
School Re-Engagement
Nationally, Washington has the 9th highest school refusal rate in the country. Learn about the unique role ESA’s can play in from universal prevention measures at tier one all the way to individualized and intensified tier three strategies for chronic absenteeism.
Session 1 Facilitator
Rachel Barrett is a licensed clinical social worker (LICSW) and joins the UW SMART Center as the Program Manager for the Workforce for Student Well-Being following 20+ years in schools, community mental health, and out-of-district placements for students with significant mental health needs…
Read more about Rachel >
Session 2 – August 13th
Centering Care: The Role of ESA’s in Preventing School Violence Through Threat Assessment and Mental Health Intervention
This training explores the role of ESA’s in preventing school violence through equitable, evidence-based threat assessment. Participants will examine how bias can undermine safety efforts and learn strategies for centering care and connection in their prevention and intervention work.
Session 2 Facilitator
Nikki York is a Program Operations Specialist at the University of Washington’s SMART Center, where she supports the Workforce for Student Well-being (WSW) Initiative. Nikki’s work focuses on expanding the school social work workforce in Washington state through post-graduation support, policy development, and statewide advocacy… Read more about Nikki >
Session 3 – August 20th
Asking is Caring: Suicide Prevention and Intervention for ESAs
Asking is Caring is a new and innovative approach to doing suicide prevention in schools. Schools need to implement strategies that build and reinforce protective factors and that school districts can implement and track. This Washington state PESB-approved three-hour training meets the suicide prevention training requirement. Registration comes with access to workbook, materials and forms, customizable policy and procedures manual and collateral materials
Session 3 Facilitators
Nikki York and Rachel Barrett will co-facilitate Session 3…
Read their bios >
