Addressing Anxiety, School Avoidance/Refusal,

& Chronic Absenteeism

Anxiety represents a significant health concern for many students, and is associated with impaired functioning at school, at home, and with peers. Initial research suggests that anxiety rates have risen in youth during the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating a greater need for school and community clinicians to properly identify and manage anxiety symptoms in children and teens.

To help address this growing need, we're proud to partner with Dr. Anthony Puliafico and the team from the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CUCARD), as well as Commissioner Michael Orth and Tori Shaw of the Westchester Department of Community Mental Health, to lead these targeted professional learning opportunities for school and community partners.

• 9/30: Helping Families Address School Avoidance - An overview of strategies for families and caregivers to effectively support their children.

• 10/6: What Administrators Need to Know about Student Anxiety and School Avoidance - An overview for school building and district administrators (and ALL) on effective systems and practices to address student anxiety and school avoidance; in school, home and community settings.

• Starting 10/13: Supporting Youth with Anxiety - Topical series includes: "Supporting Youth with Specific Phobias", "Implementing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to Promote Resilience and Coping", "Advanced Topics in Addressing Trauma". and more.

• Starting 11/3: Targeting School Avoidance Behaviors Collaborative - Designed to help school teams (including school and community clinicians and specialists, teachers, administrators) improve school avoidance and chronic absenteeism through yearlong training and on-going consultation within our Collaborative.

Be sure to see below for our updated calendar and resources, and reply to this email if you have questions and/or would like to bring professional learning to your school.

Join Us!

• Join our Yale RULER Cohort

• Starting 8/16: School Leadership within a DBT Frame: Applying DBT skills to increase effective leadership and reduce educator burnout - with Dr. Lata McGinn and CBC team

• 8/17: Specially Designed Instruction for Administrators - with Anna Massaro

• Starting 8/23: Self-Care Coaching Circle for Leaders - with Rob Lieblein

• 9/22: Administrators' Role in Leading Their School to Successful Implementation of the DBT STEPS-A Curriculum - with Dr. James Mazza and Dr. Lizz Dexter-Mazza

• 9/23: Stabilizing Chaos: Psychological First Aid to Foster Resilience in the Wake of Traumatic Events - with Dr. Lata McGinn, part of the Virtual CE Talks Series with the CBC team

• 9/23: Booster Session for PBIS Tier 1 Team Training - with Sara Fienup and Erin Leskovic

• Starting 9/29: DBT STEPS-A Intermediate Workshop: Advancing Classroom Implementation & Impact - with Dr. James Mazza and Dr. Lizz Dexter-Mazza

• 9/30: Helping Families Address School Avoidance - with Dr. Anthony Puliafico, Dr. Courtney DeAngelis, and Tori Shaw

• Register by 9/30: New CPSE/CSE Chairperson Training - with Sarah Grom, Dr. Audrey Brutus, and Kristy Leader

• 10/6: What Administrators Need to Know about Student Anxiety and School Avoidance - with Commissioner Michael Orth, Tori Shaw, Dr. Anthony Puliafico, Dr. Courtney DeAngelis, and Dr. Andrew Ecker

• Starting 10/6: LGBTQ+ Inclusive Schools Collaborative - with Dr. Andrew Ecker and partners from Center Lane and GLSEN

• Starting 10/7: Guidance & Counseling Directors Collaborative - with Dr. Andrew Ecker

• Starting 10/13:Supporting Youth with Anxiety - with Dr. Courtney DeAngelis and Dr. Anthony Crimarco

• 10/14: Is this Youth at Risk for Suicide? Assessing Evidence-Based Risk and Protective Factors - with Dr. Alec Miller, part of the Virtual CE Talks Series with the CBC team

• Starting 10/19: DBT Skills in Schools: Launching Classroom SEL Implementation with the DBT STEPS-A Curriculum - with Dr. James Mazza and Dr. Lizz Dexter-Mazza

• 10/27: Helping Students at Risk for Suicide - with Dr. Andrew Ecker and Nellana Flores

• Starting 11/3: Targeting School Avoidance Behaviors Collaborative - with Dr. Anthony Puliafico

• 11/9: Restorative Practices: Proactive and Preventative Ways to Reduce Conflict, Bullying, and Aggressive Behaviors - with Kara Santucci

• Starting 12/2: Home School Liaisons - with Dr. Andrew Ecker

Resources

• Learn about the new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

• Tips for Grounding & Regulation (BEAM)

• Black and LGBTQ - Approaching Intersectional Conversations (The Trevor Project)

• Affirming Care for Transgender and Gender Expansive Youth (NCTSN)