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The Colorado Bilingual School Mental Health Network: Overview and Future Directions

December 13, 2013

+The Need for a Community of Practice in Colorado Currently, 40% of students enrolled in the Colorado

school system are from racially and/or ethnically diverse backgrounds (Colorado Department of Education [CDE], 2011).

Furthermore, the total Colorado K–12 growth rate over the last 10 years was 15.6%, while the English language learner (ELL) growth rate during the same time period was 260% (CDE, 2010).

CDE recognizes the need to focus on disproportionality issues in relation to special education, gifted education, discipline practices, high ELL dropout rates, and lower academic achievement of ELLs (CDE, 2010).

+Community of Practice: What is it? A group of people who engage in a process

of collective learning. “CoPs are a group of people who share

a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.” Wenger

A CoP can provide a knowledgeable, solution-focused forum to move issues forward and can ameliorate some of the professional isolation that commonly occurs for bilingual mental health practitioners

Website: http://www.ewenger.com/theory/index.htm

+ IDEA Partnership: Another View of COP

www.ideaparternship.org A Community of Practice (CoP) is quite simply a

group of people that agree to interact regularly to solve a persistent problem or improve practice in an area that is important to them.

A New Approach to Solving Complex Educational Problems Cashman, J., Linehan, P., & Rosser, M. (2007). Communities of Practice:

A new approach to solving complex educational problems. Alexandria, VA: National Association of State Directors of Special Education.

http://www.ideapartnership.org/documents/CoPGuide.pdf

+History of the CBSMH Network

Inaugural meeting held at the CSSP conference in November, 2010 – 33 people in attendance

Meetings held three times per year since Hosted one workshop (Dr. Sam Ortiz in January 2103)

+Mission

The Colorado Bilingual School Mental Health Network (CBSMHN) focuses on three main tasks: advocating for the mental health and special education needs of bilingual students in the school system; providing professional development related to best practices with bilingual students, and facilitating networking for school professionals working with bilingual students.

+Colorado Relationships

CDE University of Colorado Denver Districts Nonprofit agencies

+CBSMH Beliefs

All levels of language, diverse languages, or those who are monolingual advocates are welcome

All school professionals supporting mental health services are welcome

Our network is grassroots and based on the current needs of the members

We aim to improve the educational experiences of bilingual students throughout the state

+Organization

Led by two co-leaders, currently three as one is in transition

We have 12 people on our leadership team Various roles such as communications

committee and special events committee

Over 110 members currently

+Meetings

Meetings focus on professional development, networking, and advocacy

Started as mainly learning what others were doing in their districts around this issue

Recent meetings have included: CDE discussing WIDA ACCESS Cross Battery Assessment Progress Monitoring/RTI with ELLs

+Recent Developments Website:

http://www.sharedwork.org/en/web/rti-co-bilingual-school-psychologists/home

+Future Plans

Adding more content to the website Creating the Wiki Creating white papers/position papers Coordinating more workshops Increase membership to more mental health providers

Most are school psychologists currently

Collaborate with other networks/professional organizations