• February 2020

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    Handle with Care presentation at Sherriff's academy.

    District's Professional Development Day was centerd on trauma.  Arranged for all OKCPS certified staff to attend the OSDE's Bridges to Hope: Teaching in the Shadow of Trauma conference.  Dr. Bruce Perry discussed the impact of trauma on students and staff.  Dr. Perry is an expert in the field of trauma.  To find material from his presentation and others, please click here: Dr. Bruce Perry's materials

    HB3640, Handle with Care, went to subcommittee and was approved.

    Teri Bell presented EmbraceOKC plan and data to Blue Cross Blue Shields Community Affairs team.

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  • January 2020

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    First Semester Data: To review first semester data, please click here: Semester data

    Additional Hope Rising seminars.

    District is providing ongoing PBIS, Trauma, Psychological First Aid, Mental Health First Aid and other training.

    Weekly meetings with ODMH and United Way to design readiness surveys, implementation steps, etc.

    Teri Bell presented EmbraceOKC to OCCHD and Variety Care Sexual Health Educators.

    Ongoing work with buildings implementing Tier II interventions, BISS.

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  • December 2019

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    Teri Bell meeting with community partners to discuss their role in EmbraceOKC.  Meetings with Sunbeam, Northcare, Variety Care and others.

    Designed instrument to gather first semester data on Tier II and II interventions.

    Administered the OPNA survey to 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th graders.

    Ongoing funding, implementation, etc meetings occuring.

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  • November 2019

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    Sean McDaniel, Debbie Hampton and Jessica hawkins presented EmbraceOK and OPNA information at the OSDE EngageOK Administrators Conference.  

    Teri Bell sat on the discussion panel at the Resilience showing, November 2019, at Metro tech.  Discussed EmbraceOKC and ways the district is moving towards identifying students in need of supports and providing those supports.

    Teri Bell met with First Lady Stitt to discuss EmbraceOKC.  Mrs Stitt was very supportive and wants to provide her support in any way possible.

    Attended Dr. Chen's presentation at Count Me in 4Kids on the Hope theory.  Potts Family Foundation arranged one on one meeting with him to discuss Hope in the Embrace plan. 

    Teri Bell met with OSDE's Student Suport Services to discuss Embrace plan. 

    Ongoing meetings with Sean McDaniel, Debbie Hampton, Terri White and ODMH staff to discuss Tier III interventions, Embrace implementation and accountability.

    Grant proposals submitted and funding requests are occurring.

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  • October 2019

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    Teri Bell and Judge Pemberton met to discuss Embrace and Handle with Care.  Discussed ways the Court may get involved in notifying district of students in need of supports.

    OKCPS and a team of community partners, OCPD, Northcare, DHS and ODMHSAS participated in a 3 day workshop, Building a Self Healing Community,  presented by the Potts Family Foundation to discuss next steps and how partners can get involved.  

    Teri Bell spoke at a House Interim Study session on Handle with Care.  Questions regarding Handle with Care and EmbraceOKC.

    Crisis Management Team working on crisis protocls.

    Presented Embrace to Foster Care Task Force.

    Ongoing weekly meetings with Oklahoma Dept of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, ODMHSAS, to discuss Embrace programs and implementation.

    Ongoing work with United Way grant writer on funding opportunities. 

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  • September 2019

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    Ongoing discussion with DHS about partnership.

    EmbraceOKC Data and Reporting Committee developed and schedule of ongoing meetings to develop procedures for funding, financial tracking, data collection and outcome measurements.  

    Presentations regarding Handle with Care was provided at the Association of Chief of Police, State Department of Education and to Norman Public Schools.

    Article in the Oklahoman: Community leaders work to address childhood trauma, psychological distress

    Article Link: https://oklahoman.com/article/5641185/community-leaders-work-to-address-childhood-trauma-psychological-distress

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  • August 2019

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    August 21, 2019, EmbraceOKC reception.

    Fund raising plan, discussions, calls and visits.

    All district Social Workers are re-aligned to Student Support Services.  Social Workers can be assigned an average of 4 buildings each.  OU School of Social Work practicum students reported for 9 month practicum with distict staff.

    Meetings with DHS to discuss partnership between agencies.

    Elementary Counselors are implementing Second step in all elmentary schools.  The plan is to provide weekly in every 1st-4th grade class.

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  • June - July 2019

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    EmbraceOKC presentation to the United Way of Central Oklahoma Women's Leadership Society.

    Meeting with Potts Family Foundation to discuss EmbraceOKC, trauma and involvement.

    Handle with Care presentation in Prague,Ok.

    Review of district crisis protocols.

    Discussion and demo of tele-health.  Possibility of tele-health settings in identified schools to address physical and mental health.

    Expectations and procedures defined for elementary counselors

    Discussions regarding re-organization of district Social Workers.

    Ongoing meetings with potential community partner agencies.

     

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  • May 2019

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    Continued interviews and hiring of new counselor staff.

    Continued meetings with ODMHSAS, United Way of Central OK and OKCPS

    EmbraceOKC presentation to Greater OKC Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee.

    Director of Mental Health hired.  Welcome Dr. Kenneth Elliott.

     

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  • April 2019

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    Handle with Care presentation in Canadian County.

    Meeting with Norman Public Schools and police department to discuss Handle with Care.  Follow up meeting with Norman to discuss the development and implementation of EmbraceOKC.

    Refinement of plan and budget.

    Ongoing training: Mental Health First Aid, trauma, Compassion Fatigue ann Psychological First Aid.

     

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  • March 2019

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    Began process to post and fill all School Counselor positions for 2019-2020 school year.

    Posted the Director of Mental Health position.  The Director will supervise the Elementary Counselors, Social Workers and daily mental health activities.

    Ongoing meetings between Untited Way, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and OKC Public Schools.  

    EmbraceOKC presentation to the Foster Care Task Force.

     

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  • February 2019

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    EmbraceOKC budget presented and approved by the Compact.

    Presentation at the Bridges to Access conference at OUHSC on mental health and how the district is addressing the issues presently and in the future.

    Pathway to Greatness and EmbraceOKC staffing meetings to increase the number of counselors in the district.  Decision made to reduce elementary counselor ratio to 500:1 with a minimum of one counselor per elementary school.  Ratio change resulted in many elementary schools having 1+ counselors per building.

    Ongoing meetings with community agencies on Embrace and involvement.

    EmbraceOKC presentation to United Way of Central Oklahoma agency Directors.

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  • January 2019

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    January 2, 2019 was Professional Development Day in our schools.  The focus of the one day training was mental health.  Leadership teams in each building presented information they had learned in December about the mental health data, the plan, positive expectations and Tier I interventions.    Building Leaders facilitated school discussions regarding school and classroom interventions and next steps.

    Dr. Bell, Paco Balderama and Adrienne Elder presented Handle with Care in Muskogee.  Handle with Care presentations requested on a regular basis across the state.  A representative from Ardmore visited the district to discuss Handle with Care.

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  • December 2018

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    Student Support Service provided one day training during district's Instructional Leadership Team, ILT meeting.  School Principal's and their leadership teams were provided district and school mental health data.  Tier I intervention strategies were discussed and developed.  This training was to prepare school leadership teams to provide the same training in their own buildings on January 2, 2019.

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  • November 2018

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    TFA Community Task force meeting discussed mental health plan and ideas for communication and involvement in the plan.  Dr. Teri Bell attended and is working with staff.

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  • October 2018

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    Dr. Teri Bell presented an overview of the district's mental health data and brief overview of the district plan to principals and district leadership.

    Dr. Teri Bell provided school specific data to building principals during the October Data Summitt.  Principals were provided numerous mental health, academic, attendance, etc data points to identify their three areas of focus for the 18-19 school year. 

    Mental Health First Aid training began for all Counselors, Nurses and Social Workers.  Training scheduled October-February.

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  • September 2018

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    Mental Health Compact meeting to review the plan, budget and implementation of plan.

    September 24th, Commissioner Terry White presented mental health data and plan to the OKCPS School Board.  

    Title IV funding for portions of Mental Health Plan.  Provides funds for portions of FRIENDS and Seond Step.

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  • July - August 2018

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    Mental Health First Aid Train the Trainers:  10 Social Workers, Counselors and Climate Specialist were trained as Mental Health First Aid Trainers

    Student Support Services Resource Symposium:  Training was held for Counselors, Nurses and Social Workers.  Community Partners provided training in physical, mental and emotional health and shared resources.  Symposiu was attended by approximately 200 staff.

    Revised MOU application process, agreement and processes for community mental health partners.  Contact Felecia Jenkins-Polk for details.

    Developed a schedule and began weekly Trauma and Compassion Fatigue training for all staff.

    Developed an implemented new program, Handle with Care, with Oklahoma City Police Department.  OCPD emails district email, handlewithcare@okcps.org to report an incident involving students who may have experienced a traumatic event.  Details are not given to the district involving student.  District staff follows up with student by providing additional support.

     

     

     

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