This is a recording of, “Session 3 of October Rising Practices Series - Interrupting Bullying & Fostering Belonging for the School Mental Health Workforce,” on October 26, 2023.

In our final session in this three-part series, Region 9 School Mental Health Field Director Leora Wolf-Prusan moderated a panel discussion that offered learnings about the power of bias reduction curricula in elementary schools, and the ways in which school district and county systems can shift internal cultures to be welcoming drivers of equitable compassion. Among other themes, the session uplifted new practices of how to respond to and interrupt xenophobia and anti-immigrant hate in our classrooms. 

This workshop recording features guest speakers including Drs. Carrie Langner and Linda Lee with California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Dr. Carolyn Sattin-Bajaj with the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Santa Barbara and Valerie White, LCSW, M.Ed, a licensed clinical social worker and founder of Magical Minds. 

The session's guiding questions were:

• What might the school mental health workforce need to know about the difference and similarities between abuse, harassment, and bullying in k-12 contexts?
• What might be new or pressing phenomena related to bullying (e.g., anti-LGBTQIA+ bullying or the intersection of bullying and suicidality) for which we need to raise awareness?
• What challenges do we foresee at the workforce level, and what training, resources, or other support would help resolve these challenges?
• What might be some rising practices, policies and successful strategies for anti-bullying policies and practices?

This session was designed school administration, site and systems leaders, school social workers, school counselors, school psychologists, educators, instructional coaches, school climate personnel, after school program providers, child advocates, and whoever else is interested!