Diversity Dialogue: Spotlight on School Psychology Innovators

What Do Culturally Diverse Parents Prefer? Diversity Dialogue: Spotlight on School Psychology Innovators Ernesto R. Barnabas, Jr., M. Ed. Patricia H. Manz, Ph.D. Lehigh University

Agenda • Background in diversity • Professional experiences in diversity • Specific research interests in diversity • Independent research in diversity • Future research and clinical interests in diversity

Background

Brief summary: Hopelessness • Exclusion • High aggression • Bullying, violence, gang activity • Pervasive academic failure

Background

Brief Summary: There is hope! • Cooperation • Low aggression • Differential Academic Problems • Some problems, not failure

Professional Experiences • Lehigh University Coursework & Practica • Provision of psychological services with low-income and ethnic minority families • Lehigh University (Bethlehem, PA) • Upper Darby School District (Upper Darby, PA) • Sacred Heart Hospital (Allentown, PA) • Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP; Philadelphia, PA)

Professional Experiences • Community Partnership research • Provision of psychological services with low-income and ethnic minority families • Lehigh University Research Projects • Systems-level prevention research • Provision of psychological services with low-income and ethnic minority families, schools, & communities • Devereux Center for Effective Schools (CES) • Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)

Professional Experiences • Continuous work towards cultural competency • Improved Spanish language skills • Intensive work with families of diverse origin across multiple urban settings • African-American • Latino, recent immigrant, & ELL/LEP • Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Peru, Ecuador, El Salvador

Specific research interests: Systems-level prevention science • Develop behavioral, social, emotional, and academic competence among low-income and ethnic minority families with or at-risk for developing chronic health problems • Prevention of community, school, family, and individual health risk factors affecting antisocial behaviors and related health sequelae (e.g., violence, drug abuse, and crime). • Competence and health promotion through partnership research, multi-systemic assessment and intervention, coursework and continuing education across pediatric and school psychology, and extracurricular community activities to promote resilience among “at-risk” populations

Independent Research • Partnership-based research • Family, school, and social work systems • Identify low-income and ethnic minority families’ preferences toward fundamental components of Behavioral Parent Training (BPT) programs. • Evidence-based practice • Effectively reduce challenging behaviors • Preventing at-risk children from developing clinical levels of the antisocial behaviors • Prevent the development of emotional and behavioral disorders (EB/D).

Independent Research • Despite supporting evidence, BPT programs have had low participation levels among caregivers from diverse, urban communities. • 1) What specific components of PMT are the most preferred for primary caregivers from low-income and ethnic minority cultures? • 2) What specific components of PMT are the least preferred for primary caregivers from low-income and ethnic minority cultures? • 3) Do the specific components identified from questions 1 and 2 significantly differ between African-American and Hispanic-American families?

Independent Research • Partnership-based process of co-development and evaluation • Pilot study to co-develop final Q-sort measure • Quantitative and qualitative feedback to finalize measure • Subjective perspective of specific population / “target market” • 50 participants • 10 in the pilot study development • 40 in the final measure

Independent Research • Partner with Head Start to provide family-based workshops • Community providers of child and family services • Satisfy needs of families & service workers • Participation described and encouraged by family service workers

Independent Research • Results • 3 Preferences for BPT Programs • Active-Responsive Preferences • MORE praise, attention, and home-based rewards • LESS child development, accessing community resources for family services, and the relationship between culture and parenting style

Independent Research • Results • 3 Preferences for Parenting Programs • No-Nonsense Preferences • MORE improving parent-child attachment, setting appropriate limits, and preparing children for school and life in the future • LESS planned ignoring, avoiding physical punishment, and accessing community resources for family services

Independent Research • Results • 3 Preferences for Parenting Programs • Passive-Permissive Preferences • MORE avoiding physical punishment, learning about child development, and preparing children for the future in school and life • LESS setting appropriate limits, using home-based rewards, and using time out procedures correctly

Independent Research • Results • One size does not fit all • Variance is always greater within groups than between groups • Innovative and effective approach for creating culturally relevant interventions in the future • Potential Screening Measure • Individualize BPT Instruction toward the specific needs of the parents • Using programming preference factors

Independent Research • Results • 2007 National Association of School Psychologists “Graduate Student Research Award” • Future of School Psychology priorities: • Improving social-emotional functioning for all children • Increasing child and family services in schools that promote health and mental health and are integrated with community services • Enhancing family-school partnerships and parent involvement in schools

Throwing the baby out with the bathwater?

Future Interests • Using marketing research to co-develop BPT programs • Better fit for the needs of a variety of diverse families • Applying same marketing research to co-develop other existing, evidence-based “standard protocol” interventions • Better fit the specific needs of diverse populations

Future Interests • School-family-community partnerships • Research Institution Partnerships • Universities / hospitals • Additional funding avenues • Advanced graduate practicum students in school psychology, pediatric psychology, clinical psychology, and clinical social work • Other related resources

Future Interests • School-family-community partnerships • School Partnerships • School consultation • School-Wide Positive Behavior Support • Tier 1-3 Standard Protocol Interventions • Response to Intervention and Instruction • Tier 1-3 Standard Protocol Interventions

Future Interests • School-family-community partnerships • Family Partnerships • Family-based community agency partnership to co-develop after school care • Additional Tier 2 & Tier 3 Child & Family Supports

My Dream . . . Academic Systems Consultation Behavioral Systems Consultation Family Co-Development • Intensive, Individual Interventions • Individual Students • High intensity assessment & • intervention • School FBA & BIP • Family CenterParent + Student • standard protocol & problem solving • Intensive, Individual Interventions • Individual Students • High intensity assessment & intervention • School increased standard protocol (time, size, days.) • Family CenterAcademic + Family Homework standard • protocol & problem solving 1-5% 1-5% 5-10% • Targeted Group Interventions • Some students (at-risk) • Standard Protocol Reading and Math • Remediation programs • Develop basic math / skills (Big Ideas) • Build academic strategies (SRSD) • Family Centerremedial intervention informed • by school progress monitoring data • Targeted Interventions • Some students (at-risk) • Standard Protocol Mental Health • Prevention Programs • Build coping skills and competence • Reduce disruptive and aggressive, • antisocial behaviors • Reduce internalizing behaviors • interfering w/ functioning • Family Centergroup behavioral • intervention supporting school-based • intervention programming 5-10% • Universal Interventions • RtII & Research-based core • curriculum • Preventive, proactive, • engaging instruction • Benchmark data collect- • ion system • Progress monitoring data • collection system • RtII Core Team with • regular meetings • RtII Grade-Level Team with • regular meetings 80-90% • Universal Interventions • SWPBS • Recognition System for • pro-social behavior • Consequence system for • antisocial behaviors • Data Collection System • Leadership Team with • regular meetings 80-90%

Thank you!ebarnabas@lehigh.edu

Diversity Dialogue: Spotlight on School Psychology Innovators