School Safety 2.0: Supporting Gender Diversity and Mitigating Youth Suicide Risk

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Presented by Todd A. Savage, Ph.D., NCSP.    Professor in the school psychology program at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls (UWRF); former president of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). Dr. Savage earned his doctorate from the University of Kentucky in 2002 and prior to his current position at UWRF, he was on faculty in the school psychology program at New Mexico State University. Dr. Savage’s scholarly research interests include LGBTQ+ issues in education with an emphasis in gender diversity; culturally-responsive practice; social justice matters; and school safety and crisis prevention, preparedness, and intervention.

Description: 

The purpose of this session is to provide the participant with increased awareness and knowledge about gender diversity and schools; family matters about raising a gender diverse child and navigating the education system in this regard; and legal and ethical considerations that apply. Specific strategies participants can employ to support gender diverse students within a Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework will be highlighted.

Many students experience significant life stressors, trauma, and/or mental health issues that may lead some to contemplate suicide to deal with these matters. Schools, as places in which the majority of youths spend significant amounts of time, are natural settings to address student mental health. Additionally, guidance from the U.S. Department of Education has indicated schools should address mitigation of known risk in their school safety and crisis initiatives. As such, school psychologists not only play an integral role on the multidisciplinary teams engaged in this type of work, they often lead the charge. Therefore, it is imperative school psychologists are up-to-date both in terms of their knowledge of the process and their skills to lead and to conduct the process, and what to do in follow-up to the results obtained through this process.

Objectives:  

• To enhance participants’ awareness of gender identity and gender diversity matters in schools from multiple perspectives.

• To introduce tools and resources participants can use not only to assess a system’s readiness to accommodate gender diverse students but to determine the support and transition needs of individual gender diverse youth.

• To highlight strategies within an MTSS framework participants can employ to support transgender and gender diverse students and to improve school climates as they pertain to gender diversity.

• To increase participant awareness of a school-based suicide risk education and assessment initiative and how it fits within a comprehensive approach to school safety.

• To enhance participant knowledge of processes and models of school-based suicide education and risk assessment.

• To augment participant school-based suicide education and risk assessment skills; and provide resources for continued learning and that can be applied in practice.

Schedule:  

8:00-8:30 Registration (continental breakfast included)

8:30-12:00 Morning Session (Break mid-morning) 

12:00 – 1:00 Lunch (included)

1:00 to 4:00 Afternoon Session (Break mid-afternoon)

Continuing Professional Development Credits for VT Licensed Psychologists & VT School Psychologists: 6 CPDs for Category I for VT Practicing Psychologists. Submit for approval.  6 CPDs hours for School Psychologists, & Nationally  Certified School Psychologists.