Coffee with the Exec
November 19 | Sharon Hill | 8am
December 4 | Chester Twp Regional | 8am
Film Screening: Intelligent Lives
December 4 | 6-8 PM | DCIU Morton
Creating Agreement in Special Ed: Conflict Resolution for Parents and Educators
December 3 | 1-4 PM (Educators); 6-9 PM (Parents) | DCIU Morton
Career and Education Fair
November 18 | 4:30-6:30 PM | DCIU Morton
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Reminder: The Food Drive will continue collecting items until December 5! Drop off your donated items in the lobbies of Morton, Marple, Aston, Sharon Hill, Folcroft, Madison, Chester Township and TCA.
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Spotlight: Trauma Informed Care
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Last year, DCIU was awarded a STOP the Violence Grant and has been focusing on using those funds on Trauma Informed Care training and professional development opportunities.
In October, the National Council was in Delaware County for the week training over two dozen new Youth Mental Health First Aid trainers.
The instructors that became certified join the ranks of over 19,000 Mental Health First Aid instructors. MHFA is a national movement that is changing how Americans understand mental health and addiction. The new instructors are an integral part of achieving our goal of two million first aiders in the United States.
Various school districts were represented as well as staff from the office of behavioral health.
Additionally, the STOP Grant will allow DCIU to provide more Trauma-Informed Care training programs for educators later in the school year.
Research shows that 67% of the population has experienced at least one Adverse Childhood Experience. These trauma-based adversities are predictive of a multitude of toxic physical, mental, and social outcomes throughout a person's lifetime. Ensuring our educators are best prepared to work with students that may be experiencing trauma is a top priority for DCIU. Be on the look out for Trauma-Informed Care workshops in Spring 2020!
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A Message from the Executive Director
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Greetings!
It is hard to believe the holidays are just around the corner. This fall season has been filled with various workshops and events both led by and attended by DCIU staff working towards growing as leaders and innovators. This month, we look forward to American Education Week, an opportunity to focus on the brilliant educators and students we work with every day. I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!
Maria Edelberg, Ed.D.
Executive Director, DCIU
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Safe Schools Summit
On October 22, the District Attorney's office held a Safe Schools Summit at Neumann University. DCIU Staff attended the Summit and heard from speakers all over the country that have overcome obstacles related to mental health, school violence, and student trauma. DCIU's very own Dr. Terri Erbacher presented at the Summit and
discussed the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG). This evidence-based model helps prepare schools to assess the risk of school violence and effectively intervene with at-risk students. Dr. Erbacher also discussed new state requirements for schools to have threat assessment teams, as well as suicide risk assessment and intervention.
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Delaware County Youth Career Conference
On October 29, DCIU and the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation facilitated the Delaware County Youth Career Conference. Students that receive special education were offered the opportunity to spend the day developing their employment skills through various exercises.
One very useful exercise was the mock interview. Students learned how to sell their skills to employers and best practices for communicating in a job interview. Prior to the conference, students were encouraged to "dress for success" so they would feel their best during the exercises. Many students found the opportunity unique and helpful as they begin to think about their futures.
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Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Pre-K Counts classrooms based at Southeast-Delco Kindergarten Center wore pink on Friday, October 18 for Breast Cancer Awareness!
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Apprenticeship Fair
On October 26, DCIU partnered with the office of Senator Tim Kearney and the Delaware County AFL-CIO to host an Apprenticeship Fair at Marple Education Center. The fair featured over a dozen local organizations that offer trades and labor programs, including Delaware County Technical High School. The goal of the fair was to provide information to students from grades 8-12 on alternative career options after high school. School administrators and teachers were also invited to attend in order to learn more about local opportunities for their students.
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Supervisor Training
On October 11, Student Services held a Supervisors’ Training for staff. Supervisors participated in all different types of activities and even took advantage of the OPTIONS market cart! Student Services also worked with Professional Development staff to discuss progress monitoring as well as other group exercises.
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Welcome to the newest staff members at DCIU!
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- Charlene Briscoe, Early Head Start/Head Start
- Kristen Liberati, Family Center, Project ELECT
- Candace McCoy, CIPL
- Crystal Miranda, Early Head Start/Head Start
- Holly Short, Student Services
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- Kiila Mitchell, Early Head Start/Head Start
- Liz Naylor, Student Services
- Zhane Powell, Early Head Start/Head Start
- Shakeera Shockley, Early Head Start/Head Start
- Danielle Colon, Early Intervention
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