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State laws governing recreational and medicinal cannabis use are trending toward legalization, which has implications for school social workers and the students, families, and communities they serve. The patchwork of policies and conflicting public opinion sends mixed messages to youth and families who may lack sufficient information regarding risks of adolescent cannabis use. This article will explore topics relevant to legalization of cannabis including medical versus recreational use, racial overtones in marijuana policy, effects on student cognitive development and mental health, child welfare involvement, disparities in school discipline, criminal record expungement, and school-based cannabis prevention programs. The article will conclude with a summary of recommendations for schools. This article is a product of the research conducted by the Health Education and Leadership Scholars planning team at the University of Illinois for a policy-practice conference that was cancelled due to COVID-19.

Introduction: Maternal mental health problems, such as perinatal depression, are a major public health issue. In the U.S., several states have policies related to mental health during pregnancy and postpartum. The extent of these laws at the state level needs to be further explored and described. Methods: We systematically searched the Illinois General Assembly to determine all existing legislation on the topic of perinatal mental health. Results: This search uncovered two major Acts that 1) require universal perinatal depression screening and 2) raise awareness of the symptoms and treatment options related to maternal mental health. We also discovered provisions in the law that allow for untreated or undiagnosed postpartum depression or psychosis to be considered as a mitigating factor for women who commit forcible felonies. Discussion: Through legislation, states can lead change at the systems-level to improve perinatal mental health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the necessity of addressing the root causes of school shootings and the imperative for stricter gun control measures. Topics include the January 4, 2024, school shooting in Perry, Iowa, where a student shot and killed multiple people before taking his own life; the psychological impact of bullying on the shooter; and the political responses emphasizing mental health services and security over gun control legislation.

There is no well-established way of identifying and preventing school shootings before they happen. However, there do appear to be some commonalities among those individuals who perpetrate school shootings. This article will look at the prevalence of school shootings in the United States and at certain factors that influence these shootings, including contagion, media, and the characteristics of schools and school shooters. We will examine real-life cases of infamous school shootings and discuss some common characteristics that school shooters seem to share such as isolation, mental illness, behavioral problems, and expressions of violence. We will then provide suggestions for prevention, intervention, and postvention actions that school social workers can take to improve the school environment and reduce school shootings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article delves into a mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, during a Fourth of July parade, detailing the shooter's background and the events leading up to the tragedy. Topics include the shooter's troubled past, signs of mental health issues, and the urgent need for gun control legislation highlighted by the incident.

Bullying toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youths is a pervasive problem in schools that has negative impacts on LGBTQ students' mental health and educational outcomes. School social workers need to understand the prevalence and dynamics of bullying toward LGBTQ students to respond appropriately to victims and bullies, address school climate issues, and implement preventive and responsive interventions. School social workers can take a number of steps to improve the school environment and assist LGBTQ students to make schools a safer place for them to learn.

"Safe haven" laws are designed to protect infants from being killed or otherwise harmed. This article examines the safe haven laws from the states that comprise the Midwest School Social Work Council and the variations between these laws regarding the age of the infant, where the infant can be left, who is allowed to leave the infant, whether there is immunity for parents from prosecution or civil proceedings, whether there is immunity for providers, and what type of information is provided to the parent or public. It then looks at why teenagers who become pregnant may abandon or harm their infants. Finally, it discusses the roles that social workers might take to assist pregnant teenagers in planning about their babies and prevent them from abandoning their infants. (Contains 1 table.)

The article offers information on a recent lawsuit involving names and preferred pronoun usage. Topics include a middle school teacher, Vivian Geraghty, suing her school district for allegedly being forced to resign due to her religious beliefs, the specifics of the federal lawsuit filed by Geraghty in December 2022 against the Jackson Local School District in Massillon, Ohio, and the detailed allegations against four defendants.

Recent changes in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provide that children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) can receive services under the "other health impairments" category. This article reports on complaints filed by parents against school districts about educational services for children with mild to moderate AD/HD, under IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. On the basis of those findings, the authors analyze the significance of the prevalent problems in the schools for children with AD/HD and the school social worker's role in addressing those problems. They suggest how social workers can improve and sustain educational services and policies for children with AD/HD and other disabilities.

Article provides information regarding amended Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the impact of those changes on children's education rights. Some changes and practice implications discussed include expansion of categories of children with disabilities; new requirements for mobile, homeless, or culturally diverse populations and participants in individualized education program process; and payment of private school placements for children with disabilities. (Contains 19 references and 2 tables.) (ADT)

The article offers information on the lawsuits and legal proceedings following the Oxford High School shooting on November 30, 2021. Topics include the lawsuits filed by parents of affected students against school personnel for alleged negligence, the criminal and civil charges against the shooter's parents for their role in making the gun available and ignoring their son's troubling behavior, and the details of another tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

College officials indicate that the number of students with serious mental illnesses has risen significantly. Recent media attention surrounding several high profile suicides has opened discussion of mental illness on campus. The authors summarize literature on college students and mental illness, including barriers to service receipt. Recommendations to improve campus-based responses to serious mental illness are presented on the basis of well-accepted service principles. Keywords: serious mental illness, psychiatric disability, higher education services

The article offers information on the Oxford High School shooting that took place on November 30, 2021. Topics include the specific actions and warning signs related to the shooter, Ethan Crumbly, the scrutiny of Ethan's parents' actions prior to and on the day of the shooting, and the examination of the school district employees' responses to Ethan's concerning behavior.

This article examines reported appellate cases from various jurisdictions in which battered mothers did not abuse their children but were penalized for their partners' abusive conduct in light of the underlying dynamics of domestic violence. It presents recommendations for increased collaboration, cooperation, and understanding between those who work with persons who are experiencing domestic violence and those who work with abused children. The authors contend that the civil and criminal penalization of nonabusive mothers, for failing to protect their children adds legal insult to the physical injuries they have already suffered.

This article examines Illinois Senate Bill 2071, which has sparked a debate regarding the qualifications of school social workers. The bill proposes allowing licensed social workers with a master's degree to work in schools without the specialized education and training required for school social work. The National Association of Social Workers- Illinois Chapter supports the bill, citing financial benefits and increased diversity. However, the Illinois Association of School Social Workers opposes the bill, emphasizing the importance of specialized skills and knowledge for effective work with children and families in schools. The article discusses the necessary skills and knowledge for successful practice as a school social worker, including understanding educational policies and laws that impact diverse students. It also highlights the opposition to Senate Bill 2071, which seeks to lower professional standards, and emphasizes the ethical value of competence in the field. [Extracted from the article]

The 1980 Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act discourages unnecessary placement of children in foster homes, and advocates children's return to their biological parents whenever possible. In Suter v. Artist M. (1992), the Supreme Court ruled that private individuals could not enforce the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act. This ruling will profoundly affect child welfare issues.

In 1974, in a landmark case, Tarasoff v. Regents of University of California, a court for the first time imposed liability on a mental health professional for failing to protect a victim from the violent acts of a client. Tarasoff and the case law and statutes that have followed have raised a number of legal, ethical, and practical questions for social workers. Among the most important questions are whether social workers have a duty to protect third parties and, if so, how best to discharge this duty. We address these questions in an analysis of the law and the ethical and practical issues facing social workers whose clients may pose a threat to others.

The article discusses the editor's perspective on the COVID-19 pandemic and racism as two forms of illness that have affected society. The editor expresses hope that the election of Joe Biden as President of the United States will lead to improvements in both areas. The development of vaccines against COVID-19 is seen as a positive step towards disease prevention and a return to normalcy. President Biden's commitment to racial justice and diversity in his administration is also highlighted. The editor emphasizes the importance of civility, respect, and acceptance of diversity in society. [Extracted from the article]

The article offers information on the investigative report "The Quiet Rooms" about the use of seclusion and isolation in Illinois public schools. Topics include the collection of data on seclusion incidents through FOIA requests, the creation of a database documenting over 20,000 incidents of seclusion, and the misuse of seclusion practices by schools contrary to Illinois law.

The court cases that successfully challenged policies of child welfare agencies resulting in children's placement into substitute care or in failure to reunite children with their families for 'reasons of poverty' are examined. Analysis indicates that child welfare agencies have removed children from their homes and have failed to reunite children with their families for 'reasons of poverty'.

The article offers information on the separation of children with disabilities from their nondisabled peers in educational settings. Topics include the federal government's policy of separating children from their families at the U.S. border, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit's ruling on the importance of mainstreaming students with disabilities in the case of L.H. v. Hamilton County Department of Education, and the implications of this ruling for school social workers.

The article offers information on the role of Title IX in educational settings and the obligations of school social workers in preventing sex-based discrimination. Topics include the prohibition of sex discrimination in federally funded educational programs, the reactions to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' announcement of rescinding Obama-era Title IX changes, and the proposed regulations for handling sexual assault complaints under Title IX.

This article, titled "2020: The Pandemic and the Sickness," discusses the impact of COVID-19 and racism on society. The author, Sandra Kopels, highlights the challenges faced by students and their families in terms of education and safety during the pandemic. Additionally, the article addresses the issue of racism and the Black Lives Matter movement, emphasizing the importance of valuing all individuals and promoting social justice. The author expresses a sense of helplessness in the face of these phenomena but encourages readers to stay safe, healthy, and respectful towards one another. [Extracted from the article]

The article looks at changes in the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics that focus on the increasing use of technology in social work and its implications on ethical social work practice. It mentions that technology assisted social work service involves use of social media and computer programs.

The author provides a brief overview of the steps that elementary and secondary schools must take to ensure that they meet their Title IX responsibilities and reminds school social workers to advocate for children to ensure that they are not of the disadvantaged due to school inaction. Topics include the announcement made by U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on September 22, 2017, unique skills possessed by school social workers and the requirements for school districts.

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including school social work, students' behavior and mental health services.

The article offers information on the 46th annual conference of the Illinois Association of School Social Workers (IASSW) held in Illinois in 2016. Topics include the need for school social workers to evaluate and assess students' needs, techniques that social workers could use when working with students such as motivational interviewing and dialectical behavior therapy, and the growing number of special students who work with social workers.

An obituary for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is presented who died on February 13, 2016 at the age of seventy-nine.

The role of the school social worker has changed significantly since its beginning as the liaison between schools and immigrant children in settlement houses. Today, school social work roles have significantly expanded to keep pace with the problems commonly found in schools. The literature written for the field of school social work reflects the complexity of social problems that school social workers face in their professional practice. A quandary for school social workers is how to balance competing demands for information about students while trying to respect their privacy and maintain confidentiality. This article reviews the NASW Code of Ethics, position statements of professional school social work organizations, and scholarly literature to provide guidance for school social workers in maintaining student confidentiality. Because scant attention has been paid to legal issues and their impact on confidentiality, this article discusses factors such as the duty to warn, the imminence of harm, the age of the child, and who the school social worker's client is. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managed care's influence on health care is enormous. Social workers in medical and mental health settings spend increasing amounts of time dealing with client issues that result from managed care decisions. We first provide a brief overview on the impact of managed care decisions on access to quality and appropriate medical care. Next, we present the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Aetna Health Inc. vs. Davila (2004) and its impact on consumers' access to appropriate health care. Finally, we discuss the implications of this case for social work practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]