Jim McCauley, a licensed independent clinical social worker and co-founder and senior consultant of Riverside Community Care, presents during Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth’s seminar, “Best Practices for Student Re-Entry After Hospitalization.” (Photo Courtesy Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth)
WAKEFIELD — Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth (MPY) hosted an in-person professional development seminar, “Best Practices for Student Re-Entry After Hospitalization,” on March 3 at Assabet Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School in Marlborough.
Jim McCauley, a licensed independent clinical social worker (LICSW) and co-founder and senior consultant of Riverside Community Care, led teachers, support staff and school administrators through the trauma-informed training. McCauley reviewed core elements and considerations in planning for a student’s return to school after hospitalization, a process that can be overwhelming and anxiety-inducing for high-risk students.
Participants learned how to build safe and collaborative re-entry plans for students, review safety plans with students and families as a collaborative step toward suicide prevention and engage faculty and staff in suicide awareness and prevention best practices.
For over 20 years, McCauley has provided mental health support for schools, workplaces and communities affected by traumatic events. He co-founded Riverside Community Care, a community-based nonprofit organization and leading provider of mental health care, early childhood and youth programs, suicide education, trauma response and more. McCauley has presented on suicide education at statewide, national and international conferences. He previously managed outpatient mental health clinics and programs for children.
Participants applauded the training for its trauma-informed approach and focus on collaboration.
“I wanted to pass along my thanks for the great work that MPY is doing. The re-entry after hospitalization presentation is one of the best I’ve seen in a long time,” said Christine Simcoe, LICSW and School Adjustment Counselor at Marshfield High School. “As a school social worker, it is so helpful to revisit key topics with a new and evidence-based lens. I feel like my participation today will directly impact my work and lead to some important conversations amongst my colleagues!”
“Today’s seminar highlighted the crucial aspects of supporting the well-being of both students and parents after a hospitalization,” said Jami Dion, Director of Guidance, Counseling and Student Support Services at Haverhill Public Schools. “It reinforced the importance of implementing informed, collaborative, and compassionate support systems within our district. Jim McCauley, the presenter, brought extensive expertise to the discussion; to demonstrate how collaborative safety planning can be the foundation for both suicide prevention and a supportive and trauma-informed re-entry meeting. The insights I gained from this seminar will be invaluable in enhancing our ongoing discussions within our district around core practices in this critical area.”
About the Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc.
Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides training, fosters collaboration and develops programming to increase the health and safety of students. MPY is committed to bringing cutting-edge information and high-quality trainings to constituents and endeavors to provide solution-oriented, community-based, multi-disciplinary approaches to reducing and ideally eliminating risky behaviors for youth. MPY programming reaches nearly 6,000 educators per year in Massachusetts, spread across approximately 300 districts, with more than 190 webinars and over a dozen conferences and seminars.
Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth is governed by a Board of Directors made up of school superintendents, police and fire chiefs, and other community leaders who work closely with MPY staff to deliver this mission. To learn more, visit: massachusettspartnershipsforyouth.com.
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Attendees listen to a presentation during Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth’s seminar, “Best Practices for Student Re-Entry After Hospitalization.” (Photo Courtesy Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth)
