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<p class="MsoNormal">Good morning. I wanted to send out the SSWAA membership and SSWAA national certification scholarship links that were mentioned in the recent DOE newsroom release. For those who have not seen the newsroom release, it has been included:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:.25in;background:white"><span style="color:#1E1E1E">The Maine Department of Education (DOE) recognizes the importance of supporting student mental health. Data from the U.S Center for Disease Control and the Maine Integrated
Youth Health Survey reflect increased student mental health needs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:.25in;background:white"><span style="color:#1E1E1E">In 2023, Maine DOE received a five-year Expanding Access in School Environments (EASE) grant to increase school-based mental health staff and services in Maine schools.
The Maine DOE will spend the next year providing opportunities to the current workforce of school counselors and school social workers to build upon their expertise and to promote evidence-based practices in Maine schools. This emphasis on school-based mental
health workforce development strengthens the quality of mental health services in schools.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:.25in;background:white"><span style="color:#1E1E1E">The following scholarship opportunities are being presented to school social workers working in Maine schools:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:51.0pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#1E1E1E"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="color:#1E1E1E">With the goal of increasing the number of school social workers benefiting from access to their professional communities, Maine school social workers (up to 31) will be given scholarship opportunities
to obtain full membership in the School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA). This membership opportunity will connect Maine school social workers with their professional community, providing access to additional professional networking, training, evidence-based
practice resources, and research. Eligible members will also be able to pursue advanced national certification through the SSWAA National Certified School Social Work process. Once the application is created, it will be distributed through a Maine DOE school-based
mental health listserv.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:51.0pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#1E1E1E"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="color:#1E1E1E">With the goal of increasing the number of nationally certified school social workers (SSWAA) supporting Maine schools, the Maine DOE will provide scholarships to qualified school social workers (up
to 10) to participate in the SSWAA National Certified School Social Work process. This advanced national certification process requires applicants to link their school practices with the national school social work practice model. This funding support may
result in a 1000% increase in National Certified School Social Workers in Maine schools and place Maine among the national leaders in national school social work certification. Once the application is created, it will be distributed through a Maine DOE school-based
mental health listserv.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:.25in;background:white"><span style="color:#1E1E1E">To be eligible for these opportunities, school social workers must meet the eligibility requirements for each individual activity, be employed as a school social worker
in a Maine school and hold a valid social work license from the Maine Social Work Licensing Board.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:.25in;background:white"><span style="color:#1E1E1E">The link for the
<b>SSWAA membership</b> application is:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=q6g_QX0gYkubzeoajy-GTtb2bwdvwgJNg_AMNBrts39UNDZGRFdSSFlHNDRLSDk1M05QVDRKVUdWVC4u">https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=q6g_QX0gYkubzeoajy-GTtb2bwdvwgJNg_AMNBrts39UNDZGRFdSSFlHNDRLSDk1M05QVDRKVUdWVC4u</a><br clear="all">
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:.25in;background:white"><span style="color:#1E1E1E">To be eligible for the SSWAA national certification process, an applicant must meet the following requirements:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:.25in;background:white"><span style="color:black"><img border="0" width="959" height="470" style="width:9.9916in;height:4.9in" id="Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:image001.png@01DA5D9A.8C228430"></span><span style="color:#1E1E1E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:.25in;background:white"><span style="color:#1E1E1E">The link for
<b>SSWAA national certification</b> is here:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:.25in;background:white"><span style="color:#1E1E1E"><a href="https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=q6g_QX0gYkubzeoajy-GTtb2bwdvwgJNg_AMNBrts39UMlhSUzBKSkxDQlc5Ulc2WE9QN1hLQ1MwSC4u">https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=q6g_QX0gYkubzeoajy-GTtb2bwdvwgJNg_AMNBrts39UMlhSUzBKSkxDQlc5Ulc2WE9QN1hLQ1MwSC4u</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Ken Rautiola, LCSW, NCSSW (he/him)</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Mental Health Distinguished Educator</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Office of School and Student Supports</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Maine Department of Education</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">23 State House Station</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Augusta, Maine 04333-0023</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><br>
</span><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Email</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">: <a href="mailto:kenneth.a.rautiola@maine.gov"><span style="color:blue">kenneth.a.rautiola@maine.gov</span></a>
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><br>
</span><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Phone</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">: (207)441-4754<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="color:black"><a href="http://www.maine.gov/doe" target="_blank" title="Original URL: http://www.maine.gov/doe. Click or tap if you trust this link."><span style="color:#0070C0">Maine DOE</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#242424;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"> | </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#242424;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MaineDepartmentofEducation1/" target="_blank" title="Original URL: https://www.facebook.com/MaineDepartmentofEducation1/. Click or tap if you trust this link."><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">Facebook</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#242424;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"> | </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#242424;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><a href="https://twitter.com/mdoenews" target="_blank" title="Original URL: https://twitter.com/mdoenews. Click or tap if you trust this link."><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">Twitter</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#242424;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"> | </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#242424;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/mainedepted/?hl=en" target="_blank" title="Original URL: https://www.instagram.com/mainedepted/?hl=en. Click or tap if you trust this link."><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">Instagram</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#242424;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"> | </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#242424;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><a href="https://mainedoenews.net/" target="_blank" title="Original URL: https://mainedoenews.net/. Click or tap if you trust this link."><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">Maine
DOE Newsroom</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#242424;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"> | </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#0070C0;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><a href="https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/safeschools/healthed/nurseresources/guidelines" target="_blank" title="Original URL: https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/safeschools/healthed/nurseresources/guidelines. Click or tap if you trust this link."><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0C64C0">School
Health Services</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#242424;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><br>
</span><span style="color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><img border="0" width="192" height="70" style="width:2.0in;height:.725in" id="imageSelected0" src="cid:image002.png@01DA5D9A.8C228430"></span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">
<img border="0" width="90" height="76" style="width:.9416in;height:.7916in" id="imageSelected1" src="cid:image003.png@01DA5D9A.8C228430"></span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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