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Speaker Bio

Cara McGlynn, MSW, LICSW

Lead School Social Worker, NEMetro 916 ISD

Cara McGlynn, MSW, LICSW, (she/her) is the Lead School Social Worker for Northeast Metro 916, serving as a district-wide School Social Worker, member of the 916 Consultation Team, and the McKinney-Vento/Foster Connections/Migrant Student Liaison. She is a board member for the Minnesota School Social Work Association and a content expert in Trauma-Informed Practices for the National Institute for Magnet School Leadership (NIMSL). Recognized as Social Work Supervisor of the Year by the National Association of Social Work-MN, Cara coaches her team on an embedded model of Restorative Practices, Trauma Awareness, and Social Emotional Learning to promote Educational Equity. She specializes in youth mental health, trauma-informed practices, special education, restorative practices, and crisis intervention.

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Breakout 1C

Rethinking Screening:
Aligning Mental Health Supports with Capacity

Sonya Kuznetsov Duffy & Cara McGlynn

Have you hesitated to implement universal behavioral and emotional screening due to concerns about limited staff capacity for Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions? You are not alone. Many districts recognize the value of early identification but struggle with the practical realities of implementation. This session presents a practical, equity-centered framework for aligning screening with existing staff capacity using serviceable base rates. Grounded in MTSS and implementation science, participants will explore system readiness, strengthen Tier 1 supports, prioritize interventions, and use screening data effectively across school, classroom, and individual levels. Drawing on Northeast Metro 916’s implementation journey, attendees will leave with practical tools and actionable strategies to build sustainable, responsive school mental health systems without overwhelming staff capacity.

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Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify common barriers to universal screening & explain its role in early identification within MTSS.

  2. Apply equity-centered practices to reduce bias and improve culturally responsive identification and intervention planning.

  3. Use serviceable base rates to align Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports with student need and assess system readiness.

  4. Apply tools, data protocols, and implementation strategies to strengthen sustainable screening systems at multiple levels.

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CEUs: 1.5 BOSW Clinical

Breakout 3A

Threat Assessment Through a Special Education Lens: Integrating Research, Differentiation, and Action

Cara McGlynn

Learning Objectives:

  1. Examine current research related to school violence threat assessment, including risk factors, protective factors, and considerations specific to students receiving special education services.

  2. Apply a differentiated procedure for school violence threat assessment and crisis assessment, with attention to considerations for students with disabilities.

  3. Develop proactive, responsive, and reintegration strategies that mitigate harm, strengthen protective factors, and support effective school-based intervention planning.

 

 

CEUs: 1 BOSW Clinical

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