SPHP 219

Lecturer: Sean Green

Team Dynamics

Team (Definition)-A collection of individuals working together towards a common goal or purpose.

Dynamics (Definition) - The social, intellectual, or moral forces that produce activity and change in a given sphere.

Spheres (settings) – Hospitals, Skilled Nursing Facilities, Private Practice,

Educational Setting (pre-k, Elementary, Middle School,

High School).

Keys to successful Team Dynamics

  1. Clarity
  2. Clearly
  3. Healthy
  4. Ground

1. Clarity of Purpose and a common goal

  1. Within each one of these settings, there is a common goal.
  2. Hospital, Skilled Nursing facility
  1. Private practice
  2. Educational setting

2. Clearly Defined Roles and Responsibilities

Team Members

  1. Medical setting. (Hospitals, Skilled Nursing Facilities)
  2. Doctors, nursing staff, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Radiologists, X-Ray techs, food service workers, patients and family members.
  1. Private practice
  2. Client and family members
  1. Educational Setting
  2. Student
  3. Family/Guardian
  4. Advocate/Lawyer
  5. Principal/Vice Principal (Administrator)
  6. School Secretary/Office assistants
  7. Psychologist (responsible for testing cognitive abilities, MR).
  8. Program Specialist (Responsible for setting up placement in SDC, SCC. Usually involved in more complicated placements. Usually aware of resources available and how to receive those services)
  9. Resource Specialist
  10. Teacher/SDC Teacher (Teaching core curriculum, also making accommodations in classroom if necessary)
  11. Full Inclusion Specialist
  12. Behavior Specialist (Usually work with Emotionally Disturbed (ED) students, Autistic children to modify or teach a specific behavior. Usually an outside agency)
  13. Occupational Therapist.
  14. Physical therapist.
  15. Adaptive PE Specialist.
  16. Members from other agencies-ALTA Regional (CP, MR, Autism, Epilepsy), CCS (physical limitations and chronic health conditions or diseases. CCS can authorize and pay for specific medical services and equipment).

Interaction/Case Management- (Case manager is the person responsible for ensuring that everything is going according to the legal timeline, looking into recommended services)

  1. Medical Setting-Meetings to discuss patient
  2. Inpatient/Outpatient, Acute Rehab.
  3. Daily, weekly meeting (Doctors, Nurses, other medical staff.
  4. Doctor writes orders, medical staff follows orders.
  5. Medical staff charts progress and makes recommendations.
  1. Educational Setting
  2. SST (Student Study Team), FOC (Focus of Concern) meeting.
  3. This is a general education function!!! We are there to discuss possible intervention strategies and help the student access core curriculum.
  4. Apply intervention strategies. (Meet again to discuss strategies)
  5. Proceed with testing and placement where appropriate.
  6. Case managers
  7. Resource specialist (if there are academic concerns)
  8. Speech therapist (if they are receiving speech and some other services such as OT, Adap. PE)
  9. SDC Teachers
  10. Full Inclusion Specialist

3. Healthy level of trust (We need to trust that each one of us is doing our best for our children and patients we serve.)

How is this achieved?

  1. Knowledge (Know your stuff! Realize that there is a lot to learn. If you don not know the answer, don’t fake it, Simply state that you will find out and get back with the correct answer)
  2. Professionalism (You are a professional. This involves your mannerism, dress or attire and of course being prepared)
  3. Motivation to achieve (Don’t sit in your office and avoid the sun. Get out there into the class, talk to your staff members about the individual. When you are motivated to achieve, people will see the fruits of your hard work)

4.Ground rules for how the team works and behaves towards each other.

  1. Be respectful
  2. Be bold
  3. Be flexible

Role Play