Who are the Southwest Counselors?

Lisa Lentz  8th Grade Counselor	Ruth Trainor  9th Grade Counselor

Crisis Hotline Information

Any student who is experiencing thoughts of hurting himself or herself should come to the office and ask to speak with Mrs. Lentz (grade 8) or Mrs. Trainor (grade 9). If a student or parent is concerned about another student at SWJH, please do the same. After school hours, students or parents should contact the Arkansas Crisis Hotline at

1-888-274-7472

for immediate assistance.

Please read the Warning Signs of Suicide for more information and guidance for suicide prevention.  Also, two great resources on suicide prevention are www.jasonfoundation.com and www.arcrisis.org.

Informed Consent

The Southwest Junior High School Counselors, Mrs. Lentz and Mrs. Trainor are available to help students deal with many issues such as schedule changes, academic and career questions, and social/emotional and personal problems.

As a general rule, the information you share with one of the counselors is confidential, meaning, it is private. There are, however, important exceptions to this rule that are important for the student to understand before he or she shares personal information. In some situations, the counselor is required by law or by the counselors’ professional ethical guidelines to tell shared information. Such situations include:

• If the student says he/she are going hurt him or herself or someone else.

• If student tells the counselor that he/she are currently being abused physically, sexually or emotionally, or that he/she have been abused in the past, then the counselor is required by law to report the abuse to the Arkansas State Police.

• If a the counselor is ordered by the Court to disclose shared information.

• Consultation with other professionals in support of the student, such as the other counselor and principals.

If you have any questions, please let the school counselors know.

What is school counseling?

Welcome to the Southwest Junior High School Counseling page!  School Counseling is a developmental process in which one individual (the counselor) provides another individual or group (the student) with guidance and encouragement, as well as challenge and inspire in creatively managing and resolving practical, personal, and relationship issues in order to help students achieve goals. School counselors focus on three main domains:  Academic, Career/College, and Social-Emotional.

Our Mission Statement

To provide a comprehensive school counseling program that fosters continual growth and resilience by equipping students with academic, social-emotional, and college & career skills; promoting responsible citizens who prosper in a global society.  

Reasons to see the school counselor

As Professional School Counselors, we work with students on an individual basis and in small groups.  The focus of the counseling program is on academic skills, career awareness, and personal/social skills.  

Here are some reasons students might want to talk to the School Counselor:

• "I had an argument with my best friend and she doesn't want to be my friend anymore."

• "Some kids in my science class are talking about fighting after school."

• "My parents argue all the time and I don't know what to do."

• "My grandfather is really sick and I'm scared he's going to die."

• "My mom just had a baby and she doesn't have time for me anymore."

• "We're moving again!"

• "My dad wants me to be an engineer like him, but I want to be a pilot."

Here are some reasons parents might want to talk to the School Counselor:

• "This is John's third school this year, and he's having difficulty adjusting."

• "My husband is being deployed in two weeks and Carolyn may need some help coping with this change."

• "Sam used to be excited about school, but lately he doesn't seem to care."

• "My wife and I recently separated and our daughter could use some help understanding this."

• "My son seems to be the target of some teasing and bullying after school.  Can you help?"

How to see the school counselor

You may click on this link, School Counselor Referral Form. One of the counselors will call the student to the office regarding the information on the referral form

Mrs. Lentz presents to the 8th grade students

On Thursday, September 21st, Mrs. Lentz welcomed the 8th grade students to Southwest Junior High. She talked to them about the counselor’s role to the students. She explained that we work with students regarding Academic, College and Career, and Social and Emotional issues. Her presentation also highlighted grades, graduation requirements, Summer School, the Attendance Policy, and September being National Suicide Prevention Month.

You are welcome to view the PowerPoint by clicking on this link, Welcome to SWJH.

Mrs. Trainor presents to the 9th grade students

On Wednesday, September 20th, Mrs. Trainor focused on grades, graduation requirements and credits, summer school, and September being National Suicide Prevention Month. Now that your child is a Freshman in high school, passing his or her classes is very important to receive enough credits to graduate.

You are welcome to view the PowerPoint by clicking on this link, Graduation and Credits.