VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://www.loraincountyesc.org/StudentStaffWellness.aspx
DIRECTOR OF WELLNESS & PREVENTION: Cathy Papp
SUPERVISOR OF WELLNESS & PREVENTION: Mindy Kaminski
SUICIDE PREVENTION COORDINATOR: Brooke Sherman
Target Audience: Educators, Parents, Counselors, School Administrators, Social Workers, Wellness Coordinators, School Psychologists, and Community Partners
Join us for a four-session virtual book study exploring Jonathan Haidt’s powerful and timely book, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. This cross-disciplinary series brings together the expertise of ESC literacy specialists, parent mentors, wellness, and technology specialists to foster meaningful dialogue and actionable insights for educators, families, and school leaders.
Through guided discussions and collaborative reflection, participants will:
Examine the cultural and technological shifts impacting youth mental health
Explore the effects of screen time, social media, and declining independent play
Consider practical, developmentally appropriate strategies to support children and adolescents
Reflect on the roles of literacy, family engagement, digital wellness, and social emotional, physical, and mental well-being in shaping healthier childhoods
Exploring the connection of technology on student learning and development
Each one-hour Zoom session will focus on specific chapters and themes from the book, with time for discussion, shared perspectives, and application to both home and school contexts.
Join this critical conversation as we seek to better understand and support today’s youth in an increasingly anxious age.
Keep your eyes out for our related all day PD called Scroll, Stress, Repeat: Addressing Anxiety in a High-Pressured Era Spring 2026.
Participants are responsible for purchasing the book. Amazon Link
ATTEND ALL DATES: DEC 8 | JAN 5 | JAN 26 | FEB 9
TIME: 4:00 - 5:00
LOCATION: Virtual via Zoom
FACILITATORS: Mindy Kaminski, MSSA, LISW-S, Erica Kaufmann, M.A.T., C-SLDI, Jennifer Martinez, M.Ed., Cathy Papp, MSW, LISW-S, Brooke Sherman, M.Ed., LPCC-S, and Olivia Weisman, M.Ed., CALT
EVENT FEE: $50 - LC District Members* | $100 - Non-Members
*Member Districts: Amherst, Avon, Avon Lake, Clearview, Columbia, Elyria, Firelands, JVS, Keystone, Lorain, Midview, North Ridgeville, Oberlin, Sheffield-Sheffield Lake, Wellington
REGISTRATION ASSISTANCE: DEBBIE SHANNON, SHANNON@ESCLC.ORG
TARGET AUDIENCE: Threat Assessment Teams and/or Administrators, SRO, School Counselors, School Social Workers, School Psychologist, any district or building staff
School teams/staff will be trained in the Dewey Cornell Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG), which meets the HB 123 Threat Assessment Training Requirement.
DATES: (choose one date)
Click the date link to register.
TIME: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
LOCATION: ESC of Lorain County
EVENT FEE: Free
FACILITATORS: Cathy Papp and Mindy Kaminski
School teams/staff who have been trained in the Dewey Cornell Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG), which meets the HB 123 Threat Assessment Training Requirement, must be recertified every 3 years. This refresher course is approved for recertification.
DATES: (choose one date)
Click the date link to register.
TIME: 8:00 - 11:30 am
LOCATION: ESC of Lorain County
EVENT FEE: Free
FACILITATORS: Cathy Papp and Mindy Kaminski
REGISTRATION ASSISTANCE: DEBBIE SHANNON, SHANNON@ESCLC.ORG
Target Audience: School Administrators, School counselors, School Social Workers, School Psychologists, Community School Based mental health providers
Discover Approved Suicide Prevention Programs for Your School
Join us for two engaging presentations featuring HB 123-approved suicide prevention programs designed for middle and high school students.
Be Present Ohio: The Online Experience (BPO:XP) – 9:00am
BPO:XP is a web-based program facilitated by local staff that blends elements of social media and video games to create an engaging educational experience for youth. Learn how this interactive program empowers students to support one another and access help when needed.
Erika’s Lighthouse – 9:30am
Erika’s Lighthouse is a free school-based program that promotes depression awareness, suicide prevention, and a culture of support for middle and high school students. Learn how this classroom-ready curriculum can meet your students' mental health needs.
Both programs are free, easy to implement, and quick to launch. Presenters will share practical insights, walk you through their programs, and answer your questions live.
Come ready to learn, connect, and take away resources you can bring back to your students to help assist them in promoting positive mental health and prevent suicide.
Presenter: Benjamin Miller, LPCC-S l Suicide Prevention Project Specialist Center for Suicide Prevention and Research Nationwide Children's Hospital and Ilana Sherman, MPH Director of Education, Erika's Lighthouse
DATE: Oct 23, 2025
TIME: 9:00 - 10:00 AM
LOCATION: Virtual via Zoom
PRESENTERS: Benjamin Miller, LPCC-S l Suicide Prevention Project Specialist Center for Suicide Prevention and Research Nationwide Children's Hospital and Ilana Sherman, MPH Director of Education, Erika's Lighthouse
EVENT FEE: Free
REGISTRATION ASSISTANCE: DEBBIE SHANNON, SHANNON@ESCLC.ORG
Target Audience: All
Grief touches every classroom, every school, and every community. The Lorain Care Summit brings together educators, mental health professionals, community partners, and caregivers for a day of learning, reflection, and collaboration centered on supporting grieving students.
The day will begin with a keynote address from Lisa Athan, nationally recognized grief specialist and founder of Grief Speaks, who will share insights on understanding and responding to grief in ways that foster healing and resilience.
Throughout this full-day summit, participants will:
Deepen understanding of how grief impacts children and adolescents academically, socially, and emotionally.
Recognize that loss comes in many forms—not only through death, but also experiences such as foster care placement, family separation, incarceration, and other life changes that disrupt a child’s sense of stability and belonging.
Learn practical strategies for educators and community partners to create compassionate classrooms and supportive community spaces where grieving students feel safe, seen, and cared for.
Explore community partnerships that connect schools with essential resources for families navigating loss.
Engage in interactive workshops and to practice restorative and trauma-informed approaches that honor students’ lived experiences.
Build action plans for fostering resilience, healing, and hope in schools and communities across Lorain.
This summit is not just about learning—it’s about healing together. By coming as a community, we affirm our shared responsibility to walk alongside grieving students and ensure they are never left to navigate loss alone.
CEUS Pending
Keynote Presenter: Lisa Athan, MA, Master's in Counseling, Founder and Executive Director of Griefspeaks
DATE: Dec 4, 2025
TIME: 8:30 - 3:30 AM
LOCATION: The Lodge of New Russia Township, 46300 Butternut Ridge, Rd., Oberlin
EVENT FEE: Free
REGISTRATION ASSISTANCE: DEBBIE SHANNON, SHANNON@ESCLC.ORG
9:00 - 10:30 AM
NETWORK DATES:
An opportunity to network with other school social workers from the region for support, the sharing of community resources, and professional development specific to the field. The sessions will be used to provide law updates for education, social work, and behavioral health. Additionally, information on social emotional learning curricula, SEL group and individual strategies, and successful implementation of classroom and small group SEL will be shared.
Location: ESC of Lorain County
Facilitators: Mindy Kaminski, Cathy Papp
Registration Assistance: Debbie Shannon - shannon@esclc.org or 440.324.5777 x1112
NETWORK DATES:
(Registration and payment are required for each date you plan to attend by clicking the date link)
Target Audience: Wellness Coordinators/ Prevention Coordinators
An opportunity to network with other school wellness coordinators from the region for support, the sharing of community resources, and professional development specific to the field. The sessions will be used to provide updates for education, wellness and prevention, and behavioral health.
Location: ESC of Lorain County
Facilitators: Mindy Kaminski and Cathy Papp
Registration Assistance: Debbie Shannon - shannon@esclc.org or 440.324.5777 x1112