Leadership in the Profession

LEADING THE WAY THROUGH CHANGE

"Similar to the MTSS continuum of supports, MTMDSS is the organization of school counseling program supports (ASCA’s “Deliver” component) and data-based decision-making across three tiers of intensity: Tier 1 universal supports, Tier 2 targeted supports, and Tier 3 intensified supports. These varying services provide the necessary support for ALL students in the three domains of school counseling: academic, college and career, and social/emotional."

Let's Go to C.A.M.P. Registration

Join the VDOE Office of Behavioral Health and Wellness (OBHW) this summer at either of our upcoming conferences to learn tools, strategies, and interventions to directly improve school climate and student behavioral health and wellness. 

OBHW Summer Conference Registration Form

National school mental health best practices and related projects

MHTTC National School Mental Health Best Practices: Implementation Guidance Modules for States, Districts, and Schools   

  To help states, districts, and schools advance comprehensive school mental health, as well as engage in a planning process around implementation of services, the MHTTC Network Coordinating Office and National Center for School Mental Health developed the National School Mental Health Best Practices: Implementation Guidance Modules for States, Districts, and Schools (formerly known as the National School Mental Health Curriculum). The modules contain trainer and participant manuals, 8 module slide decks designed for delivery in one-hour sessions, and recorded virtual learning sessions that include a deeper dive into the module content. 

Promoting Mental Health and Well-Being in Schools: An Action Guide for School and District Leaders

This recently released Action Guide from the CDC has identified six school-based strategies and associated approaches that can help prevent mental health problems and promote positive behavioral and mental health of students.

Audience: School and district leaders of kindergarten through 12th-grade schools (K–12), including principals and leaders of student support teams.

Goal: Provide school and district leaders with strategies, approaches, and practices

SchoolCounselor.com was created in 1999 by Russell Sabella, PhD for the purpose of advancing solution focused counseling and technology literacy among counselors.  School counselors and other educators can subscribe to a free newsletter; explore free and almost free resources, and learn from our video tutorials. As well, you will want to definitely check out our continually expanding counseling, technology, and digital citizenship resources. Finally, learn more about relevant professional development opportunities, especially for school counselors.

Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) Training

CAMS is an evidence-based, suicide-focused treatment framework backed by 30 years of clinical research and 6 published randomized controlled trials. This training opportunity is free and includes all elements needed to become CAMS Trained with ongoing support from the creators of CAMS to assist in navigating complex scenarios when applying the CAMS framework. Optional CEs are available at no cost to the trainee. Online/Self-paced with 60 days to complete the foundational video portion of this training after initial registration. This training is available to school counselors and other mental health clinicians. 

Virginia HEALS released a series of e-Learning courses to support efforts for agencies and organizations in becoming more trauma-informed and healing-centered. These professional development opportunities are for both front-line service providers and management/leadership in child, youth, healthcare, and advocacy. Each e-Learning course is approximately 30-40 minutes, and certificates of completion are available upon completion.

Small Groups 101

Running small groups is one of the delivery systems for school counseling programs, but many of us say we don't have time or space to run them.  However, in order to reach our students with Tier 2 Interventions, small groups are imperative to provide resources to those who may not have them.  This podcast is a quick refresher on running small groups and how to address barriers that may arise. 

https://www.buzzsprout.com/232403/13875514

School for School Counselors Podcast logo

The School for School Counselors podcast is for school counselors working their hearts out while fearing they’ll never meet the expectation of a “perfect” comprehensive program. It’s for school counselors who are feeling frustrated, discouraged, or misunderstood. And it’s for those of us who just simply LOVE working in and thinking about school counseling because we want to learn, grow and inspire positive change in students. If you’ve been looking for a circle of school counselor colleagues who just GET IT, and if you’re not afraid to be REAL about things like comprehensive school counseling programs, data-driven school counseling, and the joys and real challenges of the modern school counselor’s role on campus, you’ve come to the right place."

Shaping the Future

Link to School Counseling to Close the Opportunity Gap
Link to The School Counselors' Guide to Special Education

"What is the school counselor's role in the special education process? How can school counselors assist students with special needs? In this comprehensive and thorough guide, the authors answer these and other questions about best practices for meeting the academic, social, and career requirements of students with disabilities. This hands-on guide clarifies the counselor's role and provides a wealth of practical strategies for navigating special education processes, using available resources, and building effective teams."

The new AAP report, Supporting Mental Health in Schools, highlights interview findings, including insights into core features of CSMHSs as well as guidance and considerations for advancing CSMHSs. Opportunities for greater involvement with pediatricians and the pediatric community are explored.