Counselor Connection--March 21
Education Service Center Region 15
School Counselor Spotlight
Erica's favorite thing about being a school counselor is having the ability to help students navigate through their educational careers. She enjoys providing them with resources and advocating for them to help them be successful with their goals. When others are having a problem, she would advise them to slow down and think about the situation. When we rush to answer or help with a problem we act in desperation. If we calm down, breathe, and think about the issue at hand we can sensibly come up with a solution or provide proper guidance. For her own way to decompress, she likes to put on 80s music and have a cup of coffee or go work out (although she admits she doesn't go as much as she should).
Erica's favorite counseling tool to use is the "Zen Room" in Lincoln's Counseling Center. The Zen Room is for students to utilize to address their anxiety/panic attacks. The room has also served as a location where students utilize the Zen garden and they seem to be more open to talking about their concerns or issues when they are calm.
Erica is a proud wife of a US Army retired husband and has three children and three grandchildren. Her oldest son is active duty in the Air Force, her middle son is an Angelo State University graduate, and her daughter is currently attending Angelo State University. A fun fact about Erica is that she lived on Mount Vernon. George Washington dedicated some of his lands to Fort Belvoir and her family was stationed there for 6 years. "I was fortunate to live on Post at Fort Belvoir."
Email: erica.delagarza@saisd.org
Website: https://lincoln.saisd.org/
Location: 255 Lake View Heroes Drive, San Angelo, TX, USA
Phone: (325)659-3550
Facebook: http://facebook.com/LMSstrong
Twitter: @LMSstrong
DFPS Publishes the Child Fatality Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2022
Have you signed up yet for LINK?
Resources LINK for Counselors Provides Include:
- A blog of content from our award-winning magazine and other sources that we think might be of interest to you. We were recently awarded recognition as one of the top blogs for Counselors by Feedspot.
- College Profiles from Colleges and Universities that want to reach your students
- College Night Handouts that you can download free to use in your resource center or to hand out at College Fairs
- The most recent digital edition of LINK for Counselors
- Easy registration to sign up for the magazine or our bi-weekly e-newsletter
March 2023 Suicide Prevention Quarterly Newsletter
Free Books – Marine Toys for Tots Literacy Program
New! State Testing Toolkit from CharacterStrong
The State Testing Toolkit includes:
1) Printable Encouragement Notes for your students
2) Teach the 1+3+10 Strategy - downloadable poster!
3) Newsletter Prompt for Principals: Mental Health Reminders for Families
4) The Test Prep Word Search (Elementary & Secondary)
5) The "Proctor of the Day" Certificate
6) Get Moving & Energized - Physical Warm-Ups (Elementary & Secondary)
7) Spotify Testing Playlists
TSCA Scholarships
College, career, and military readiness resources
Texas First Early High School Completion Program Webinar
Ultimate College and Career Planning Tool for Parents and Guardians
Through Tomorrow Ready Texas, families gain access to amazing resources:
- Customized, step-by-step action plans for one or more teens
- Articles on postsecondary paths to workforce and independent living
- Support and additional resources for students with different disabilities
College Preparation Assessments
- ACT
- The ACT Schedule of Events includes key events and tasks for test administration. As you prepare for an upcoming event, join an ACT Office Hours session for discussions from accommodations to test administrations.
- ACT recently hosted a Texas-focused online seminar packed with performance data, resources, and discussion. To learn more, here’s a link to the presentation and additional resources related to the workshop.
- SAT
- Beginning in the fall of 2023, the SAT Suite of Assessments will be delivered digitally. The PSAT 8/9 and PSAT/NMSQT will transition to the digital format in the fall of 2023. The SAT will transition to the digital format in spring 2024. Learn more here.
- Districts may now order the 2023–24 SAT Suite of Assessments directly on College Board's test ordering site. Discounts will be automatically applied and an estimated cost for the order will be provided prior to purchasing. See District and School Pricing Details – SAT Suite | College Board, and Test Ordering Services – SAT Suite | College Board for more details.
- Fall 2023 PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 8/9 will be digital only, with limited exceptions for certain accommodations.
- Spring 2024 SAT weekend and SAT School Day will be digital only, with limited exceptions for certain accommodations.
- The cost for the accommodated tests is the same as the digital tests.
- SAT Suite Cost Estimator (located at bottom of website)
- TSIA
- Exemption Policy Change. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has revised the policy for TSIA Exemptions. For ACT tests administered on or after February 15, 2023, students must meet the following criteria to qualify for a TSIA exemption:
- A combined score of 40 on the English and Reading (E+R) ACT tests shall exempt both the reading and writing or ELAR sections of the TSI Assessment.
- A score of 22 on the ACT mathematics test shall exempt the mathematics section of the TSI Assessment.
- Updated TAC Rule 4.54, TSIA Exemptions, Exceptions, and Waivers
- ELAR Essay Policy Change
- The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) made a TSIA2 Test Administration Policy Change. As of January 3, 2023, students scoring at Level 3 on the ELAR diagnostic test are now being routed to the essay. This change increases the amount of data available to colleges in determining appropriate developmental education courses or intervention placements for high school students. In addition, the new policy gives many more students an opportunity to demonstrate writing proficiency and potentially qualify for the stand-alone ELAR CRC retest option.
- For direct TSI policy-related questions or concerns regarding this change, please contact Keylan Morgan at keylan.morgan@highered.texas.gov.
- For technical-assistance questions regarding this change, please contact Kathie Montognese at kmontognese@collegeboard.org.
ASU FAFSA NIGHT
Need Assistance with your 2023-2024 FAFSA? Financial Aid Counselors will be available to assist with the process and answer any questions. January 15th is the priority date!
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the single most important thing you can do to get money for college. By completing a FAFSA, students may be eligible for federal grants (free money), work-study funds, and federal student loans, including some institutional and state-based aid.
For information on items needed to complete the FAFSA, please read 7 Things You Need Before Filling Out the FAFSA® Form.
Wednesday, Mar 29, 2023, 05:00 PM
Math-Computer Science, Dena Dr, San Angelo, TX 76909, USA
Professional Development with Texas OnCourse
Texas OnCourse is excited to provide free virtual college and career readiness and success workshops to support your counseling and advising efforts. Our current offerings are listed below. Each webinar will last one hour. Click the link to register.
- Improving College and Career Knowledge Using the Texas OnCourse Academy
- Making an Impact Using the ApplyTexas Counselor Suite
- Meet ADVi: Texas’ Virtual Advisor
Visit our Professional Development page for full descriptions of all of our offerings and feel free to share with your colleagues. If these sessions don't work for you, you can make a specific request from our PD page.
We are so excited to provide extended learning opportunities and events to support your efforts!
Professional Development
Beyond Burnout: Exploring the Cost of Caring Lunch and Learn
The Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC) is partnering with the Trauma and Grief Center at The Hackett Center for Mental Health to bring Beyond Burnout: Exploring the Cost of Caring Lunch and Learn virtual events.
Educators, administrators, and school safety professionals have the strenuous task of caring for students and staff, in addition to caring for their own families and themselves. Utilizing a light-hearted, engaging approach, this presentation explores the ways in which our work impacts us as helping professionals. Participants will be given tools to decrease risk for compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, and burn-out.
Discussion will then focus on enhancing compassion satisfaction and resilience through individualized strategies. This presentation seeks to reframe the way we think about self-care and will include a live Q and A with the Director of School and Community Engagement for The Trauma and Grief Center at The Hackett Center for Mental Health.The lunch and learn virtual events will take place from 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Central Time.
- April 14, 2023
- May 12, 2023
Please Note: This training is open to public ISDs, open-enrollment charter schools, junior colleges, school-based law enforcement, and state agencies that support Texas schools. Due to limited space, vendors and contractors are not permitted to register for this event.
TEA Mental and Behavioral Health Team and Project AWARE Texas Webinars
The TEA Mental and Behavioral Health Team and Project AWARE Texas will be hosting a series of monthly webinars on school mental health topics including substance use/abuse prevention, school and community partnerships, parent engagement, and school safety.
Join a webinar every 2nd Wednesday of the month from 11:00 am CST to 12:00 pm CST from January to June.
This Webinar Series is sponsored by
Project AWARE Texas
for the purpose of advancing wellness and resiliency in education.
Save the Dates
and Time via Zoom
11:00 am-12:00 pm (CST)
- April 12th: Securing Community Partnerships
- May 10th: Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine (TCHATT)
- June 14th: Parent & Family Engagement
Upcoming Sessions at ESC
Texas School Safety Center Restorative Practice Training
Restorative Practices helps us to build healthy relationships by identifying core values and establishing consensus around how we relate to one another. Restorative Practices provides a process for effective communication, establishing healthy boundaries, taking responsibility, solving conflict, healing when harm has occurred, and creating accountability for self and others.
In this 4-hour session, participants will first learn about what Restorative Practices is and is not, followed by why Restorative Practices is a proactive and reactive tool that campuses should have in their intervention toolbox. Participants will also learn how to facilitate the restorative process, implement foundational structures for implementation, key components for data collection, and analysis to track program effectiveness.
Register Online at https://forms.txssc.txstate.edu/rpe/fy23-reg/form?selected=43198
Wednesday, Apr 12, 2023, 07:30 AM
612 South Irene Street, San Angelo, TX, USA
Open Registration: Little Changes = Big Results Conference
Registration is officially open for the Little Changes = Big Results Conference. This two-day conference is meant to tailor your needs and availability! You will receive a certificate for each session that you attend during the two-day conference, being able to earn up to 12 hours of CPE. Just like last year you get to choose the tools you need in your toolbox to get you ready for the upcoming year. This conference is for anyone that works with students: Admin, Gen Ed, SPED, Mental Health, Paraprofessionals, etc. This year we will have a variety of local presenters training on a variety of topics: Autism, Behavior, learning, classroom management, sensory, mental health, and so much more. Please share this with all your listserve, and with anyone that you feel will benefit from this conference. Looking forward to seeing you all this summer!
Our Key Speaker is Ashley Mohesky. Some of you might have even worked with Ashley Mohesky during your education career.
Ashley Mohesky is a graduate from San Angelo ISD. Ashley has a neurological disorder called Cerebral Palsy that affects her ability to walk and talk. Due to brain damage caused at birth, doctors predicted that she would not have a quality of life and at three years old, she was placed in special education. Ashley was evaluated for a communication device and after using it for a short time proved to excel at her studies and was transferred to general education. As Ashley reports, “During my time in school, I did everything that other kids my age did. In fact, I was voted prom queen during my senior prom. I also was on a bowling league for people with disabilities throughout college.” Ashley graduated high school and attended Howard College where she received her Associate degree in General Studies. Ashley went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Angelo State University.
Hotel Block is Open
CTE Professional Learning Dates
I wanted to share with you all several opportunities for professional development this summer. Last year, TEA created training geared toward new counselors and administrators and asked ESCs to conduct regional convenings. ESC 15 partnered with ESCs 14, 16, 17, 18, and 9 and held training at ESC 14. This year, these sessions will be available here at ESC 15. In addition to the new counselor/administrator training, TEA is releasing a series for experienced counselors and administrators. Please know you are welcome to attend any and all training regardless of your experience level or role. Counselors serve in many different capacities and you are welcome to attend administrator training. Registration is open for all sessions. Flyers have been attached detailing each session. Additional resources will be provided if applicable to the session.
Please let me know if you have any questions. Hope to see you this summer.
Traci
Emergency and After Hours Resources
This list is of known providers of particular services. The providers on the list are from a variety of sources. The list is being provided as a courtesy, for information only, and the user should understand that no assurances or guarantees regarding the providers on the list are being made by providing this list. We do not endorse, approve, or recommend any specific provider listed below. This list is not inclusive of all community agencies, services, or organizations that provide the particular service, and the omission of an agency, service, or organization from this list does not imply disapproval. It is the responsibility of the user of this list to determine whether any of the content is of value to them and whether or not the agency, service, or organization meets their specific needs.
________________________________________________________________________
National
- Emergency: (24/7): 911
- Referral Services: (crisis counseling, housing, food, health care, family services): 211 | https://www.211texas.org/
- Suicide Prevention: 988 | 988lifeline.org
- Self-Injury/Cutting: 1-800-366-8288 | selfinjury.com
- Eating Disorders: 1-800-931-2237 | nationaleatingdisorders.org
- Runaway Hotline: 1-800-231-6946 | 1800runaway.org
- Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453 | childhelp.org/hotline/
- Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 | rainn.org
- Domestic/Relationship Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 | thehotline.org
- Trevor Hotline for LGBTQ Youth: 1-866-488-7386 | thetrevorproject.org
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline | samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
- Other resources for developing healthy lifestyles, including mental and emotional help: helpguide.org
ESC 15 Counseling and Mental Health
Email: mentalhealth@esc15.net
Website: https://www.esc15.net/
Phone: (325)658-6571
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Region15ESC/
Twitter: @Region15ESC
Lesley Casarez, PhD, CCTS-I, CTP, CSC
Greg Hickey, LPC
(325) 658-6571 x2113
Anne Hardegree, LPC-S
(325) 481-4019
Alex Robles, LPC
(325) 481-4009
Alex Nieto
(325) 481-2151
Ella Nichols, LBSW
(325) 481-4062
Noemi Ucuk
Jessica Flores, LPC, BCBA
(325) 481-4057
Carol Stevens, M.Ed. CSC
McKinney-Vento, HELP Grant, and Counseling