Counselor Connection--May 15

Attend on Wednesday from 9-12 with the McKinney-Vento Team and your travel for up to three nights, as well as mileage from your campus will be reimbursed. See flyer above for more details. Register Online.

Low-burden, high-impact strategies to increase well-being, belonging, and engagement in all areas of campus community by introducing a consistent structure for learning that promotes powerful relationship-building while also helping students find value in their learning. Training will include staff community building, research-backed classroom engagement, usable tools and strategies, meaningful and inspirational content, and practical problem solving. Register Online (this is for both days).

School counselors must negotiate the competing interests of the overregulated school environment, student’s need for confidentiality, and the legal rights of parents to be the guiding voice in their children's lives. Updates on these competing interests will be discussed through recent court developments. Legal rulings will be highlighted in areas such as sexually active students, bullying, academic advising, child abuse, educational records, and sexual harassment, First Amendment rights, and transgender youth. The goal is to facilitate participants’ legal literacy and provide guiding principles to support best ethical practice.

Call the Fredericksburg Inn and Suites at 830-997-0202 and ask for the rate for the ESC REGION 15 COUNSELOR RETREAT. It should be for $107 per night.

May can be a crazy month in schools. It’s full of state testing, events like field days, walk-a-thons, and all the feelings that are associated with the upcoming summer break. It seems fitting that it’s also Mental Health Awareness Month.

As a school counselor, this can be a great time to share about the importance of mental health and to work to decrease the stigma surrounding mental illness. These 5 ideas will make it easy for you to promote mental health awareness, even in this busy month!

Millions of Americans are affected by mental health conditions every year. Here are some fact sheets and infographics about the prevalence and impact of mental illness.

TxCAN and uAspire have developed a suite of summer FAFSA resources! Join in on May 21 at 10 a.m. to learn more about how your students and families can access virtual one-on-one FAFSA help, informational webinars, and Q&A sessions to ensure financial aid success for all.

Erika's Lighthouse is a nonprofit on a mission to provide free mental health programs for any school, anywhere.

When you're in the middle of a conflict, it's common to automatically enter fight-or-flight mode. But HBR contributing editor and workplace conflict expert Amy Gallo says it's possible to interrupt this response, stay calm, and find a path towards a more productive discussion

Some people seem naturally predisposed to relish exercise, but research suggests that anyone can cultivate a positive attitude toward physical activity. A recent study by Florida International University revealed that individuals with a high tolerance for physical exertion experience greater levels of post-exercise pleasure. Conversely, those with lower tolerance often experience anticipatory dread before beginning a workout.

This curated resource collection from the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) includes links to mental health resources for students and families from government agencies and national organizations such as the American Psychological Association and the National Association of School Psychologists. The emotional and psychological well-being of individuals promotes healthy development, functioning and increases the capacity of individuals to live productive lives while striving towards reaching their full potential. A major aspect of the school environment includes promoting the mental health of all students, and the provision of programs and services to address those needs. https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/topic-research/environment/mental-health (Copy/paste into your browser.)

Additionally, the CDC created this action guide to help school and district leaders build on what they are already doing to promote students’ mental health and find new strategies to fill in gaps: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/mental-health-action-guide/index.html (Again, copy/paste into your browser.)

Despite working a full-time job in human relations and caring for her 6-year-old son Chase and 3-year-old daughter Millie, Anne Helms often feels isolated and lonely. "I work from home, and when I have video meetings or calls with our employees, it's very focused on the subject at hand. I don't get a lot of personal interaction such as 'How are you? How's your family doing?'" said the 36-year-old Helms, who lives in Powell, Ohio. Read more.

According to the CDC, fentanyl overdose deaths among teens have tripled in the past two years, yet 73% of youth have never heard of fake prescription pills being made with fentanyl.

In response to the growing need to raise awareness about the opioid crisis, the Texas School Safety Center has developed the Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Toolkit to connect schools, parents, youth, and adults to in order to help combat fentanyl usage.

The toolkit serves as a directory of resources which provides information on current Texas laws, education and outreach programs, awareness campaigns, educational modules and videos, tools for educators, tips for parents on starting the conversation, access to request free naloxone, and several other resources.

Region 6 has put together a great resource regarding fentanyl all in one place. Check it out!

With the recent weather events across the state, local school districts have many students and families that have been displaced by flooding and tornadoes. Below is a list of District resources provided by ESC 6 to support students during this time. Feel free to share with staff, friends, and families.

• National Center for Homeless Education Meeting the Educational Needs of Students Displaced by Disasters: Youth on Their Own
• What School District Administrators Should Know About the Educational Rights of Children and Youth Displaced by Disasters
  
• SchoolHouse Connection Supporting Children and Youth Displaced by Disasters: Five Key Policies for Schools
• Center for Disease Control (CDC) Resource Caring for Children in a Disaster
• Helping Children Cope During and After a Disaster (CDC Resource)
• Mental Health - Psychological First Aid PFA: Parent Tips for Helping Adolescents (Psychological First Aid)
• PFA: Parent Tips for Helping Infants and Toddlers after Disasters (Psychological First Aid)
• PFA: Parent Tips for Helping Preschool-Age Children after Disasters (Psychological First Aid)
• PFA: Parent Tips for Helping School-Age Children after Disasters (Psychological First Aid)
• TEA: Weather and Disaster Information

School Presentations

1. Take a look at the communities the Crime Stoppers team has visited so far this year. They would love to come to yours soon! For more about the services they can provide look here. If you are interested in having them come to your next fair, or speak to your group please email ssi@crime-stoppers.org.

2. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (missingkids.org).

• NCMEC presentations can be accessed/downloaded through this link! They include facilitator notes/scripts. The content cannot be edited but the slides can be moved around to fit time constraints/audiences. | Education (missingkids.org)

• To request a NCMEC training/presentation | NCMEC Event Request Form (formstack.io)

• Learning/best practices modules for professionals and general public: https://connect.missingkids.org/learn

In this newsletter…Learn all about the benefits of family engagement, helping your teen through breakups, ways to enhance family relationships, summer meal programs, preventing summer slide, and helping your kids through educational transitions such as moving from elementary to middle school.

Find the latest PFE newsletter on our website here and on our Smore page here.

TEA will publish the 2020-21 CCMR Outcomes Bonus (OB) Report to the Texas Performance Reporting System (TPRS) on Monday, May 13, 2024. The report will be published under the Postsecondary Outcomes section of TPRS, along with the updated TPRS glossary. Additional information on CCMR OB is available on the Performance Reporting Resources page.

If you have questions regarding CCMR OB criteria or student listings, contact TEA’s Performance Reporting Division at (512) 463-9704 or performance.reporting@tea.texas.gov.

For questions regarding funding, contact the State Funding Division at (512) 463-9238 or sfinance@tea.texas.gov.

The JET program provides grants to buy and install equipment for career and technical education (CTE) courses that lead to a license, certificate, or postsecondary degree in a high-demand occupation.

The fiscal year 2024 (FY24) JET grant application is open for submissions. Eligible educational institutions can apply for JET funding through a competitive grant process. The complete FY24 RFA packet, which includes eligibility, requirements and submission documents can be downloaded from the TWC Procurement Portal website. Visit the JET webpage to learn more about the grant.

The CLNA opened on February 23, 2024, and will close on June 12, 2024. The CLNA must be submitted before a local education agency (LEA) can access the Perkins grant local application, which will be open from June 12 - September 3, 2024. To complete the CLNA, log in to the Texas Education Agency Login (TEAL) application, access the eGrants system, and click on the Special Collections tab. Authorized users will see the 2024-2025 SC5600 Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment link under the Special Collections Description heading.

A CLNA Guidebook (2024-25) is available on TEA’s CTE website to support CLNA completion and submission.

Through a partnership between the Texas Education Agency and Learning Undefeated, the Texas Mobile STEM Lab will provide STEM engagement opportunities for students during the 2024–2025 school year. Using a custom-outfitted STEM learning space, the mobile lab offers engaging, hands-on educational experiences for kindergarten through grade 8 students and teachers. The application window is April 1, 2024, through May 31, 2024. All Texas public schools that offer classes for kindergarten through grade 8 are eligible to register for a free visit during the 2023–2024 school year. At least one school district from each educational region will receive a visit. Click the video for more information.

Question: Which certifications from the 2022-2025 Industry-Based Certification List for Public School Accountability should be reported in PEIMS (POST-SECONDARY-CERTIFICATION-LICENSURE- CODE (E1640)) and what are the differences between IBCs earned, passed, and failed?

Answer: LEAs should report all IBCs from the 2022-2025 IBC List for Public School Accountability that were earned, passed, and failed by high school students between September 1 – May 31 in the PEIMS summer submission and all IBCs that were earned, passed, and failed between June 1 – August 31 in the PEIMS fall submission using the data element POST-SECONDARY-CERTIFICATION-LICENSURE-RESULT (E1733) in compliance with the Texas Education Data Standards. Definitions and examples as well as additional frequently asked questions can be found here.

As with all self-reported data submitted through PEIMS, LEAs should retain supporting documentation for a minimum of five years.

The Trauma-Informed Care Workshop for Educators focuses on providing an overview of trauma, and its impact on student behaviors in the classroom. Attendees will learn about the role of mental health in daily functioning, how trauma impacts the brain, the importance of unrecognized executive function deficits, and the role neuro diverse complexities play in student behavior. Throughout the workshop, participants will be provided with concrete strategies that can be implemented in a school and/or classroom setting to support all learners through a trauma informed lens.

Specific strategies that will be discussed:

• How to identify changes in thoughts, feelings and behaviors
• Maintaining structure, routine, and consistency
• Using visual strategies to support routine and memory
• Adopting one Social Emotional Learning strategy or program
• Using calming and regulation strategies as a part of daily routines
• Practicing co-regulation
• Increasing movement during learning
• Breaking down tasks to support executive function deficits
• Using the concept of thinking errors and exposure ladders to address avoidant behaviors in students
• Utilizing Psychological first aid, 2x10, and If/Then plans with student

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 training.

The Trauma-Informed Care Workshop for Educators-Elementary focuses on providing an overview of trauma, and its impact on student behaviors in the elementary (K-5) classroom.

You must attend entire training to be eligible to receive 5 hours Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) Credit.

For more information about the Trauma-Informed Care Workshop for Educators-Elementary, please email txssc_ticelem@txstate.edu.

The Trauma-Informed Care Workshop for Educators-Secondary focuses on providing an overview of trauma, and its impact on student behaviors in the secondary (6-12) classroom.

You must attend entire training to be eligible to receive 5 hours Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) Credit.

For more information about the Trauma-Informed Care Workshop for Educators-Secondary, please email txssc_ticsec@txstate.edu.

If you are a school administrator, school-based law enforcement officer, educator, emergency manager, school safety specialist, first responder, mental health provider, or school board member, the 2024 Texas School Safety Conference is for you!

Join us June 23-27, 2024, at the beautiful San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter Hotel for a deep dive into current trends, best practices, and innovative, evidence-based approaches in school safety and security. Learn from leading experts in the fields of school behavioral threat assessment, emergency management, school-based law enforcement, and mental health, and hear from your peers throughout the state about strategies to effectively engage educators, law enforcement, and community members to promote positive cultures of safety and preparedness.

Come prepared to network, share ideas, and return to your community equipped with new knowledge, tools, and inspiration, to continue the essential work of creating safe and healthy environments in Texas schools and communities.

Conference Links

Learn More and Register

We've got some really great sessions this spring designed to support you this school year. You can simply click on any of the session links to register.

FACT: According to the Harvard Division of Continuing Education, employees engaged in professional development are also more likely to stay engaged in their work and to be enthusiastic about pursuing their goals.

General School Mental Health Resources: https://schoolmentalhealthtx.org/

Mental Health Resources Database: https://schoolmentalhealthtxdatabase.org/

Mental Health Best Practice Repository: https://schoolmentalhealthtx.org/best-practices/

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.

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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

Email: mentalhealth@esc15.net
Website: https://www.esc15.net/
Phone: (325)658-6571
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Region15ESC/
Twitter: @Region15ESC