2018 Annual Conference

Merrill Baxley
Jennifer Diaz
Ginny Wages
Robin Zorn

Elementary
Middle

This presentation will include activities to support your program goals in the academic, personal/social, and career domains.

You have analyzed your school’s data, created SMART goals, and presented them to your stakeholders, now what?  This practical, engaging, and FUN session will feature activities, children’s literature, props, and ideas to support your program goals in the three domains. Come learn about Mindfulness, STEM and Project Based Learning Activities, Academic Coaching, Study Skills, Attendance Incentives, Career Weeks, PBIS, and more.  These ideas can be used in small groups, core curriculum lessons, or developed into your school counseling comprehensive program.

Academics
Personal/Social
Career Development

Myesha Davis, Professional School Counselor, Lovinggood Middle School, Cobb County School District
Dawn Mann, Program Manager for Career Guidance and Counseling, Georgia Department of Education

Middle
Secondary

Senate Bill 401 requires that all students in grades eight through twelve take an aptitude assessement. Participants will learn how YouScience satisfies the career interest and career aptitude requirements of the BRIDGE Bill. Additionally, presenters will cover available reports, YouScience implementation strategies, and options to leverage the YouScience results.

In the Spring 2018 legislative session, legislatures passed Senate Bill 401 which added new language regarding required career-readiness activities. Specifically the bill requires that students take not only a career interest inventory, but also a career aptitude assessment.

School Counselors looking for an innovative way to engage their students and uncover their unique abilities can use YouScience. YouScience is a career interest and aptitude assessment that is free to all Georgia Public High Schools. YouScience uses brain games to produce career options that are based on interests and natural abilities.

• Participants will learn the career-readiness requirements for Senate Bill 401
• Participants will know how to use YouScience to satisfy the new BRIDGE Bill requirements

Small group collaboration. We will have handouts and participants will receive access to the presentation.

Tools for working smarter, not harder
Career Development

Ruth Blackstock

Elementary
Middle

Transition from one level of school to another is a critical time for all students but especially those who are at risk for one reason or another.  Small groups can help address this anxiety by methodically examining the different challenges brought by the change, the similarities in education that will continue, and the skills that will help them most to embrace the change and growth. 

This program will touch on relevant research done regarding small group interventions to prepare students for change from elementary to middle school.  It will propose a model and curriculum for small group sessions that were carried out in a 5th grade setting with a variety of students. Models from the small group will be available for review, as well as the measured results of a small drop of anxiety among the participants.  Handouts of the curriculum will be given.

Academics
Personal/Social
Academic Achievement
Social Emotional Learning

Dr. Cedric Cooks, LPC, NCC, NCSC

Elementary
Middle
Secondary

We have read and heard the grim statistics that surround the educational experience of African American students, particularly that of males. The achievement gap that continues to exist among African American students has created a sense of urgency among educators to incorporate social justice principles into their everyday practice as a means to eradicate educational inequalties. Changing the educational narrative of African American students requires increased cultural competence, lowered discipline infractions and family/community involvement.

Advocacy is not always popular and often time it is met with some resistance, yet in the field of education, advocacy is necessary for the acadmic success of many of our students, espcially students of color. Though we know that social justice and advocating for marginalized groups is of high importance, counselors still struggle or don't feel quite comfortable or competent enough in tackling issues that systemically impact students who experience huge disparities in the education setting. 

1. Participants in this session will learn common disparities that are present in the education setting that hinder the academic success of African American students.

2. Participants in this session will learn how to assist faculty and staff in developing cultural competence/sensitivity or increasing their cultural competence/sensitivity when working with African American students.

3. Particpants in this session will learn about community resources and programs that can help support their work with African American students and their families.

 

Academics
Personal/Social
Issues in Counseling
Academic Achievement

Laura Ross

Elementary
Middle
Secondary

As educators we know that connecting with students is essential to their overall success. Research and literature supports the importance of school connectedness. So, how do we make these connections with all students? Discover how one staff uses a school-wide initiative of simple strategies, support programs, and intentional conversations  to focus on making teacher-student connections and engaging ALL students.

As educators, we know that connecting with students is an essential foundation to their overall success. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs lists “belongingness and love” as a need before one can reach achievement, respect, and problem solving. The Search Institute lists a “caring school climate” where students have positive and encouraging relationships with teachers as one of their “40 Developmental Assets” for all age groups. The Center for Disease Control tells us that students who feel connected at school are more likely to achieve academically and less likely to engage in risky behaviors. Neurobiology research tells us that human beings are hardwired to connect. So, how do we make these connections throughout our schools impacting all students? Discover how one staff uses a school-wide initiative of simple strategies, support programs, and intentional conversations  to focus on making teacher-student connections and engaging ALL students. This session will include a review of information and research that supports the importance of school connectedness, one counselor’s real world experience that shows the need of finding connections in school, an overview of a successful school wide connections initiative, practical ideas of initiating connections with students and next steps for building stronger school connectedness. Participants will be given a link and QR Code to a Google file with all the information from the session.

After attending this session, participants should be able to:

1. Discuss relevant information and research that supports the importance of connections between teachers and students.
2. Apply practical strategies to build teacher-student connections with individual students
3. Utilize school connectedness ideas in staff education.
4. Formulate a connectedness initiative with in their school.

Tools for working smarter, not harder
Academics
Personal/Social
Issues in Counseling
Academic Achievement
Social Emotional Learning

Nicohl Shelton Webb

Elementary
Middle
Secondary

Are you getting questions about the effectiveness of your school counseling program? Whether you are analyzing process and/or perception data, utilizing technology tools can be a great asset to any school counselor. If you are looking for tools that help you engage students, clarify your role, improve your services offered to students, and track their individual achievement, you’re in luck! If you can’t wait to be presented with tools to help you work more efficiently and provide you with immediate data, then join this session and get ready to make data-informed decisions about your school counseling program!

At the conclusion of this lesson, the learner will be able have a toolbox of technology applications that will allow them to analyze different types of data needed in order to have a comprehensive school counseling program. Often times we are asked, “How can data help us improve our counseling programs and the services we provide to students?” It has now become more common for school counselors to collect data to develop an accurate and efficient system to track their day-to day-activities. Using simple and free technology tools such as Google Forms, Kahoot, Plickers, Quizizz, Poll Everywhere, Flipgrid and Nearpod, students and counselors will receive immediate data and be able to easily analyze how services can be shaped around the needs of the students.

 

At the end of this session, participants should be able to:

• understand the basics of the various technology tools listed above and how to infuse them into your school counseling program.
• understand the role of data collection in school counseling and how this is key to defining the school counselor’s role.
• understand that data collection provides written documentation that can be revisited to assess quality work and provide for self-reflection about the job.
• understand that the results of data can be utilized to determine the needs of the counseling department, to determine an effective lesson and result in an understanding of the beliefs, values and ideas of the school counselors.

The presenter will model specific technology applications and tell the learner how they can be applied within their school counseling program. Short video clips will be used to model some of the applications presented. The audience will participate by earning prizes for downloading and using certain apps. Handouts will be minimal, but participants will be given a QR code with a link of the complete presentation and a listed description, with videos included, of how to use each technology tool featured.

Tools for working smarter, not harder
ASCA Model
Academics
Personal/Social
Issues in Counseling
College Readiness
Academic Achievement
Social Emotional Learning
Information Technology

Christy Conley- Public Counselor, North Oconee High School
Brandi Smith- College Advisor, Marietta Public Schools

Secondary
Post-secondary/Admissions

This will be an interactive session that will provide audience members with perspectives and advice from counselors in a public high school setting and college admission representatives.  The discussion will focus on college admissions in the 21st centry.   Attendees will walk away with tangible "takeaways" that can be implemented in their school setting and craft their best practices for the college admissions process.

 

This discussion will cover topics ranging:

• The current and future demographics in the country and how it relates to the college admission process.  
• How to effectively begin to create and nurture a college going culture.  
• Importance of creating effective college visits in your high school
• How to create relationships with the college admission officers that will help shape the landscape of your college admission process
• Other hidden tips and tricks to "work smarter and not harder".

 

Tools for working smarter, not harder
Issues in Counseling
College Readiness

Richard E. Cleveland, PhD, LPC, NCC, ACS

Elementary
Middle
Secondary

Despite research regarding clinical effectiveness and increased societal acceptance, students adhering to a Judeo-Christian worldview may be hesitant to engage in mindfulness-based interventions due to perceptions of mindfulness as a strictly Buddhist practice. This session explores a secularized conceptualization of mindfulness and then incorporates a Judeo-Christian framework for framing mindfulness-based interventions.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Identify the impact of spiritual beliefs on clients’ and counselors’ worldviews.
2. Identify a “secular” definition of mindfulness.
3. Identify potential mindfulness-based interventions relevant for clients espousing a Judeo-Christian worldview.

This session will be interactive in nature as presenters will invite participant perceptions and experiences in a constructive dialogue. Session will begin by recognizing that in addition to counseling professional and ethical standards (i.e., ACA, 2014; ASCA, 2016; ASERVIC, n.d.; CACREP, 2016), research and literature highlight the importance of recognizing both clients’ and counselors’ spiritual/religious values within the counseling setting (Morrison, Clutter, Pritchett, & Demmitt, 2009). The presenters suggest however, that clients espousing a Judeo-Christian worldview may have reservations about the counseling environment (Belaire, Young, & Elder, 2005; Ford & Garzon, 2017) especially when unsure of the counselor’s religious/spiritual values. Furthermore, clients adhering to a Judeo-Christian worldview may be hesitant to engage in mindfulness-based interventions despite their effectiveness (Stratton, 2015) perceiving mindfulness as a strictly Buddhist religious practice. These factors are arguably more prevalent when working with student-client populations in the P-12 setting given the power differential between students and adults.

The session will present a “secularized” definition of mindfulness drawn from relevant literature (Gage, 2003; Gehart & McCollum; Kabat-Zinn, 2005; Langer, 2009; Nanda, 2010), which demonstrates both conceptual fidelity and integration to multiple worldviews. Presenters will then articulate a framework aligned with a Judeo-Christian worldview for implementing mindfulness-based interventions. Suggested practices and approaches will be presented and participants will be invited to process session content together through dialogue. After this time of sharing and processing, the session will close with presenters welcoming participants’ questions.

Personal/Social
Issues in Counseling
Social Emotional Learning

Robert Rice, Navina Vemuri, Sarah Connelly, and Alan Pendrick.

Elementary
Middle
Secondary
Counselor Educator, Supervisor

Motivational Interviewing (MI): A Beneficial Skill for School Counselors. In this session, attendees will discover the benefits of Motivational Interviewing (MI) applications for school counselors who face resistant students, ambivalent parents and challenging teachers. MI skills for supporting positive change will be exhibited in this experiential presentation. Presenters will explain aspects of MI, demonstrate MI in action, and discuss effective usage in the school setting. Resources for using and learning MI will be provided

Description

Parents, teachers, and students often find it difficult to trust school personnel and as a result are often resistant to interventions and movement to positive change (Reinke, et al., 2011). Working with students who are self-injurious, disruptive, or disengaged can be difficult and stressful for school counselors. Planting seeds is made even harder when students are stuck and confused. Even in conferences that are designed to help students move toward success, difficulties can arise when the adults are ambivalent or confrontational (Brigman, Mullis, Webb, & White, 2005). Equipping school counselors with MI skills may help school counselors see more success with difficult populations.

 

Researchers have found Motivational Interviewing (MI) can provide an effective method for reaching this population and moving them towards change. If school counselors have mastered basic counseling skills, use compassion, and employ MI skills, they can learn motivational skills that will enhance their practice (Frey, et al., 2013; Frey, Sims, & Alvarez, 2013; Atkinson & Woods, 2003). Motivational interviewing can aid in working with disaffected students and perplexing consultations with adults by helping them clarify goals, commit to interventions, and sustain follow-through (Herman, et. al., 2014; Miller & Rollnick, 2013; Naar-King & Suarez, 2011).

 

Through a PowerPoint slide show, role play demonstrations, group discussions, and handouts/resources, participants will learn about motivational interviewing applications in school settings.  Participants will learn how Motivational Interviewing (MI) can assist school counselors when working students, teachers, and parents who are resistant or ambivalent to change or simply stuck. Participants will examine the use of: the MI RULES, MI Spirit, OARS, and MI fundamental strategies that can be used in schools. After this session, participants will be able to identify ways to blend MI with other intervention models (to include individual sessions, consultations and RTI).

 

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

• discover how MI can aid in establishing a collaborative relationship with teachers, parents, or students.
• gain insights into the basic skills of MI: the MI spirit, the rules of MI, and OARS.
• recognize the fundamental MI processes and strategies for removing barriers to change.
• learn a new way of removing the barriers to change and motivation when working with parents and teachers in the consultation model.

Tools for working smarter, not harder
Academics
Personal/Social
Issues in Counseling
College Readiness
Academic Achievement
Social Emotional Learning

Tonya Dedeaux and McKenzie Lawson

Elementary
Middle
Secondary
Independent
Counselor Educator, Supervisor

School counselors recognize that there is often a stigma that surrounds mental health issues as well as how that stigma is a hindrance to so many students as they seek support and assistance. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about ways to “stop the stigma and start the conversation” about mental health awareness through student-lead, school-wide programming.

My Mind Matters (or M3) is a student-led mental health awareness initiative started at Woodward Academy. The stigma that surrounds mental health is paralyzing to teens who need help. As we know, teen mental health concerns are becoming continually more prevalent, which creates great barriers to their academic and personal success when left untreated. It is important they our students are empowered and educated to seek the assistance they need as well as help their friends. M3 was started in an attempt to normalize the conversation around mental health on our campus.

M3 is planned and executed by a student board comprised of upperclassmen. This board is facilitated by two school counselors. Under the board, there are three operating committees: Events, Community Outreach, and Advertising.  An application process is implemented to select members for our various committees, each led by student board members. The board and their committees meet weekly to plan our programming. Since students know best how to engage their peers, their leadership is very important to the success of this initiative.

Year-long planning culminates with “M3 Week” during Spring semester. The typical structure of the week is that each day there is a mental condition that is highlighted. Students use the school tv broadcast system, lunch-n-learns, assemblies, and classroom lessons to educate students on various mental conditions. Subsequently, each day during common lunch hour, additional activities are planned for the entire student body. Some examples of activities are therapy dog visits, therapeutic drumming, painting and journaling, a silent disco, and yoga. We have also had speakers, such as Kevin Hines, as well as documentary screenings, like Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety.

During this session, attendees will learn about how to implement an M3 Student Committee and plan and execute school-wide programming around mental health awareness. We will begin with an “ice breaker” activity, “When I say ___________, I really mean…”, that highlights the importance of using appropriate language when expressing mental distress to avoid contributing to the stigma surrounding mental illness. Next, in a short presentation, we will provide an overview of our committee structure/development, program planning, implementation, and evaluation. We will end the presentation with a game show activity we do during our M3 Week. In conclusion, we would like to provide time for questions and small group brainstorming. While our programming is adaptable regardless of level or classification, we want participants to walk away confident and excited about implementing a mental health awareness initiative that fits their school.

Learning Objectives

1. Audience will learn how to engage students in mental health awareness programming in school.
2. Audience will learn how to plan and execute mental health programming in their school
3. Audience will learn how to utilize a student committee to carry out the activities of mental health awareness.

Session Outcomes

1. Participants will walk away with sample activities that can serve as a blueprint for a mental health awareness week program.
2. Participants will learn how to incorporate students into school counseling outreach.

Opportunities for Audience Participation

•  game show
• “When I say I’m___________” activity
•  group brainstorming

 

Handouts/Resources

• Outline of a sample My Mind Matters Week
• Programming post-test/survey
• Sample marketing materials

ASCA Model
Personal/Social
Issues in Counseling
Social Emotional Learning

Dwayne Hobbs

Secondary

---

This session is designed for high school counselors who want to understand the standards, guidelines, operating procedures, and requirements for the WBL program.  Successes will be shared along with statistics and current challenges. Find out how you can help make the program in your school be the best it can be.  

This session is designed for high school counselors who want to understand the standards, guidelines, operating procedures, and requirements for the WBL program. Successes will be shared along with statistics and current challenges. Find out how you can help make the program in your school be the best it can be.

College Readiness

Sarah Kitchens

Elementary
Middle
Secondary
Counselor Educator, Supervisor

This presentation focuses on the impact of poverty on student achievement and steps school counselors can take to help student’s living in poverty to overcome barriers.

Expected session outcomes: Participants will gain:
1) Knowledge about students living in poverty with information about educational and personal barriers unique to this population
2) Ideas on how to access their bias toward individual living in poverty
3) Ideas on how to become social advocates within their school system
4) Strategies to increase student success with additional ideas how to implement these strategies into established guidance programs.

The goal of this presentation is to provide school counselors with steps to help students overcome the barriers associated with living in poverty.

Academics
Personal/Social
Issues in Counseling
Rural Counselors
Academic Achievement

Dr. Tamika Hibbert, Mrs. Keala Edwards-Cooper

Secondary
Independent
Counselor Educator, Supervisor
Post-secondary/Admissions

The goal of this session is to provide information to Professional School Counselors, Counselor Educators, Supervisors, Counseling Students, College Advisors and Educators concerning the various strategies that can be applied to assist undocumented high school students through the post-secondary process.  Participants will receive information regarding the associated ethical approaches and legal policies.

The audience will be provided with a summary of the current standing of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the H.R.496 - BRIDGE Act. Topics explored will include: Establishing a high school graduation plan, reviewing the post-secondary options, family group counseling sessions, identifying community based resources and exploring the associated post-secondary options and steps for matriculation. The audience will receive a variety of information that school counselors/ counselor educators can use to identify and support students, parents and guardians in the educational environment who identified as being undocumented. The audience members will also be given the opportunity to ask questions and review the shared information.  The overall objective is to enhance participant’s awareness, enabling partakers to use the information obtained from the session to advocate for undocumented students in the educational setting.

Academics
Personal/Social
Issues in Counseling
Graduate Students
Rural Counselors
Career Development
College Readiness
Academic Achievement

Laura Spencer, LPC

Elementary
Middle
Secondary

Under Pressure: 

How much is too much and what can we as counselors do to support our students and parents? Join Ivy Creek Elementary School Counselors and former Mill Creek High School student/current UGA student as we delve into the variying ways students from Elementary through college face pressures and what we as professioanal cousnelors can do to help.

 

We plan to start with burning questions: 

• Is there a difference between “good pressure” and “bad pressure”?

• How can I tell when my child is under too much or inappropriate stress?

• Are kids really experiencing more pressure than I did as a child?

• Does pressure trickle down from adults to children?

 

 

• In what ways am I unintentionally placing stress on my child?

• How can parents know the difference between pushing their children to fulfill their potential vs. overloading/overwhelming them and causing harm unintentionally?

• Is childhood onset anxiety a real thing?

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1JTLv3Fi8bBJy-DHH3irnEcE2YiJWQcqgaigNDanSD34/edit?usp=sharing

 

 

Academics
Personal/Social
Academic Achievement
Social Emotional Learning

Dianne Acuña Thompson

Elementary
Middle
Secondary
Independent
Counselor Educator, Supervisor
Post-secondary/Admissions

At Decatur HS our mindset is Whatever It Takes!  Come learn how The Decatur Student Center was created by using data and student voice to identify & meet student needs beyond the classroom through community collaboration, university partnerships and innovative programming to provide wrap around services for all students.  

The presentation will discuss:

-logistics of designing a center

-how data was transformed into programming

-on-going data collection

-how to collect student voice

Elements of presentation:

-small and large group discussion

-lecture

-experiential learning

-ppt (or prezi)

-handouts

-Q&A

Tools for working smarter, not harder
Academics
Personal/Social
Graduate Students
Career Development
CCRPI
College Readiness
Academic Achievement
Social Emotional Learning
Information Technology