Statewide School Counselor Cadre Set for June 10
The Statewide School Counselor Cadre is set for 9 a.m.-noon ET on June. This will be the final statewide cadre this school year. Each regional cooperative will send registration information soon.
Our focus will be on watching the Indieflix movie "Angst," which raises awareness for anxiety. Collaborative time in small groups also will be used to help school counselors create a plan of how to use this information within their own setting for the next school year.
This cadre also will create an annual agreement to help drive collaboration with their administrators.
 Kentucky's Student Advisory Council hears updates on student mental health work, new college-going campaign
(FRANKFORT, KY) – The Kentucky Department of Education’s (KDE’s) Commissioner’s Student Advisory Council heard updates on student mental health work and discussed a new Higher Education Matters Campaign launched by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education at its March 22 meeting.
Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman and Heather Dearing, deputy chief of staff for Coleman, shared student mental health data from across the Commonwealth, which had led Coleman’s office to prioritize improving mental health and increase access to mental health resources. Coleman and Dearing also shared data from the student-led mental health action summits that took place across the state last fall.
“We wanted to make sure that we were working to collectively and adequately prepare to meet the needs of students,” said Coleman.
The action summits were planned and designed in partnership with the Commissioner's Student Advisory Council, educational cooperatives, the Kentucky Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities, and the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services’ Division of Family Resource Youth Services Centers.
Over 300 students from grades 6 through 12 attended the 10 summits last year.
Members of the Student Advisory Council analyzed every response to questions asked during the summits and came up with recommendations to improve student mental health in Kentucky schools.
Responses indicated that students want help but are not sure how or where to access it. Students said they need greater access to mental health clinicians in schools and updated suicide prevention training. The responses also showed that students feel overwhelmed and want schools to allow for mental health to be an excused absence for students and staff.
Student Advisory Council members shared their recommendations which include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Six excused mental health days per school year;
- Allocating funding for a licensed mental health professional to be on school campuses at all times in every K-12 school;
- Peer mentoring for students who aren’t comfortable talking to an adult;
- Requiring updated evidence-based and discussion-based mental health curriculum to foster a stigma-free environment;
- Making suicide prevention materials and resources available in every classroom and administrative office, and implementing regularly updated suicide prevention curriculum at least twice a year;
- Using trauma-informed curriculum to be mindful and respectful when addressing the needs of students regarding eating disorders;
- Requiring schools and/or districts to provide student mental health check-ins that allow students to express their emotions and needs confidentially at least once a month;
- Schedule time throughout the day and year to account for mental health and give academic and transitional breaks;
- Incorporating student voice into all levels of decision-making through tiered interventions and instructional methods; and
- Recognizing and respecting students’ preferred pronouns and using gender inclusive language in schools.
Dearing asked for feedback on next steps. Students said the data and recommendations should be shared statewide.
Council member Solyana Mesfin, a senior at Eastern High School (Jefferson County), mentioned visiting all the cooperative regions to share data from the summits, as well as getting feedback from students about what the next steps should be.
“I know we have sent all the data back, but I think it would be nice if we could discuss the data with the students and also get their perspective on how to move forward,” she said.
Shout Outs!
- Many counties are making strides to ensure school counselors have more time dedicated to appropriate duties by removing many ARCs and special education tasks. These counties include Lawrence County, Christian County, Allen County, Jefferson County and Fayette County!
- Highland Elementary (Glasgow Independent) (@Highlandelem) is implementing social-emotional learning with fidelity using the multi-tiered system of supports.
- Western Kentucky Counselors' Association (@WKCAssociation) is gaining ground for all mental health providers! Their annual retreat featured topics including trauma-informed practices, self-care and strategies to train staff for a schoolwide integrated mental health model.
- Maryville Elementary (Bullitt County) had its annual career fair coordinated by school counselor Kaet Barron. An entire week was dedicated to college/career readiness, including a focus on Kentucky's 16 Career Clusters and SEL!
Jon Gordon has many positive insights to education including self-care, leadership, teambuilding and remembering your why!
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