Office of School Counseling
Friday Sendoff - May 1, 2020
Announcements
**NEW** FREE Mental/Physical Health Resources For Adults AND Children
Give an Hour and the Campaign to Change Direction want to underscore the importance of mental health during this time. Resources include tips for dealing with grief/loss, work from home tips, and a self-care for kids activity book. Download the free resources for both emotional health and physical health here.
**NEW** FREE Guided Meditations in English and Spanish
UCLA has created a free app for download on both Apple and Android. The guided meditations range from beginner stage to more advanced.
**NEW** Free showers for the homeless - 2 locations
**NEW** Virtual Tools from Russ Sabella
Professor and ASCA presenter Russ Sabella provides tech tools for those who want to spice up their virtual counseling presence. This is optional.
https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1RrvSzLDOcK_IA9KgmmxmmMOV5MdtkeJkoYo3owqY_Po/mobilebasic
**NEW** Join us! Free virtual "Lunch & Learn" series to boost your mental health
**NEW** Family Navigator and Kinship Navigator Services ARE available now!
Kinship Navigator services are available to provide support to families living in Baltimore County who are raising a relative’s child/children (i.e., grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings). They do not need to meet the below criteria.
Family Navigator services are available to provide support to families living in Baltimore County who meet the following criteria:
- If a family has a caregiver who has been incarcerated at any time during the child's life, you can refer! The Family Navigator will reach out to the family, develop a plan of action and help connect the family with community resources.
- If a youth is between 18 and 24 and no longer enrolled in school and not working, we can work with that youth.
As long as a family meets the above criteria they can support and connect the family resources, even if they don't currently need anything related to incarceration. A Family Navigator can:
- Identify the family strengths
- Clarify the concerns and challenges
- Provide emotional support
- Identify resources
- Make phone calls to service providers
- Provide guidance in completing forms and applications
- Discuss strategies for addressing school issues
- Accompany the family to meetings when appropriate
- Empower families to speak up and articulate their concerns and needs
- Follow-up with families and assist with problems that may arise after initial linkages have been made
Fact sheet, brochure, and referral form are attached below.
**NEW** Virtual Calming Room
This Virtual Calming Room was designed to assist in identifying different strategies for managing emotions. We hope these tools will provide helpful outlets and practices for when life gets tough.
**NEW** Create Your Own Visual Check in/Check out for Virtual Meetings
Telehealth Services Available Though Kennedy Krieger Behavioral Health
The Department of Behavior Psychology at Kennedy Krieger Institute is offering extensive telehealth services available to all patients in order to provide mental health and behavioral services to families during the COVID 19 pandemic. They provide evidence based assessment and treatment for children and adolescents from 18 months to 21 years of age with a wide range of physical, emotional, behavioral, and learning needs. Common areas of focus include, tantrums, noncompliance, lack of routine, parent-child conflicts, sibling conflicts, anxiety, depression, coping skills, eat and sleeping difficulties. This is an excellent resource for your families who are struggling and have not had success with other clinicians or treatments. Please share this resource with families as you see fit for your community. Clinicians are available now – there is NO wait.
Additionally, their psychologists are available to host a FREE webinar to teachers and/or parents about behavior management at home, scheduling daily routines, increasing compliance, or any other topics of interest. If you are interested in organizing a webinar for your school staff and/or families, contact Parwinder Kaur at KaurP@kennedykrieger.org or 443-923-7341.
Children’s Mental Health Matters Campaign May 3 – 9, 2020
The Children’s Mental Health Matters campaign brings together non-profits, schools, and other agencies with the following goals: raising public awareness of the importance of children’s mental health and substance use, helping reduce the stigma of mental health, and connecting families, educators and providers throughout Maryland with resources to help children. This statewide campaign is co-sponsored by the Mental Health Association of Maryland and the Maryland Coalition of Families.
Historically the campaign information and activities are coordinated by a champion in each school. Due to the educational changes associated with COVID-19, this year the campaign’s focus is to reach families at home, rather than students in school. Over the next few weeks leading up to Awareness Week, the campaign will post weekly themed resources that will benefit families and educators called Mental Health Mondays. Each Monday focuses on a different mental health topic providing activities and resources.
Please help spread the word to staff and families about this campaign. Information on the campaign and Mental Health Mondays can be accessed at www.childrensmentalhealthmatters.org
Elementary School Counselors
**NEW** School Locks
**NEW** FREE book available for download!
Why We Stay At Home is a children’s book illustrating the importance of staying safe during the COVID 19 pandemic. Please share with families and staff.
High School Department Chairs
** Naviance Senior Survey
– See the attachment below for a senior survey questions. The built in grad survey data populates the following district/school reports in Naviance. There isn't a way to just pull only their responses for the 5 questions.
- Student outcomes report
- College application reports
- Scholarship report
Secondary Counselors
**NEW** Recording from Crossroads Liaison Meeting
View the recording: Crossroads Center Liaison Meeting. Contact Melina Donna with questions about the Crossroads enrollment process.
**NEW** Interested in a Profession in Culinary Arts?
College Counselors
**NEW** FSA College Scorecard Webinar
Federal Student Aid enclosed slides from their webinar, however due to technical difficulties they’re unable to provide the recording. Information for students and parents can also be found at https://studentaid.gov/. For college access professionals visit: https://financialaidtoolkit.ed.gov/
**NEW** The Bernice Johnson Scholarship Application -
**NEW** Naviance Senior survey
See the attachment below for a senior survey questions. The built in grad survey data populates the following district/school reports in Naviance. There isn't a way to just pull only their responses for the 5 questions.
- Student outcomes report
- College application reports
- Scholarship report
**NEW** FAFSA completion lists
Sharon will continue to share the most up to date version of your completion list. As a reminder, students with INCOMPLETE applications started the FAFSA, but for some reason did not finish it. There could be many reasons, including the need to import parent information and/or signatures. Another flag is the PARTIAL match, which occurs when one or more of the search fields from your excel (first name, last name, zip code, DOB and high school) don’t match with what they entered in the FAFSA application. Most common is entering Sam for Samuel or Samantha on the FASFA or if a student has two last names.
The goal would be for you to check with all students but you may want to start with students who have incomplete as this may prevent them from getting an award letter or their aid being processed later on.
**NEW** Morgan State University Application Fee Waiver Notice
MSU waived its application fee until November 15, 2020. The application fee waiver code is FREE20. Please click the link below for more information about the fee waiver, acceptance of unofficial transcripts, test score submissions, the opportunity for a live chat with an admission representative, their virtual campus tour, and much more!
**NEW** Virtual CCBC Admissions - UPDATED FORMS
CCBC admissions counselors are excited to continue working with your seniors to finalize their post-secondary plans. Please contact your CCBC admissions rep to schedule a date for your virtual instant admissions day. Seniors should complete their CCBC online application using the attached directions PRIOR to their appointment time with the admissions counselor. After the senior consults with them, you can review their FAFSA completion to ensure its complete and has CCBC listed as one of the receiving schools. If you have any questions, please contact your Specialist
BCPS Hub Information
Recently added Hub items
- BCPS CONNECTS: STAFF SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, AND WELLNESS VIRTUAL SUPPORTS DURING THE COVID-19 CLOSURE
- CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK AND MAY MIND OVER MATTERS CAMPAIGN
- OFFICE OF CERTIFICATION
BCPS Counselors Good News & Inspiration
Our Counselors Are The Best!!!!
From New Town High
COVID Chronicles: Glenmar Elementary
Want to share good news or have something for the COVID chronicles?
Professional Development
Teachers and counselors must engage in a minimum of two hours of virtual professional learning each week during the closure. Please document your participation in your Outlook calendar.
**NEW** ASCA Pop Up Webinar: Support Seniors Virtually Through the College Admissions Process 5/7/20 @ 12:00-1:00
**NEW** ASCA Pop Up Webinar: Making Data Work 5/15/20 @ 1:00-2:00
**NEW** ASCA Pop Up Webinar: Making MTSS Work 6/18/20 @ 1:00–2:00
**NEW** Ten C’s Covering Compassionate COVID-19 Care 1 CEU on 5/19/20 @10:00 - 11:00
**NEW** Tips and Techniques for Online Therapy With Children 2 CEU's on 5/12/20 @11:00 - 1:00. Use code COREPLAY10 for a discount.
**NEW** Trauma Rewiring: Overcome Maladaptive Defenses 1 CEU on 6/1/20 @ 8:00pm
**NEW** Creative Interventions For Play Therapy 3 CEU's on 6/8/20 @10:00am - 1:00pm
**NEW** Loyola is offering a fully online 1 credit Lauryn's Law summer course. (flyer attached below)
**NEW** 2020 Counselor Summer Institute
Registration is open for the 2020 Counselor Summer Institute.
Free, online summer institute will feature 12 brand-new sessions to get you up to speed on the current state of college admissions.
Attendees are eligible to earn CEU credit for all events. We understand if you can’t attend the sessions live, so all events will be recorded for viewing at your convenience.
**NEW** 6 credit CPD course available towards certification
BCPS is offering a Continuity of Learning course that’s available towards certification renewal. This doesn’t supplant the Lauryn’s Law or Special Education requirements so please check with your certification analyst if your certification expires June 30, 2020 to ensure you’ve satisfied those requirements. To register for the Continuity of Learning course for CPD credits, the details are here: https://bcpscloud.sharepoint.com/sites/news/SitePages/CONTINUITY-OF-LEARNING-MSDE-CPD-COURSE.aspx
Registration ends May 15, 2020
**NEW* How does trauma impact the body?
In this online course, discover the intricacies of applying ACT to trauma as well as learn how to use ACT to complement other trauma treatments. 6-Session Live Online Course | Fridays, starting May 15 Register Now
**NEW** Best Practices for Supporting Students, Teachers, and Parents
Watch the recording
If you weren't able to tune in this afternoon, you can Click here to watch the recording or here to view the presentation on the best practices for supporting students, teachers, and parents during social distancing due to COVID-19. We've also compiled the list of resources mentioned in the webinar below.
Resources:
https://learn.mindwise.org/social-distance
https://www.mindfulschools.org/
https://www.educatingmindfully.org/
https://www.stressedteens.com/
http://mindfullifeproject.org/
https://centerforadolescentstudies.com/
Websites
Traitify: https://bcps.traitify.com/
Other career-related websites:
https://www.bls.gov/k12/content/students/careers/career-exploration.htm
https://www.careeronestop.org/Videos/CareerVideos/career-videos.aspx?frd=true
https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs.html
https://www.cacareerzone.org/budget/
http://www.careersinthemilitary.com/
MD CAPS (MHEC): https://mdcaps.mhec.state.md.us/MDCAPS/login.aspx?c=-8586295899786270826&ReturnUrl=/MDCAPS/int/FinAid
College Covered resources for school counselors https://www.collegecovered.com/resources-for-counselors/
Schoology Access Codes
Elementary Counseling Curriculum: M4HSN-FCFN4
Secondary Counseling Curriculum: CFBV7-B6PCM
Threat Management: Q6RHK-WHHVC
College and Career Counseling: PFZD6-65N4V
Curriculum Updates: T7BM2-R8JSC
GSA Sponsors (LGBTQ+ resources): ZMBZ-4QXP-DKC89
Contact Information
Naviance Support: 1-866-337-0080 option 2 & support@naviance.com
Signup Genius Support: support@signupgenius.com
CPS phone number: 410.887.TIME
CPS email address: dhr.baltimorecountycps@maryland.gov
MHEC FAFSA Completion (MD CAPS): fafsa.mhec@maryland.gov