Counselor Connection--January 4
Education Service Center Region 15
Sparkle and Shine
- The Houston Zoo’s oldest resident, Mr. Pickles, a 90-year-old endangered tortoise, welcomed three babies—Dill, Gherkin, and Jalapeño—with his 53-year-old wife, Mrs. Pickles.
- Austinite Kayleigh Williamson completed the New York City Marathon just a year after becoming the first person with Down syndrome to finish the Austin Marathon.
- Octogenarian best friends Ellie Hamby, of Abilene, and Sandy Hazelip, of nearby Eastland, traveled around the world in eighty days, visiting eighteen countries and all seven continents and along the way became social media stars known as the “traveling grannies.”
If you are in one of the counties for Three Rivers Counseling Association, please remember to nominate one of your students for the Student Tribute Award as well! These are due January 5th!
Brownwood ISD:
Brownwood Middle School
Coggin Elementary
East Elementary
Northwest Elementary
Woodland Heights Elementary
San Angelo ISD:
Austin Elementary
Carver Learning Center
Lincoln Middle School
Lone Star Middle School
Lake View High School
January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month
here are many exciting and impactful events happening this January across Texas and the United States. Please see this participation guide to join the fight against human trafficking.
Wear Blue Day
January 11 is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, also known as Wear Blue Day. DFPS invites you to take photos of yourself or with friends, family, and colleagues while wearing blue. Then, share those photos through social media. Please use #WearBlueDay, tag DFPS in your post by using the handle @TexasDFPS, and email your photos to HumanTrafficking@dfps.texas.gov. Anyone can participate. All you need is something blue!
You can learn more about human trafficking at TexasEndHumanTrafficking.org.
The West Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking will be hosting a lunch and learn next week. Come and learn more about how to recognize human trafficking and what to do if you suspect that human trafficking is occurring. Please use the following link to reserve your spot: https://bit.ly/htlandl. Please bring your own lunch if you so choose, as lunch will not be provided.
You Might Be a School Counselor If...
You've probable heard of Jeff Foxworthy's "You Might Be a Redneck If...", but what about "You Might Be a School Counselor If..."? People just don't believe the outrageous things that school counselors do, so let's see what we can come up with! Submit your outrageous school counselor antics here and we will compile them all to share. See Gerry Brooks video below for some inspiration!
State Foster Care Office Hours
There will be Statewide Foster Care Office Hours offered in 2023-2024. The purpose of the office hours is to provide the state with an opportunity to have an open conversation and technical assistance consultation related to supporting the education of students in foster care. Topics of discussion will center around questions, concerns, issues, and effective practices to support the learning and LEA requirements for students in foster care.
State Foster Care Office Hours
January 11, 2024 – 10:00 am – 11 am CST – Register
If you have any questions, please email fostercareliaison@tea.texas.gov.
Foster Care Liaison Appointment Reminder
Each school district and open-enrollment charter school in Texas is required to appoint at least one employee to act as an LEA Foster Care Liaison (TEC § 33.904). Both districts and open-enrollment charter schools must keep their LEA Foster Care Liaison's name and contact information updated in AskTED (Ask Texas Education Directory). It is important to take time before the start of each school year to ensure your LEA Foster Care Liaison’s contact information is up to date (and update during the school year, if the contact changes).
How to update information in AskTED:
Districts: Please submit the liaison information to your district’s AskTED administrator. Include the liaison’s name, email address and phone number.
Charter Schools: Please submit the liaison information to the TEA Charter School Division directly via (512) 463-9575 or CharterSchools@tea.texas.gov. Make sure you include the liaison’s name, email address, and phone number. This information will be added to the AskTED directory for you.
More information on the Foster Care Liaison requirement can be found on TEA’s Foster Care website or in the Foster Care and Student Success Resource Guide Chapter 5.
New Foster Care Resources
School of Origin Determination
This document defines school of origin, related timelines, best-interest, and related scenarios for making school of origin determinations.
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires designated points of contact for child welfare and education agencies to support school stability for students in foster care (i.e., education best-interest, transportation coordination). The Texas Department of Family Protective Services (DFPS) Educational Specialist serves as the Child Welfare Point of Contact for ESSA purposes. Similarly, the LEA Point of Contact for ESSA, in most instances, is the LEA Foster Care Liaison. This tool maps out the processes, expectations, and timelines for both the education and child welfare systems for communicating this information annually.
Education Best Interest Decision Making
This Education-Best Interest Decision-Making tool maps out the processes and expectations for how child welfare and education systems are to work together to make education best-interest decisions, as required by ESSA. The chart describes a variety of child welfare scenarios, details regarding who and when the school will be contacted, what type of information will be collected and clarifies timelines for follow-up, and related information sharing to support collaborative educational best-interest decisions.
ESSA requires an expedited dispute resolution process between education and child welfare for Foster Care related matters. This tool maps out the expectations for how child welfare and education systems should work together to resolve issues expeditiously, first addressing the matter locally and escalating to the state if an agreement is not reached. The dispute resolution process should be fair to all parties and reached in an expeditious manner.
The Texas Mental Health Creative Arts Contest
Submissions open December 1st. This year’s theme is “Why Does Mental Health Matter to You?” The entry categories are original artwork, writing, and photography. The contest is open to students and adults. Visit https://gallery.txsystemofcare.org/ for more information.
2 More Days for Nominations and RSVP!
It is time to save the date for the Three Rivers Counseling Association Counselor Appreciation Luncheon scheduled for Tuesday, February 13th from 11:30-1:00 pm at the Angelo State University LeGrand Center. Three Rivers serves counselors in the following counties: Coke, Coleman, Concho, Crockett, Irion, Runnels, Schleicher, Sterling, Sutton, Tom Green.
The luncheon is a time to celebrate our local school and private counselors, our students who have persevered, and award the TRCA scholarship. We are also excited to finally be able to bring back a luncheon style celebration. Therefore it is imperative that you RSVP for the luncheon no later than January 24th, 2024 using this link: https://forms.gle/6iMk7uuACXMuHSTZ8
ALL NOMINATIONS AND SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN JANUARY 5TH, 2024
COUNSELOR NOMINATIONS:
Each year we recognize those in our community that contribute to the counseling field or help support counselors. Anyone can nominate for the awards listed below. Please feel free to forward the nomination link to others (i.e. - School Principals, Assistant Principals, Teachers, and outside agencies).
Nomination Link: https://forms.gle/uGdvbZ4KSeU1wajc8
Elementary School Counselor of the Year
Middle School Counselor of the Year
High School Counselor of the Year
Multi-Level School Counselor of the Year
Gabriel (Jimmy) Alvarez Professional Private Practice Counselor of the Year
Friend of Counseling
Agency Counselor of the Year
STUDENT TRIBUTE NOMINATION:
Each year we also take time to recognize students who have shown perseverance in overcoming obstacles. Only TRCA members can nominate students for these awards.
Nomination Link: https://forms.gle/euqGWNn2HEwQJcA58
Elementary Student Tribute Award
Middle School Student Tribute Award
High School Student Tribute Award
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:
Last, TRCA awards one high school senior and one counseling graduate student a TRCA Scholarship. This scholarship award is based on an essay response to a specific prompt.
This essay can be submitted in two ways:
- TRCA Scholarship Application Link: https://forms.gle/evg21SbzbCz6HXgy9
- Email responses to Lanna Hubbard @ lhubbard@howardcollege.edu with the Subject: TRCA Scholarship Response
All award recipients will be notified no later than January 19th, 2024.
FREE WEBINAR: The Hatching Hour: Harvesting Opportunities to Support Your Students' College and Career Dreams
Every family deserves the opportunity to access and maximize their students’ college and career dreams to their fullest potential. However, the educational attainment level across different ethnic groups shows significant gaps across marginalized student populations. Intended to inspire action, this webinar pulls from Homero’s experience as a counselor education professor, school counselor for sixteen years K-12, and overcoming poverty as an immigrant, migrant farmworker, first-generation college student, and English Language Learner. Your school district can maximize all students' options despite the adversity they face every day with Homero's five-step process for planning and delivering Tier 1 school counseling lessons.
Date/Time
Tuesday, January 9, 2024
9am-10am PT / 12pm-1pm ET
Presented By
Homero M. Magaña
Professor, Department of Counselor Education
California Lutheran University
Learning Objectives
- Learn the five steps district and school administrators must take to consult and collaborate with school counselors to implement a radically successful Tier 1 college and career planning system for middle school and high school families.
- Discover how innovative collaboration can maximize college and career planning and time for all your families, school counselors, and school administration.
Leave with your own plan to take action and increase self-confidence to support your school counselors, students, and families.
Due Date Extension - House Bill 3 College Preparation Assessments: TSIA Reimbursement
House Bill 3 (HB 3) college preparation assessment reimbursement, enacted by the 86thLegislature, permits the state to provide a one-time reimbursement to districts for the cost of administering one college preparation assessment (SAT, ACT or TSIA) per eligible student. Estimated funding is advanced to districts annually in the fall Foundation School Program (FSP) funding. Each year, TEA reconciles these funds for April settle-up.
More information about this policy is covered in depth in the HB 3 SAT, ACT, and TSIA Reimbursement FAQs. Importantly, for the 2022-2023 school year, eligible students are as follows:
- Seniors who take either the SAT, ACT, or TSIA from September 1, 2022 – July 31, 2023.
- Juniors who take either the SAT, ACT, or TSIA from January 1, 2022 – July 31, 2023.
Note: August 2022 test administrations will be submitted and considered in the 2022-2023 process.
SAT and ACT school day participants are automatically considered for reimbursement. TEA has a separate request process for districts who would like to request reimbursement for the SAT and ACT national day testing. If multiple records of a student are reported, TEA will reimburse the highest cost exam per eligible student. If multiple records of a student are reported from several districts, the first district will be considered.
If the TSIA is the highest cost exam for a student for which the district paid and would like reimbursement, then the district must request a reimbursement from the agency using the process outlined in this document.
A request for reimbursement does not guarantee a reimbursement will be administered. After receiving all requests for TSIA and SAT/ACT, TEA will validate requests and reconcile funding accordingly. TEA recommends that districts retain all back-up documentation on district policies, decisions, and payments in the event of an audit.
Only one file per district will be accepted. TEA will not accept individual campus requests.
The survey can be complete by utilizing this link:
https://tea.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5olFD4XAhDFpsvY
The extended due date for submission is January 30, 2024 at 11:59PM CST.
For additional information or questions related to this bulletin, please contact TSIAReimbursements@tea.texas.gov.
Highly Mobile and At-Risk 2023-24 Quarterly Webinars
Greetings from the Highly Mobile and At-Risk (HMAR) Student Programs Division. We hope you are having an excellent start to the new school year. It is our pleasure to invite you to join us for our annual series of informative quarterly webinars for the 2023-24 school year. The first webinar is just a few weeks away and we're kicking off the year with some exciting information including:
- Reminders, tips, suggestions, best practices, program updates and announcements intended to help prepare students for a strong start to the year;
- Legislative updates from the 88th Legislature regarding Highly Mobile and At-Risk student populations with implications for professional practice;
- Highly Mobile students and the implications for campus accountability; and
- much more!
HMAR Quarterly Webinar #3 | February 15, 2024 | 1:00pm – 2:30pm | Register Here
HMAR Quarterly Webinar #4 | May 2, 2024 | 1:00pm – 2:30pm | Register Here
TACAC Webinars
Helping Students Plan a Meaningful Summer
Wednesday, February 7, 2024
9:00-10:00 am CST
Hear from high school counselors about ways to work with students to plan engaging, meaningful summers.
Unpacking and Helping Students and Families Understand Financial Aid Offers
Wednesday, March 6, 2024
9:00-10:00 am CST
Hear from college admissions and financial aid officers to learn how high school counselors can help students and families understand the details of and compare offers from different schools.
San Antonio, here we come! The 19th Annual Professional School Counselor Conference will be held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio on Feb. 4-6, 2024. Next year's theme is Let's Sparkle and Shine! We hope to see you there! #CelebratingBrilliance2024
Virtual Bullying and Cyberbullying Training
Preventing bullying and mitigating its impact begins with a strong understanding of the legal landscape of Texas bullying laws. This virtual Bullying and Cyberbullying Training, offered in collaboration with Safer Schools Together, will walk participants through all Texas bullying and cyberbullying laws, including behaviors that may apply to suspected bullying situations, such as assault, harassment, hazing, stalking, sextortion, dating violence, and related federal laws. Participants will explore Texas mandated expectations for campus staff, rights of victims and parents, related penal code, and determining when behaviors go beyond student discipline and into criminal behavior. Participants will also learn about how bullying manifests on and off campus and how to plan and respond with actionable strategies.
View Dates and RegisterUpcoming Sessions at ESC
Youth Mental Health First Aid
West Texas Centers MHMR in Big Spring will be offering the following Mental Health First Aid sessions. If you have any questions, please contact Ida Hambrick at ida.hambrick@wtcmhmr.org.
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
Stephanie Soto
(325) 658-6571
Dava Rabb
(325) 658-6571 ext. 2120