Mental Health Collaboration Webinar
By WySCA | October 2020
School and Community Mental Health Collaboration Webinar (for WySCA members only)
Wednesday November 18, 4:00-5:00 pm
Presented by April Petty (shown L) and Shelly McCord Shepherd (shown R), this webinar will focus on the importance of collaboration between the school counselor and outside mental health providers. This is critical in order to best serve the student/client needs and ensure continuity of supports. The focus of school counseling is to provide student interventions in the areas of academic, social/emotional and career supports. Ultimately, school counseling interventions encourage school and personal success. This includes identifying and intervening with students and families who are in at-risk populations while advocating for the services needed for all students. Community mental health therapy focus is on the challenges that the individual might be having from a mental health perspective, and working with the families to support and meet the client’s needs. In both settings, the importance of family involvement or caregiver interaction should be encouraged.
When collaborating, the counselors need to ensure that the appropriate releases have been signed by the parents or student, depending on the age of the student or client. Sharing strategies, interventions being attempted and information for the well-being of the student while focusing the intervention across settings is invaluable. This also lets the individual receiving services know that they have a team working together in their best interests. This collaboration can include teachers, school nurses, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychologists and other providers. Good mental health collaboration can significantly impact the quality of services provided to our students, clients and their families or caregivers.
All of this and more will be included in the presentation, with time at the end for comments and questions.
April Petty, MS, LPC, NCC, is a school counselor in Douglas, WY. April has been a school counselor for eight years and currently focuses her work with students in grades 4 and 5. April is also a long-term, active member of WySCA who previously served as president and is currently the WySCA treasurer. During her involvement in WySCA, she has also been a significant part of the annual conference preparation and onsite support.
Shelly McCord Shepherd, MS, LPC, NCC, OTR/L, is currently in her fifth year as a mental health counselor in Laramie. Previously, Shelly worked for 10 years as a school counselor in Albany county and was the adjunct instructor for the School Counseling-II course at the University of Wyoming for several years while being a guest speaker in several other counseling classes. Shelly is the post-secondary representative to WySCA and co-chair of the advocacy committee. She also remains a part-time school district employee providing occupational therapy services.
Wednesday November 18, 4:00-5:00 pm
Presented by April Petty (shown L) and Shelly McCord Shepherd (shown R), this webinar will focus on the importance of collaboration between the school counselor and outside mental health providers. This is critical in order to best serve the student/client needs and ensure continuity of supports. The focus of school counseling is to provide student interventions in the areas of academic, social/emotional and career supports. Ultimately, school counseling interventions encourage school and personal success. This includes identifying and intervening with students and families who are in at-risk populations while advocating for the services needed for all students. Community mental health therapy focus is on the challenges that the individual might be having from a mental health perspective, and working with the families to support and meet the client’s needs. In both settings, the importance of family involvement or caregiver interaction should be encouraged.When collaborating, the counselors need to ensure that the appropriate releases have been signed by the parents or student, depending on the age of the student or client. Sharing strategies, interventions being attempted and information for the well-being of the student while focusing the intervention across settings is invaluable. This also lets the individual receiving services know that they have a team working together in their best interests. This collaboration can include teachers, school nurses, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychologists and other providers. Good mental health collaboration can significantly impact the quality of services provided to our students, clients and their families or caregivers.
All of this and more will be included in the presentation, with time at the end for comments and questions.
April Petty, MS, LPC, NCC, is a school counselor in Douglas, WY. April has been a school counselor for eight years and currently focuses her work with students in grades 4 and 5. April is also a long-term, active member of WySCA who previously served as president and is currently the WySCA treasurer. During her involvement in WySCA, she has also been a significant part of the annual conference preparation and onsite support.
Shelly McCord Shepherd, MS, LPC, NCC, OTR/L, is currently in her fifth year as a mental health counselor in Laramie. Previously, Shelly worked for 10 years as a school counselor in Albany county and was the adjunct instructor for the School Counseling-II course at the University of Wyoming for several years while being a guest speaker in several other counseling classes. Shelly is the post-secondary representative to WySCA and co-chair of the advocacy committee. She also remains a part-time school district employee providing occupational therapy services.