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As a future school counselor, the study of mental health is extremely important to me and my perspective students.  The state of Texas believes our students mental health is important including funds to be distributed to our schools to make sure our students are mentally healthy.

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Mrs. Lori Washburn is the College and Career Readiness Counselor at Pottsboro High School (PHS).  In her sixth year as counselor at PHS, Mrs. Washburn shares the counseling duties with her co-counselor, Mrs. Tandee Hughes.  Before becoming a high school counselor, Mrs. Washburn taught kindergarten, first grade, special education teacher at the high school level, and one year teaching various subjects at a discipline alternative school.  She also was an academic advisor at Texas A&M University in the psychology department.  She has approximately 125 students under her direction as co-counselor and heads up the college and career counseling center.  Other duties included as counselor are leading out in their freshmen orientation camp, 504 coordinator, and developing a safe school environment for all students.

Visiting with Mrs. Washburn and learning more about the different aspects of being a school counselor and the legal implications of helping students led to an overwhelming sense that the number one issue facing counselors and their students is in the area of mental health.  While helping with college admissions, testing, and career planning, a school counselor's job varies in several areas, and the area of mental health concerns Mrs. Washburn above all others.

Mental health and the training of school staff in the area of mental health identifies as Mrs. Washburn's biggest concern.  In the areas of "issues like anxiety and depression" are not being adequately addressed by parents, schools, and other mental health professionals.  Although her first job area revolved around college and career readiness, as the past years have shown her, Mrs. Washburn finds she is not trained enough to handle all the mental health issues concerns brought by students.  Hiring an Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in each district would be one of the first suggestions Mrs. Washburn would bring to any student considering becoming a school counselor.  This is one of the major reasons Mrs. Washburn decided to purchase and train with her counseling dog, Loki.

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The American School Counselor Association's web site:  https://schoolcounselor.org/ has many resources related to students, their mental health, and the latest information about how school counselors can help them.  The school counselor magazine, which is part of the web site contains timely information on all different aspects of school counseling, not just mental health.

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Education Week

This article relates to a school counselor and the types of stresses students will be bringing back to schools as the state and schools open back up after the year of the pandemic.

Prothero, A. (2021, March 31). The pandemic will Affect students' mental health for years to COME. how schools can help. Retrieved May 01, 2021, from https://www.edweek.org/leadership/the-pandemic-will-affect-students-mental-health-for-years-to-come-how-schools-can-help/2021/03

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/the-pandemic-will-affect-students-mental-health-for-years-to-come-how-schools-can-help/2021/03

*Pandemic has affected students more than academically, mentally also.
*Students react in a myriad of ways after some type of trauma.
*More students will show signs of ADD type behavior.
*Students may show a rise in substance abuse and trouble sleeping.
*Teachers need to be trained and equipped to handle these types of student stresses.

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Education Week

This article relates to a school counselor in helping students catch up academically after or through the pandemic.

Kane, T. (2021, April 27). How we can identify what students need to catch up on learning (opinion). Retrieved May 01, 2021, from https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/opinion-how-we-can-identify-what-students-need-to-catch-up-on-learning/2021/04

https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/opinion-how-we-can-identify-what-students-need-to-catch-up-on-learning/2021/04

*The American Rescue Plan will give schools money to help schools end the academic gap created by the pandemic.
*Getting back to normal will continue to be difficult and may never happen.  The pandemic has caused academic gaps, and it is important for schools to recognize and plan on how to lessen the gap.
*In order to use the federal grant money, parents are going to make sure communication with parents and other stake-holders and also show 20% of funds will go towards shortening the gap.
*Leaders will need to seek advise and ask others to find the right solutions for their schools

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EDUCATION code Chapter 21. educators. (n.d.). Retrieved May 01, 2021, from https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.21.htm

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.21.htm

Texas Education Code Chapter 21 provides funds for schools to train teachers using staff development days to be trained in helping students deal with mental health issues.

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Texas Education Code Chapter 21. educators. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2021, from

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.21.htm#21.451

https://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/107-110.pdf

Texas Education Code Chapter 21 requires educators including administrators and school counselors to have goals set forth to educate faculty and staff about how to deal with mental health issues faced by their students.

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Whitewright High School Student Handbook, (2020).  Whitewright, TX:  Whitewright High School

https://s3.amazonaws.com/scschoolfiles/358/student_handbook_2019-20.pdf

The student handbook specifically mentions suicide prevention and mental illness in a small sub-chapter of the handbook.  There is only information about a suicide hotline and the "Tiger Tipline" for students or parents to report information regarding a student who might be threatening suicide.  The number is monitored by the school counselor.

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Public Law 107-110. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2021, from

https://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/107-110.pdf

https://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/107-110.pdf

Public Law 107-110 requires teachers, administrators, and counselors need to provide students to access for mental health services.  One of these services is to understand suicide and suicide behavior.

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Recommendations & Best Practices Slide #13

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Recommendations & Best Practices Slide #13

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*ASK About Suicide to Save a Life Gatekeeper Training
*AS+K Advanced Training
*ACTS on FACTS Educator Training
*3 Bold Steps in Action (This supplemental website has information useful to the teacher/staff member about bullying, early detection, mental wellness, and substance abuse)
*Animal-Assisted Counseling Academy (Texas State University)
*Community Behavioral Health Conference (https://www.cbhcevent.com)

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Personal Connection to the Legal and Ethical Standard Slide #12

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Personal Connection to the Legal and Ethical Standard Slide #12

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The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 USC § 6301) allowed my siblings and myself to attend a rural school and have the equity as large city schools.
The Equalized Wealth Level S.B. 7 73rd Cong. (1993) allowed rural schools like my high school to have funds to compete academically the same as wealthier schools.
No Child Left Behind 2002 (Pub. L. No. 107-110) allowed me to spend the majority of my elementary and secondary school years taking standardized tests to make sure I was on target to graduate.
The two early laws concerning the distribution of wealth and educational equity are still very much two laws I agree with completely because they allowed me to attend a small rural school, yet succeed at a large institution like TAMU. As a student I hated standard tests and as a teacher I do not understand why we continue to spend millions of dollars on testing when I believe there are better ways to spend money.

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Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, 20 U.S.C.

§ 1232g (1974).

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) also ties to mental health issues in how students records about mental illness or treatment are to not be released to anyone except with parental consent.

Also, school counselors must keep student meeting confidential unless the student's safety is at risk.

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American School Counselor Association (2016). ASCA Ethical-Standards for School Counselors. Alexandria, VA.

https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/f041cbd0-7004-47a5-ba01-3a5d657c6743/Ethical-Standards.pdf

Section A.9c in the ASCA Ethical Standards states: "Do not release a student who is a danger to self or others until the student has proper and necessary support. If parents will not provide proper support, the school counselor takes necessary steps to underscore to parents/guardians the necessity to
seek help and at times may include a report to child protective
services."

A school counselor ethically must keep a student safe by the necessary means to help the student.  This may include calling CPS and reporting causes of self-harm or injury.