Time: 6-7 p.m. ET / 3-4 p.m. PT / 12-1 p.m. HT / 9-10 a.m. ChT

The workload for a school counselor in a traditional role can be overwhelming, and students in need of mental or emotional support may be inadvertently overlooked. This webinar describes how shifting from a traditional counseling approach to a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) benefits both students and staff members who provide mental and/or behavioral support services.  Strategies discussed include using data to identify students in need of support, expanding the effectiveness of the continuum of interventions, and thinking “out of the box” to engage non-traditional MTSS team members. The Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resilience Education) Coordinators from two rural school districts in northern Nevada will share how an MTSS has transformed their districts and positively impacted the lives of students.

Participants will learn key strategies from two rural school districts who built a Multi-Tiered System of Support from the ground up. Successes, lessons learned, and the challenges that two Project AWARE grantees have experienced while implementing a Multi-Tiered System of Support will benefit all participants who join!

Participants will:

• Identify school and community resources that can be used to provide preventative and early intervention services
• Understand the enhanced continuum of interventions in a multi-tiered and multi-dimensional system of support
• Understand how to target interventions and monitor progress using data

About the Presenters

Susan Harootunian is the Project AWARE Coordinator for the Douglas County School District in Nevada. Project AWARE’s goals are to increase awareness of mental health issues among school-age youth, as well as to increase school staff members’ ability to detect mental health issues, respond to them, and make connections to appropriate services. Previously, Ms. Harootunian worked as a special education teacher, and she was recently certified as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Ms. Harootunian received a B.S. in Human Development from the University of California, Davis, and an M. Ed. in Special Education from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Shauna Bake is the Project AWARE Coordinator for Pershing County School District. She has guided the development and implementation of a Multi-Tiered System of Support and has spearheaded the development and adoption of school district policies regarding suicide prevention. She has been instrumental in developing partnerships with mental health providers to offer services directly in the school setting.  Prior to becoming the AWARE Coordinator, Ms. Bake spent 22 years as a teacher and volleyball coach. She received her bachelor’s degree in biology at the University of Nevada and her master’s degree in School Counseling from American Public University.