Get School Psych'd

Hello School Psychs!

We are so close to the end of the school year! I hope you are quickly wrapping up your evaluations and caseloads and that you have something fun and relaxing for summer!

We have some exciting plans for next year! Keep your eye out for guest speakers and special events.

Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Keep on being School Psych'd!

Latisha Stephenson, M.A., LSSP, NCSP

Region 10 Educational Service Center

As school psychologists, we understand that mental health is a critical component of overall well-being and academic success for our students. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it's an excellent opportunity to highlight the importance of mental health in our school communities, especially in the state of Texas. I don't know if you saw, but there was a recent article released by Forbes (2024) that outlined the dire situation regarding mental health our state is in.

"The state has a large population of uninsured adults with mental illness and has significant barriers to mental health resources.

• The Lone Star State has the second highest percentage of adults with a mental illness who are uninsured (21.4%).
• Texas also has the second highest percentage of youth with depression who do not receive mental health services (74.9%).
• According to our study, Texas has the second highest percentage of youth with private health insurance that does not include coverage for mental or emotional problems (19.4%).
• Roughly one-third of adults in Texas (31.5%) who have a mental health disorder are not able to see a doctor due to cost—the third highest percentage in the nation.
• The state of Texas also has the third fewest mental health treatment centers, with 8.4 per 10,000 businesses.
• More than half of adults with mental illness in Texas (62.3%) do not receive any treatment at all—the fifth highest percentage in the country."

I have collected information from a few resources that would be great to have in your back pocket as a mental health practitioner. This is not an exhaustive list, but it will give you a starting point.

If you or a loved one is having suicidal thoughts, please call:

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 988

"NAMI works to educate, support, advocate, listen and lead to improve the lives of people with mental illness and their loved ones."

The National Alliance on Mental Illness has phenomenal resources. They have created a toolkit to promote Mental Health Awareness. Their website includes podcasts and webinars, a resource library, support groups, and much more.

"Mental Health America of Greater Dallas (MHA Dallas) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to promote mental wellness through community education and policy advocacy. Put simply, MHA Dallas serves as a catalyst to identify, assess and respond to mental health needs in the community."

MHA of Greater Dallas is an organization providing support in local communities. Their website includes resources like support groups, Mental Health First Aid, and a Mothers and Babies program. They also have We Help Ourselves (WHO) program, which is a program meant to empower children to protect themselves.

Journey of Hope Grief Support Center created a Supporting Grieving Kids Tipsheet full of helpful information to normalize grief and mourning responses in children. Please use the form to download the Tipsheet. We ask that individuals use the form to access the Tipsheet because grant funders require us to track the number of downloads. This helps us show our reach to receive more funding for future resources! Your email will not be used in any listserv or mass emails (unless you have previously received emails from JOH).

https://bit.ly/johtipsheet

Journey of Hope provides free peer grief support for children, teens, young adults, and their families after a death. We provide support to our community through education, referrals for counseling and resources, and parent consultations.

This information was provided by:

Kerri Newman, MS., LMFT

Program Director

PROMO CODE: R10Care

$25 for all three days

Expires May 31, 2024

The on demand book study for It's Always About the Children by Charles Barrett is live!

Follow the link below to the book study. Or you can login to Online Learning on the Region 10 website and search in the catalog for Book Study: It's Always About the Children.

The following dates for Ethics and Diversity have been scheduled. Keep an eye on the Region 10 calendar for when they are published for enrollment!

We are changing things up a bit next year. Some days will have Ethics in the morning and some days will have Diversity in the morning. Pay close attention when you are registering! This was meant to give some flexibility for people who can only come in the morning or vice versa due to childcare or other issues.

September 17, 2024

Ethics in the morning

Diversity in the afternoon

October 22, 2024

Diversity in the morning

Ethics in the afternoon

November 12, 2024

Ethics in the morning

Diversity in the afternoon

January 15, 2025

Diversity in the morning

Ethics in the afternoon

February 27, 2025

Ethics in the morning

Diversity in the afternoon

April 22, 2025

Diversity in the morning

Ethics in the afternoon

Follow this link to access a list of sessions provided at Region 10 that is relevant to the work we do in the field school psychology. I will be updating it as new sessions are created!

School Psych PD

If you have any questions or need support in your campus/district, give me a shout!

Email: latisha.stephenson@region10.org
Website: www.region10.org/programs/evaluation-special-education/overview/
Location: 904 Abrams Road, Richardson, TX, USA
Phone: 972-348-1450