2026 Behavior Post

March is a time of great weather in Texas, and most educators have a break. But, did you know that Spring Break is crucial for educators? According to this article, it helps educators to combat mental fatigue, restore physical energy, address emotional exhaustion, and, it allows them to reflect on their practice, and renew their plans. Consequently, the ripple effect is that students have a teacher better able to provide a positive learning environment, quality instruction and support of students' wellbeing. Ulala'!

March is also Music in our Schools, Developmental Disabilities, National Cerebral Palsy Awereness, and National Brain Injury Awereness Month - among others. In fact, March 1st marks the Self-Harm Awareness month and this article may help to combat the stigma associated with this behavior. March is also the month when we celebrate Diagnosticians' Week. Show your appreciation to those educators who help so many of us to provide services to our students with special needs. Lastly, Happy St. Patrick's Day!

This Post has information on learning events at the ESC6 and beyond. We hope to travel alongside you through this renewal time, as well as to support you in your professional challenges. Thus, let us know how to serve you. As always, You matter.

The Evaluation Certification Reimbursement Program (ECRP) provides funding for current school staff members to further their education to become an Educational Diagnostician or a School Psychologist. Upon completion of the certification program, participants will have committed to providing a minimum of 3 years of evaluation service in a small and/or rural school systems in Texas. The program is funded through a grant from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and facilitated by Region 15 ESC.

Eligibility for the ECRP:

• Currently work in and/or be sponsored by a school system that is:
  • Classified as small (serving 700 or fewer K-12 students),
  • Rural (located 60 or more miles from the nearest ESC), or
  • A member of a Shared Services Arrangement (SSA) *Note: A list of eligible school systems*
• Be currently enrolled and actively taking classes in an Educational Diagnostician or a School Psychology certification program.

Upcoming application window: April 1-14, 2026

The application and additional information can be found at Texas SPED Support - ECRP Professional Opportunities.

All Texas educators may access these courses for free on the TEALearn website and earn Continuing Professional Education (CPE) hours.

The Texas Education Agency’s Mental and Behavioral Health team and our Project AWARE Texas partners will be hosting two additional webinar sessions this Spring to highlight resources and best practice strategies on timely and relevant safe and supportive schools' topics.

Both sessions will be held from 11 am to 12:30 pm CST.

March 5, 2026 - Strengthening Comprehensive

MBH Webinar Registration #3

May 14, 2026 - Successes and Lessons Learned

MBH Webinar Registration #4

Statewide Plan for Student Mental Health

The Texas Education Agency has completed a comprehensive revision of the statewide plan for student mental health, reflecting the evolving needs of students across Texas. This updated plan strengthens the state’s commitment to ensuring that every student has access to mental health supports. The full plan has been posted to TEA’s website, allowing administrators, educators, families, community partners, and the public to easily review the updated goals, strategies, and implementation guidance.

TEA will provide opportunities for the state to learn more about the revised statewide plan for student mental health through webinars. These meetings will provide an opportunity to present the statewide plan and discuss key updates with the public. The meeting information will be shared on our School Mental Health Texas Website.

Unlock actionable leadership strategies that shift school cultures toward equity, early literacy success, and transformative outcomes for all students. In this powerful edLeader Panel, award-winning educator Hilderbrand Pelzer III draws on over three decades of experience as a school leader and author of Unlocking Potential, including organizing one of the largest correctional education programs in the U.S., to illustrate how educational systems can interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline by strengthening literacy instruction and expectations for every learner.

This session is free of charge and provides 4 CEs for licensed mental health professionals, in addition to standard 4 professional development credit for educators.

We’ve partnered with Texas A&M University to host these sessions through our Title IV, Part A Student Support and Academic Enrichment grant. Two training dates are available this year and details are listed below:

Training Overview
• Presenter: Dr. Ninfa Peña-Purcell, Research Scientist and Project Grant Lead for Texas A&M’s Think Smart Opioid Misuse Prevention Curriculum
• About the Curriculum:
– Funded by the State of Texas and designed to align with Tucker’s Law
– Requires SHAC approval (proposal template available for schools)
– K–5 student curriculum releases Spring 2026; current version serves grades 6–12
– TEKS-aligned focus on life skills and prevention of vaping, alcohol, and illicit fentanyl use

• Upcoming No-Cost Instructor Training at Region 13:
– March 2: [Register here]

Contacts
• For curriculum details: Dr. Ninfa Peña-Purcell: ncpurcell@tamu.edu
• For Region 13 training information: Nanette Deaton: nanette.deaton@esc13.txed.net

An overview of the training is attached. The sessions will be led by the Texas A&M TOPS (Texas Opioid Prevention for Students) team

See upcoming training opportunities on our Events page and register today!

• School Behavioral Threat Assessment Training Series
• Addressing Anxiety and Depression in Students – Elementary
• Addressing Anxiety and Depression in Students – Secondary
• Mitigating Educator Maltreatment
• Staying Safe: School Safety Response Training
• Standard Response Protocol Train-the-Trainer
• Standard Reunification Method Train-the-Trainer
• Bullying and Cyberbullying Training
• Digital Threat Assessment
• Especially Safe: An Inclusive Approach to Safety Preparedness in Education Settings
• Restorative Practices for Educators
• Trauma-Informed Care Workshop for Educators – Elementary
• Trauma-Informed Care Workshop for Educators – Secondary
• Sandy Hook Promise – Start with Hello
• Sandy Hook Promise – Say Something
• Effective Investigations and Report Writing
• School-Based Law Enforcement Trainings
• Advanced Digital Threat Assessment Training
• Texas School Safety Conference
• Say What! Action Summits
• Say What! Conference

Region 6 will offer the Reading by Design initial training 3 times this summer: June 24, 25, 26, 29, 30 (Huntsville), session #576326, July 13-17 (Bryan), session #576442, and August 10-14 (Huntsville), session #565039. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Angela Cameron, M.Ed.

Dyslexia, Texas Reading Academies, and SLAR Specialist

Region 6 Education Service Center

3332 Montgomery Road

Huntsville, TX 77340

936-435-8243 - office

214.704.7082 - cell

acameron@esc6.net

Since founding Mental Health Month (also referred to as Mental Health Awareness Month) in 1949, Mental Health America (MHA) has led the effort every May to promote mental wellness nationwide.

Download our 2026 Planning Guide here - in English and Spanish.

Cycle 13 of the SLP Master’s Degree Distance Venue is currently underway. Cycle 13 cohort runs from June 2025 through August 2027.

If you are interested in Cycle 14 of the SLP Master’s Degree Distance Venue, please register for one of the Cycle 14 Information Meetings.

Attendance at one full Information Meeting is a mandatory part of the application process. You will not be considered for acceptance into the SLP Master’s Degree Distance Venue unless you have attended one full Information Meeting.

If accepted into the Cycle 14 SLP Master’s Degree Distance Venue, classes will begin in Summer 2027.

All Cycle 14 Information Meetings will begin at 4:30 pm Central Time via Zoom.

Register by clicking one of the links below:

• Monday, April 20th, 2026
• Monday, August 24th, 2026
• Monday, October 19th, 2026 (Please check back for registration link)

Participants interested in Cycle 14 who do not have an undergraduate degree in speech-language pathology will need to complete Leveling coursework. Leveling coursework will be discussed during the Information Meeting. You may find additional information here: Leveling Coursework

NOTE: If you choose to attend an Information Meeting after February 2026, you may not have enough time to complete all Leveling coursework required to begin the Cycle 14 cohort.

We look forward to seeing you at the Cycle 14 Meetings, future SLPs of Texas!

Speech-Language Pathology Master’s (SLP) Degree Program Statewide Distance Venue

Overview

To address the shortage of master’s level speech-language pathology (SLPs) in Texas schools, a partnership was formed with Texas Education Service Centers, Texas Woman’s University (TWU), Texas Education Agency (TEA), and local educational entities to provide a master’s degree program for both in-field and out-of-field students. The program utilizes videoconferencing, web-based instruction, and clinical experiences on school campuses, hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and rehabilitation centers. Successful program completion prepares graduates to apply for Texas licensure in speech pathology and American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) certification. The master of science education program in Speech-Language Pathology at Texas Woman’s University is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). The Region 10 Education Service Center (ESC) provides statewide coordination of the program and, along with other participating ESCs, assists students by providing classroom sites and classroom coordinators.

While applicants accepted into this program will be fully prepared to serve in any professional setting, this program is intended to help ameliorate the shortage of licensed, certified SLPs in Texas public schools and is open only to those committed to employment with a public school district or charter school.

The SLP Distance Learning Venue is designed to allow students to work in the schools as licensed assistants while completing the requirements for the master’s degree in speech-language pathology. Each student must secure sponsorship from an educational entity (e.g., school district or charter school) and maintain it throughout the master’s program. Students must attend classes in a participating ESC.

The program also provides the opportunity to complete Post-Baccalaureate Certificates in Bilingual SLP or Deaf and Hard of Hearing for the SLP. Students interested in pursuing these certificates will take additional coursework and complete practicum hours focused in the specific certificate areas while in the program.

For more information on the Certificates, click on the links below:

• TWU Post-baccalaureate Certificate in Bilingual SLP
• TWU Post-baccalaureate Certificate in Deaf and Hard of Hearing for the SLP
• For more information: TWU Distance Venue information
• For more information: Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Licensure Requirements

Here are some websites that can assist you:

• Search Grants | Grants.gov
• Behavioral Health Services Grants | Texas Health and Human Services
• Grants for Birth to Grade 12 | U.S. Department of Education
• Opportunities & Awards | Current Funding Opportunities | Office of Justice Programs
• SAMHSA Grants Dashboard | SAMHSA
• Home | Grants.gov
• Simpler.Grants.gov
• Search Funding Opportunities | Simpler.Grants.gov
• Welcome | The Grantsmanship Center
• Texas Grant Resources | The Grantsmanship Center
• Mental Health Grants in Texas, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth - GrantWatch
• Grants - Private Foundation Grants
• Find Grants for Nonprofits | Foundation Directory | Candid

If you are looking for new friends or want a romantic and/or sexual relationship (partner), this year’s articles are for you. Many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) struggle with finding and keeping social relationships. They either do not feel confident enough to try to make friends and find a romantic and/or sexual partner, or they may even come on too strong and completely miss any cues in their relationships. This can leave many people feeling lonely, isolated, and frustrated.

Free Monthly Virtual Support Groups

The contacts are below for questions or information until we start again.

Parent Support Group - Second Tuesday of the month

addaoffice@pdq.net

Adult Support Group - Third or Fourth Thursday of the month

addaoffice@pdq.net

Fort Bend Parent Support Group - Last Tuesday of the month

ftbendaddasr@gmail.com

In Person Meeting

MESQUITE – Every other month,

2nd Tuesdays, 7-8 pm, Sept., Nov., Feb., April.

Professional Development Center,

3819 Towne Crossing Blvd, Mesquite, 75150

Kelly Smith, 972 882-7519, kesmith@mesquiteisd.org

The newly revised page for military families from the Center for Parent Information and Resources contains valuable resources to support military families through changes in duty stations and other challenges.

Fabiana Bezerra, LSSP, NCSP

ESC 6 Behavior & Autism Specialist for Special Education

Email: fbezerra@esc6.net
Website: https://www.esc6.net/
Location: Education Service Center Region 6, Montgomery Road, Huntsville, TX, USA
Phone: 936-435-8252
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ESC6SPED/
Twitter: @escregion6