Mental Health and School Counseling Collaboration: Leadership Matters

What is a Roundtable Session?

Our roundtable sessions offer a chance to dive into a topic with an expert presenter, or team of presenters. They provide an opportunity to dig deeply into a particular topic during a 90-minute presentation.

Description

This webinar explores the powerful leadership impact of school counselors and mental health counselors in meeting the ever-increasing needs of both students and families. The collaboration between these two services is critically important, now more than ever. Awareness of the need for more comprehensive school counseling and mental health student services is apparent, but addressing the need is overwhelming. Through a deeper understanding of leadership roles, importance of adaptability, and advocacy for services, attendees will leave empowered to embark on collaborative systemic change. This presentation will provide attendees with current research regarding barriers to student success in schools, leadership roles of school counseling and mental health personnel in schools, and current school-based mental health programs. Attendees will learn how schools are stepping up to meet the needs of students, tangible ways to establish collaboration, and address barriers impeding student mental health services in an effort to increase and improve mental health student resources.

Presenter Bios

Liz Tolliver, PhD, LIMHP, NCC

is an Assistant Professor and School Counseling Program Coordinator at the University of Nebraska Omaha. Dr. Tolliver works with school districts in the Omaha metro area and is dedicated to bridging the gap for master's students from content to experience in the field. She is also focused on the expansion of mental health services in schools for students and their families, as well as community collaborations in an effort to remove barriers to student success. More than ever, Tolliver is an anti-racist educator and ally, unwavering in her beliefs regarding equity, inclusion, diversity, and access. She is determined to model leadership and advocate for the role of the school counselor in an effort to lessen the stigmatization of mental health and substance use concerns for students and families. Dr. Tolliver believes the more we are able to honor the worldview and respect the experiences of others, the more we can humble ourselves and grow both personally and professionally. Her teaching interests include: Administration and organization of school counseling programs; Issues in elementary and middle school; Counseling ethics; Counseling theory, skills & techniques; Substance use and dependency; multicultural & diversity counseling; as well as grief and loss counseling. Her research interests include: Promoting anti-racist practices in schools, group work in K-12 schools, parental incarceration, homelessness, and emotional competency. She is a member and actively serves on multiple department, college, university, local, state, and national organizations and collaborative teams.

Thang Tran

is a counselor educator at the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) in the Department of Counseling, with a focus on the School Counseling Program. He is also a licensed professional school counselor in Nebraska. Currently, he is pursuing his PhD at Oregon State University in Counselor Education and Supervision. He takes teaching very seriously but does not take himself too seriously. His teaching experience includes: Human Development and Psychosocial Interventions, College and Career Readiness for P-12 School Counselors, Foundations and Issues for School Counselors, Practicum for School Counselors, Internship for School Counselors, Advanced Internship for School Counselors, His research interests include: technology dependence and adolescent development especially in the school counseling context. He is an active member and serves on multiple departments, college, university, state, and national organizations and collaborative teams. Before his time at UNO he was a middle school science teacher and long-time middle and high school counselor.