September 10-12, 2025
Griffin Gate Marriott Resort and Spa
Lexington, KY
We look forward to having you join us at the Kentucky School Counselor Association Conference!
We hope to see you next year!
Behind the Scenes: School Counselor Advocacy Meets Mental Health Impact
Lead Presenter: Santina Plottner
School counselors are often the unsung heroes working behind the scenes to support student well-being and success. Panelists will share real-world strategies, challenges, and successes in advocating for mental health services, providing Tier 1 support, and leveraging the ASCA National Model to drive systemic change. Attendees will leave inspired and equipped with practical tools to stand up, speak up, and show up—ensuring every student has access to the mental health support they deserve.
Brave Voices, Safe Spaces: The Student-Led Path to Mental Health Support
Lead Presenter: JoVonna Smiley
Students are often the first to notice when something isn’t right with their peers. Learn how one school empowered student leaders through Mental Health First Aid training to become trusted ambassadors. This session explores how collaboration, innovation, and student voice are transforming school culture and creating a powerful peer support network that connects students to the help they need.
DeMISTifying Vaping: Preventing & Intervening in Student Nicotine & THC Use
Lead Presenter: Kriya Lendzion
In recent years, youth vaping of nicotine and cannabis has surged on our campuses, leading to destructive consequences of students’ physical, mental, and academic well-being. Shifting this dangerous trend will take comprehensive efforts in elementary through high school, which school counselors are positioned to lead. We will review the risks of youth nicotine and marijuana vaping, and explore promising practices for one-on-one, classroom, and school-wide prevention and intervention efforts.
Empowering and Developing Resiliency in BIPOC Adolescents
Lead Presenter: Bernell Elzey
BIPOC adolescents face systemic and cultural challenges affecting their mental health, identity, and academic success. This workshop equips school counselors with culturally responsive, strength-based strategies to empower students and foster resilience. Attendees will explore interventions that promote self-efficacy, emotional regulation, and community support through case studies and discussions, gaining actionable methods to create supportive environments for BIPOC youth well-being.
How Do I Create a Comprehensive School Counseling Program in My Building?
Lead Presenter: Deirdra Williams
What does it take to create and maintain a Comprehensive School Counseling Program in your building? Are you not sure where to begin? Are you curious to see if you are on the right track? Is there more than you should be doing to document your work with your students and families to ensure that they are participating in your Comprehensive School Counseling Program? If you answered “YES” to any of these questions, this is the session for you! Come hear where to begin, how to edit what you are currently doing and how to invite your administration in to see just “how your students are different because of their School Counselor”.
Improving Attendance with Elementary Students: Providing Family Support
Lead Presenter: Miranda Burnett
Join us in discussing how we have improved our elementary student attendance. Hear from our district DPP, Mental Health Coordinator, Elementary Administration and our Family Resource Coordinator on how we provide a support for the families if needed. Learn about our process of meeting with families, learning their barriers, and providing much needed resources for students to be able to come to school and learn.
Is a College Degree the ONLY Path to a STEM Career?
Lead Presenter: Steven Coyle
College for all does not work in today’s world. We are pushing students into college at a 70% clip yet over 70% of careers today don’t require a 4-year degree. Dr. Coyle will help you explore career pathways that only take a year to complete and are high-paying, in-demand jobs. He’ll also explore how to get more female students involved in STEM careers. Finally, he’ll show you how to work with industry to maximize education and make education affordable for your students.
Proactive Advocacy: Supporting Student Success With Infinite Campus Data
Lead Presenter: Christina Watford
This hands-on session explores Infinite Campus’ Early Warning and Insights Data Visualization tools, demonstrating how school counselors can use data to proactively support students. Learn how these tools identify trends in attendance, behavior, course performance, and stability, allowing you to Stand Up for proactive student support, Speak Up with data-driven insights, and Show Up with practical strategies for equitable outcomes. Live demonstrations will cover watchlists and customized reports.
Solution Focused Brief Counseling and Teacher/Parent Consultation
Lead Presenter: Russ Sabella
This experiential workshop is designed for both beginning and experienced school counselors, educators, and other human service professionals who want to learn an innovative approach to empower their students and stake holders to better recognize and utilize their strengths. This model uses a systematic, five-step approach in which students/parents focus on solutions rather than problems. They are encouraged to think about times when their problems did not exist, and how these times contributed to the absence of the problem, and how to recreate such circumstances in their present situations. Focus is on the students/parents strengths and abilities rather than their weaknesses. Solutions are derived by the students/parents themselves and therefore not only are they more involved in their success, but the solutions fit their unique lifestyles. Finally, because they find their own solutions that work, often self-esteem is increased. With this emphasis of counseling on solutions rather than problems, counseling becomes brief.
Spotlight on Student Anxiety: Advocacy Through Action
Lead Presenter: Urbi Nag
This session examines how anxiety affects student well-being and school engagement and highlights the critical role of collaboration in addressing it. Designed for school-based professionals, it offers tools to recognize anxiety, implement trauma-informed strategies, and build strong partnerships with families, educators, and multidisciplinary teams. Attendees will learn evidence-based practices to reduce truancy, support mental health, and strengthen school counseling programs.
Walking the Talk: Using Data Walks to Advocate for Students
Lead Presenter: Michelle Sircy
Discover how school counselors can use data walks to uncover barriers, elevate student voice, and drive equitable change. This session will guide you through planning and leading a data walk that engages stakeholders, spotlights student needs, and informs action. Leave with tools and templates to help you bring data to life—and turn insights into impact.
Better Together: Co-Teaching SEL With a Classroom Partner
Lead Presenter: Rachel Anderson
Feeling overwhelmed by Tier 1 classroom SEL lessons? Learn how one school counselor partnered with her building’s STEAM teacher to co-teach SEL—and discovered surprising benefits for both staff and students. From increased classroom engagement to reduced behavior challenges, co-teaching builds confidence, connection, and shared ownership. Walk away with practical strategies for identifying the right co-teaching partner, planning together, and creating a shared rhythm that works for everyone.
Building Belonging: School-Wide SEL Clubs that Transform Climate
Lead Presenter: Jessica Longland
Discover how one elementary school developed SEL-focused after-school clubs—yoga, social skills soccer, origami, mentoring, and kindness—and expanded access to everyone through school-wide club days. Learn how their universal Tier 1 SEL supports reduced the need for Tier 2 and 3 behavior interventions. Leave with practical strategies to create and implement your own SEL club series and a Tier 1 SEL system that builds a positive school climate and reduces behavior referrals.
Creating and Implementing Effective High School Tier 1 Lessons
Lead Presenter: Amy Beal
Are you looking for ideas to overcome barriers to implementing social and emotional skills development in your high school counseling program? As high school counselors, we often encounter factors that impede the development, implementation, and sustained practice of the core features of comprehensive programming.
Learn practical strategies for advocating and overcoming barriers to implementing ASCA-aligned practices.
Hear examples, see data, and walk away with tools you can use in your program.
Creating Community Through SEL and Empowering Students to Lead the Way
Lead Presenter: Kaitlyn Miller
Fostering a sense of belonging for our students is at the heart of their ability to thrive in school. School counselors will walk away with ideas of how to make sure students are equitably represented as student leaders and given meaningful leadership opportunities within their school. Participants will hear ideas about how to work with student leaders to champion school-wide SEL, and in return, how to create a community where students are represented, respected, and have a place to belong.
Empowering Counselors: A Strategic Guide to Every Student’s Future Success
Lead Presenter: Connor Torrance
Are you feeling overwhelmed by your ever-expanding role as a counselor?
You’re not alone—counselors today are being pulled in every direction. But what if you had a tool that could streamline your efforts and put essential resources right at your fingertips?
Join us for an engaging session where we’ll introduce you to Xello, the all-in-one online college and career readiness platform designed to support your vital work as a counselor.
From Passion to Pathways: Aligning Student Interests to an Exciting Career
Lead Presenter: Mitzi Holland
Students who enter a career they are passionate about are more likely to have job satisfaction and overall well-being. Aligning interests with career pathways can improve students’ academic experience. This session highlights the connection between the ILP, Post-Secondary Advising Framework, and Futuriti, a career exploration website. Participants will have the opportunity to learn how utilizing these FREE resources helps students discover their interests and match them to career opportunities.
How Do I Create a Comprehensive School Counseling Program in My Building?
Lead Presenter: Deirdra Williams
What does it take to create and maintain a Comprehensive School Counseling Program in your building? Are you not sure where to begin? Are you curious to see if you are on the right track? Is there more than you should be doing to document your work with your students and families to ensure that they are participating in your Comprehensive School Counseling Program? If you answered “YES” to any of these questions, this is the session for you! Come hear where to begin, how to edit what you are currently doing and how to invite your administration in to see just “how your students are different because of their School Counselor”.
Sell Your Counseling Program! Simple Strategies to Gain Stakeholder Buy-in
Lead Presenter: Heather Bushelman
You know what a school counselor’s role is but do the stakeholders you serve know? Think of your school counseling program as a business…how do your services impact students, staff, and community? Attendees will learn data-driven advocacy strategies to “sell” their counseling program to gain stakeholder buy-in. Academic, SEL, and College/Career Readiness data will be modeled to show the holistic impact school counselors make towards schoolwide success so stakeholders will value of your program.
Strong Minds. Stronger Futures.
Lead Presenter: Becca Bean
Schools are uniquely positioned to make a lasting impact on students’ mental health. However, many U.S. school counseling programs are struggling to support this increased need due to lack of funding or staff. Our expert will provide insight into current trends surrounding teen mental health, present actionable strategies schools can take to help, share state and federal resources available for support and lead a collaborative session for peer discussion groups.
We Are ALL On Duty…Within Our Walls and Beyond
Lead Presenter: Chele Gillon
With acts of violence spearheading the news cycle, school security and mental health are critical topics on the radar. What signs do we need to recognize, and what mental health supports can we put in place to help our students and staff? Is social media playing a role in the mental health of our students and their safety? It will take ALL of us to take care of one another. We must be vigilant, we must know and recognize the warning signs, and we must build relationships. We Are ALL on Duty!
Academic Advising at the High School Level
Lead Presenter: April Walker
During this presentation, counselors will understand the advising process from start to finish in a way that individualizes and prioritizes student choice on a large scale that could easily be adapted to a smaller scale. The advising team works with students to encourage engagement in challenging coursework, self-motivation and self-direction for learning, and critical thinking skills to make informed decisions.
Break the Bullying Cycle: Transform School Culture and BOOST Behavior
Lead Presenter: Ashley Bennetone
This session differentiates between bullying and problem behavior, exploring effective approaches for each. Participants will learn proactive strategies to prevent bullying and disruptive behaviors, engage in activities to promote positive school culture, and understand how to respond to behaviors with empathy and care, ensuring a supportive, safe, and respectful environment for all students.
Career Readiness for All Students: District Leaders Share Wins & Next Steps
Lead Presenter: Chelly Stamps
Learn how two Kentucky districts are tackling college and career readiness for their students. Topics include how a teacher-led advising model can drive course planning and ILP completion, streamlining WBL and college applications, supporting staff adoption, and ways to help students to take charge of their postsecondary futures. Gain practical insights on the district’s evaluation process, implementation, and advising models you can apply in your district. Facilitated by SchooLinks.
CODE RED (Mental Health Crisis Planning)
Lead Presenter: Sarah Akin
Discover the power of proactive mental health management with this session, which will equip you with a practical and effective crisis plan. CODE RED, derived from COntact, DElay decisions, RElax, and Distract, is a straightforward approach to handling mental health crises and fostering resilience. CODE RED is a mental health crisis plan that empowers individuals to navigate challenging moments with clarity and calm.
Creating and Implementing Effective High School Tier 1 Lessons
Lead Presenter: Amy Beal
Are you looking for ideas to overcome barriers to implementing social and emotional skills development in your high school counseling program? As high school counselors, we often encounter factors that impede the development, implementation, and sustained practice of the core features of comprehensive programming.
Learn practical strategies for advocating and overcoming barriers to implementing ASCA-aligned practices.
Hear examples, see data, and walk away with tools you can use in your program.
Data-Driven Strategies for a Positive School Climate that Drives Success
Lead Presenter: Tracy Rutledge
Counselors leverage data to understand student needs and strategically cultivate a positive school climate. This involves implementing evidence-based strategies, such as Restorative Practices, SEL Programs, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, and peer mentoring. By using data to inform these initiatives and recognizing student achievements, schools can create a supportive environment that fosters greater student success.
Managing Non-Counseling Duties While Staying True to Your CSCP
Lead Presenter: Kimberly Roberts
School counselors wear many hats beyond their primary roles—handling lunch duty, tracking attendance, coordinating 504 plans, BAC, and many more. Instead of seeing these tasks as obstacles, this session dives into innovative ways to weave them into a CSCP. Attendees will discover strategies to transform administrative duties into engaging, student-centered opportunities. Gain the tools to advocate for your role, align responsibilities, and utilize data-driven methods to elevate student success.
Reaching Large Numbers When “All Hands on Deck” Isn’t Many Hands!
Lead Presenter: Bill Criss
For two years our counseling department has been using Google Meet to deliver our Character Lessons. During this last school year, we have added in career exploration. Our counselors meet with a grade level once weekly to reach the students. This has helped us deliver our character education to more students and complete our career exploration with more fidelity. Join us to see the benefits and struggles associated with delivering our lessons via Google Meet.
Take 1: School Counselors’ Role in Prevention to Combat Screen Interference
Lead Presenter: Sharon Todd
School counselors carry the weight of supporting student mental health. With the rise in screen time, school counselors must run interference. In this session, you will learn WHY your role in prevention has never been more important. We will uncover the latest statistics about screens and youth mental health, the alarming research about using screens to calm, the essential need for students to experience life’s ups and downs (unfiltered), and the star role you play in supporting students.
Using Data to Tell Your Story and Advocate Boldly
Lead Presenter: Alani Staples
School counselors are agents of change, but much of their impact often goes unnoticed. This session equips you to document what matters, interpret data, and craft compelling narratives that showcase your role. and impact. Learn strategies to highlight equity efforts, drive systemic change, and use state-specific trends to uncover success. Walk away with tools to make your work visible, valued, and centered on student success.
Building Empathy to Help The Anxious Generation Become More Unselfie
Lead Presenter: Karin Pulliam
In this relaxed, book-club style session, I will share some key insights from two intriguing books by psychologists (The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt and Unselfie by Michelle Borba) and facilitate small group discussions about how phones and social media have impacted our students and their capacity for empathy. We will explore real-life strategies the authors recommend to help students and families build empathy in relationships. Participants will leave with ready-to-use resources.
Data-Driven Strategies for a Positive School Climate that Drives Success
Lead Presenter: Tracy Rutledge
Counselors leverage data to understand student needs and strategically cultivate a positive school climate. This involves implementing evidence-based strategies, such as Restorative Practices, SEL Programs, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, and peer mentoring. By using data to inform these initiatives and recognizing student achievements, schools can create a supportive environment that fosters greater student success.
Empowering Leaders and Students Through Equity and SEL
Lead Presenter: Antonio Melton
This engaging and interactive workshop is tailored specifically for K-12 school and district leaders. It focuses on the vital skills necessary to cultivate emotional intelligence, resilience, and positive relationships among both leaders and students. Through dynamic discussions, collaborative group activities, and reflective exercises, participants will experience a unique learning journey that emphasizes the power of social and emotional learning (SEL).
KSCA Committee Speed Dating
Lead Presenter: KSCA Board
Want to get more involved in KSCA? Join us in this engaging session and participate in KSCA’s Committee Speed Dating. Learn more about our Committee Chairs and our committees – Advocacy, Awards/Recognition, Membership, Professional Development, and PR/Technology. After learning more about our committees, participate in a Kahoot game where you could win prizes!
Power in the Pause: Wellness for Those Who Carry the Work
Lead Presenter: Tiffany Stoner
Educators in urban school districts often carry more than lesson plans, they carry the emotional, cultural, and systemic weight of their communities. This interactive workshop centers the importance of pausing, mentally, emotionally, and physically, as an act of self-preservation, resistance, and restoration.
Participants will explore the intersection of equity and wellness, recognizing how systemic inequities can lead to burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma.
Tech It to the Next Level: Elevating Counseling with Innovation
Lead Presenter: Holly Montgomery
Discover how technology can transform your school counseling program! This session highlights practical tools like Google Meetings during NTI Days, Google Forms for student referrals and staff/student voice, and interactive Nearpod lessons to boost engagement and navigate career education. Learn how to integrate these platforms to enhance accessibility, connection, and impact in your school counseling program. You will leave with access to editable forms that you can implement immediately.
The WHYS of School Safety and Security – Ask for Tough Questions
Lead Presenter: Dan Orman
The presenter will share some examples that provide us with answers to the really hard questions: WHY do we have to do this? WHY is that a law? WHY do we have to have a threat assessment team? WHY can’t the SRO direct traffic? If the school safety coordinator, principal or superintendent can’t answer the hard “WHYS” of school safety and security, the directives will ring hollow and useless. In turn, as a counselor, you will be hard-pressed to answer those same questions.
Theoretically Speaking, We’re Still Mental Health Professionals, Right?
Lead Presenter: Catherine Gary
This session offers a fast and focused refresher on four core counseling theories that align well with the needs of school environments: Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Reality Therapy, and Individual Psychology. This presentation is designed as a bird’s-eye overview to help school counselors reconnect with key theoretical frameworks and translate those theories into simple, effective interventions. Our experience is in middle school, but all are welcome.
Tiered Support from the Start: MTSS in Early Childhood Education
Lead Presenter: Katherine Clark
As more public schools are assuming responsibility of preschool education, school counselors must include these children in their programs The MTSS process helps with this by providing timely interventions to support students who are struggling and ensure a positive learning environment for every child. Counselors will be given tools to keep track of preschool students’ plans/data throughout the MTSS process and ensure their academic, social/emotional, and behavioral needs are being addressed.
Time Well Spent: Rethinking the Middle School Schedule
Lead Presenter: Tim Ridley
How can we reimagine the daily schedule to create space for what matters most—student and community connection, SEL, and targeted interventions? Learn how one school made strategic shifts to include daily advisory, intervention blocks, and community-building time without adding minutes to the school day. Walk away with practical scheduling models, tools, and strategies to collaborate with counselors and staff to build a schedule that supports the whole child.
Advocating for Informed Postsecondary Decision-Making
Lead Presenter: Abby Murdock
Just like adults, students don’t know what they don’t know when it comes to postsecondary planning. As advocates for informed postsecondary decision-making, the students with whom we provide support deserve access to information and resources to support their goals after high school. This session provides a glimpse at free career exploration programs, free education resources for standardized testing and postsecondary planning, and programs that highlight a wide variety of career opportunities!
Creating a Positive School Climate: Foundations for Student Success
Lead Presenter: Clarissa Desmond
A positive school climate fosters safety, support, and belonging for students while strengthening relationships among peers and staff. This session will share practical strategies and programs to enhance engagement, well-being, and collaboration. Participants will gain tools to create a thriving school environment.
Depression Education IS Suicide Prevention
Lead Presenter: Michele Gause
There is a unique and undeniable link between depression, mental health, and suicide. Effective mental health education IS suicide prevention – particularly depression education. Learn how Erika’s Lighthouse free Tier 1 programs for 4th -12th grades will allow you to meet state requirements and support schools in providing evidence-informed mental health education and help-seeking skills for all students.
From Disconnected to Engaged: Strategies for Supporting Transient Students
Lead Presenter: Lisa Henry
Attendees first will analyze barriers contributing to chronic absenteeism. Participants will explore needs of transient students and analyze the impacts of mobility on their education. Participants will gain practical experience utilizing the Transient Population report in IC to identify students and develop targeted watchlists within Early Warning tool. Finally, the session will delve into tiered support strategies, incorporating school connectedness and best practices for credit accumulation.
From Overwhelmed to Empowered: AI in School Counseling
Lead Presenter: Stephanie Burba
School counselors juggle a lot–scheduling, data tracking, meetings, and supporting students. It can quickly become overwhelming! This presentation explores how AI can help with the heavy lifting of administrative tasks. By streamlining communication and data management, AI gives counselors more time to focus on what really matters: supporting students. The goal is to show how AI can improve efficiency, reduce burnout, and ultimately help counselors make a bigger impact on student success.
Resilient, Connected, and Thriving: Empowering Elementary Students for Life
Lead Presenter: Natalie Leet
What if you could identify struggling students early—before challenges escalate—while also fostering a school culture where every child feels empowered, connected, and emotionally strong? In this session, you’ll learn how a simple triannual survey can reveal students’ emotional needs and guide the development of effective small group and individual counseling supports. Discover practical strategies to help young learners build resilience and form healthy peer relationships.
Shine Bright Together!
Lead Presenter: Heather Moore
Eager to bridge the gap between Admin and counselor? Join us for an engaging session about collaborating with Administration to elevate your counseling program, advocate for you role, and unite a leadership relation that fosters a positive climate and culture within your building.
Systems that Work for Middle School- Data, Advocacy, Oh My!
Lead Presenter: Jessica Atallah
Join in this session if you are a new counselor or a counselor looking to develop systems that help organize your data, creating a system to meet with students, and advocate for their needs. I’m not an expert, just a counselor who found what works for me, and maybe it’ll work for you too!
Teaching Body Safety to ALL Grade Levels: What is Erin’s Law?
Lead Presenter: Emily Kuhn
In this session, you will learn about the importance of teaching body safety in schools. You will learn about the impact of Erin’s Law and what to expect when it comes to Kentucky. The co-authors of the brand-new (and free) Erin’s Law curriculum will present on best practices for facilitating these lessons. Learn how these lessons align with Kentucky regulations. Come learn how you can become an advocate for preventing abuse.
The Case for HBCU Partnerships and Dual Credit for All Students
Lead Presenter: Nicole Fields
College Ready and Future Focused! Join Simmons College of Kentucky and Grace M. James Academy of Excellence to explore how partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and dual credit programs collaboratively enhance college and career readiness, while advancing diversity, equity, and access for all students.
National Center for Youth Issues
ATTN: KSCA
P.O. Box 22185
Chattanooga, TN 37422-2185
All intellectual property rights in and to the KSCA Annual Conference (“the Event”), the content and all materials distributed at or in connection with the Event are owned by the Kentucky School Counselor Association and/or the Event sponsors or speakers presenting at the Event. You may not use or reproduce or allow anyone to use or reproduce any trademarks or other trade names appearing at the Event, in any Event content and/or in any materials distributed at or in connection with the Event for any reason without the prior written permission of Kentucky School Counselor Association or the presenting speaker.
