April 6-8, 2025
Sheraton Framingham Hotel & Conference Center
Framingham, MA
We hope to see you next year!
Authentically You
Lead Presenter: Diana Virgil
In this session, Diana Virgil, 2024 School Counselor of the Year, highlights the barriers she experienced in her school counseling career and how she opened doors through collaboration, authenticity, and vulnerability. Diana shares how honesty, openness, and transparency enable her personal growth and ensure she shows up for her students. Diana’s personal journey offers lessons in identifying and overcoming obstacles and having the courage to be vulnerable.
Building Internship and Employer Partnerships to Support Student Careers
Lead Presenter: Jennifer Bento-Pinyoun
Students offered work-based learning opportunities such as internships are more likely to secure meaningful employment after high school. Does your school have a WBL program? It can be a challenge deciding which programs or employers to partner with or how to connect them with students best. During this session, DESE, MassHire, MEFA, and a school will discuss employer partnerships, how to prepare students, and electronic platform to manage all.
Is College the Only Ticket to a STEM Career?
Lead Presenter: Ashley Gastel
Students have been told they need a college degree to be successful. Yet 70% of careers today don’t require a college degree. Come learn what students DO need to be successful. Learn about the Rule of 1-2-7 and how it applies today. Learn how to get industry involved in your school. See how we’re getting girls involved in STEM and what you can do. Finally, learn how students can make school more affordable through TRIP programs.
Massachusetts Behavioral Health Roadmap Services
Lead Presenter: Kate Hildreth-Fortin
Representatives from Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership (MBHP) will provide an overview of the state’s behavioral health roadmap services including the Behavioral Health Help Line, Community Behavioral Health Centers, and Behavioral Health Urgent Care Centers. They will discuss program functionality and reach of these services for students and families in need of urgent, crisis, or routine behavioral health care.
School Counselors As Change Agents: Creating Positive Culture and Climate
Lead Presenter: Tama Lang
School Counselors are change agents and can be part of building an intentional culture within a school or shift the climate district-wide. Explore ways to ignite that change! A particular focus will be on educator and staff well-being, which in turn impacts student well-being. In need of new ideas for boosting staff morale? Learn and share practical strategies of ways to improve school culture and climate.
Strategies for School Avoidant Students
Lead Presenter: Patricia Travaglione
School based anxiety leading to school avoidance and refusal is a challenging issue for parents and school personnel. While school avoidance is not a diagnosis, it can be a symptom of any number of issues. Join us as Patricia Travaglione, LICSW, the Chief Clinical Officer of ilearn wellness group, for a presentation about the underlying causes of school avoidance and evidence-based strategies to support school-avoidant students and families.
Vapelife, Liberty and the Pursuit of Fat Clouds: Addressing Student Vaping
Lead Presenter: Kriya Lendzion
Youth vaping of nicotine and cannabis has exploded on our campuses, with increasingly destructive consequences. Shifting this dangerous trend will take comprehensive and collaborative efforts in elementary through high school, which school counselors are positioned to lead. We will review the proven risk of vaping and explore promising practices for one-on-one, classroom, and school-wide prevention and early intervention efforts.
Be a Part of the Urban Movement: Join the Urban SIG!
Lead Presenter: Rani Gould
Are you a school counselor working in an urban setting? Are you navigating unique challenges like limited resources, diverse student needs, and systemic barriers? Join us at the MASCA Conference for a dynamic breakout session designed just for YOU!
This session is more than a discussion—it’s the start of a supportive community where urban counselors can share insights, strategies, and resources to empower each other and make a lasting impact.
Counseling Directors SIG
Lead Presenter: Carol Cohen
CTE School Counselor Special Interest Group Networking Meeting
Lead Presenter: Annie McCarthy
Are you a CTE school counselor looking to connect with peers, ID best practices, and solve problems? Join us for the FIRST EVER CTE SIG Networking Meeting!
Why attend?
Build Connections: Meet CTE counselors and expand your professional network
Share and Learn: Discuss challenges, successes, and steps toward solutions
Shape the Future: Help define the focus and goals of this new SIG to meet your needs and drive positive outcomes for students!
Graduate Students Social and Networking
Lead Presenter: Evelyn Chen
Let’s Connect! First Elementary Counselors Meet-Up at MASCA Conference 🎉
Lead Presenter: Lori DiCarlo Ford
MASCA Counselors of Color Affinity Group
Lead Presenter: Andrea Encarnacao Martin
MASCA LGBTQ+ Affinity Group
Lead Presenter: Jessica Almeida
Relationships and Regulation: Giving Your Students Tools To Navigate Middle School
Lead Presenter: Juliette Coatsworth
Resource Share & Aspire Curriculum at the Secondary SIG Meet and Greet
Lead Presenter: Karen McCrillis
SAC/SSW SIG Networking Meeting
Lead Presenter: Anne Thidemann French
School Counselor Educators Meeting
Lead Presenter: Megan Krell
AI for Counselors: A Game-Changer
Lead Presenter: Melinda Cripps
Don’t let fear of technology hold you back. This workshop introduces generative AI, a powerful tool for school counselors. Learn how AI can boost your practice, from lesson planning to creating materials, and engaging students. We’ll discuss responsible AI use and explore examples tailored to your needs. Leave with concrete ideas to work smarter and spend more time on meaningful student interactions.
Crisis and Trauma Support: Strategies In and Beyond School Environments
Lead Presenter: Kevin Duquette
Crisis and trauma are multi-faceted and overwhelming. School counselors often feel underprepared for the myriad of trauma responses and crises that occur in any given academic year. This presentation discusses up-to-date statistics on crises and best practices for trauma-sensitive schools. Further, it introduces current approaches to trauma work happening in mental health counseling that school counselors should be knowledgeable of.
Data Superpowers -Unleashing SCUTA for School Counseling
Lead Presenter: Diana Virgil
Discover how SCUTA empowers school counselors with data-driven insights to enhance student support and advocacy. This session explores SCUTA’s role in documenting time use, analyzing counseling services, and generating reports to improve program effectiveness. Learn best practices, engage in hands-on demonstrations, and see how data can transform your counseling approach.
FAFSA to SAI: How to Talk the Talk about College Financial Aid
Lead Presenter: Gina Rigby
As college costs continue to rise, school counselors play a pivotal role in guiding families through the complexities of how to finance their education. This session will equip counselors with basic knowledge and tools they can use to answer common questions students and families may have about the financial aid process, from the FAFSA to how to evaluate college aid offers.
Increasing College Applications Through Implementing a Successful MCAC Week
Lead Presenter: Jennifer McGuire
With a senior class of over 600 students, it is difficult to support all students through the college application process. Massachusetts College Application Celebration is an initiative designed to increase the number of seniors who apply to college. Through collaborative efforts between school counselors and community-based college access programs, New Bedford High School has increased the number of students completing college applications.
Motivational Interviewing for College and Career Readiness
Lead Presenter: Tim Poynton
Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a powerful technique well-suited to a variety of counseling topics and contexts. In this session, you will learn about the College and Career Readiness Motivational Interview (CCRMI), a semi-structured interview protocol that helps assess college and career readiness strengths employing an asset-based approach, and MI techniques to intervene. The CCRMI is malleable to meet diverse post-secondary planning needs.
What 17,502 Girls Say About Stress, Pressure, and School Connection
Lead Presenter: Angel Mensing
This session explores key findings from The Girls’ Index™, a groundbreaking national survey of 17,000+ girls in grades 5-12. It uncovers the social, emotional, and personal challenges girls face, from social media and stress culture to relationships and confidence. Learn alarming trends, pressing concerns, and actionable insights to drive meaningful change and support adolescent girls in today’s complex world.
Building Leaders & Systems for Comprehensive School Mental Health Support
Lead Presenter: Amanda Chung
This session spotlights the School Mental Health Leadership Institute, a program that helps school staff grow as both clinical mental health leaders and change agents in building comprehensive school mental health systems. The Institute connects school-based staff across specialties and districts to foster collaboration and support as practitioners advance systems development. This session will include sample activities for hands-on learning.
Defining Effectiveness for School Counselors in Massachusetts
Lead Presenter: Shannon Clancy
What skills and knowledge do school counselors need to equitably and effectively support all students? Join us as we discuss recent updates to the Subject Matter Knowledge Guidelines that set forth content knowledge expectations for licensure and preview updates to the Model Rubric for Specialized Instructional Support Personnel that will describe evidence-based, culturally and linguistically sustaining practices specific to school counselors.
District Panel: Providing a Modern Approach to College & Career Readiness
Lead Presenter: Aaron Ribaudo-Smith
Join Newburyport and Wachusett counseling professionals for a panel on K-12 college & career readiness (CCR) in Massachusetts. Topics include building a district-wide framework, Vision of a Graduate & MyCap tracking, Naviance alternatives, and streamlining CCR programs. Facilitated by SchooLinks, this session encourages audience participation and Q&A.
Elevate Student Voice: Build Simple Surveys to Improve Counseling Programs
Lead Presenter: Adam Seidel
Data is everywhere in education, but most often it is ABOUT students, not FROM students. In this session, we will share how to develop and visualize data from easy-to-implement surveys that can elevate student voice and improve your counseling program. We will share an example of how OneGoal created a survey to measure students’ perceptions of the post-secondary culture in their schools and highlight how schools have used this to drive change.
Student Mental Health – An Open Dialogue
Lead Presenter: Justin Hajek
It is estimated that 49.5% of today’s adolescents have some form of mental disorder. As our nation’s youth mental health crisis continues, psychologists have deemed schools as a prime environment for intervention. Join us in an open guided conversation with your peers on experiences, trends, paths for success, and more.
The ADHD Porcupine: Understanding the Oppositional, Defiant & Neurodiverse
Lead Presenter: Christie Rogers-Larke
Those diagnosed with ADHD often have numerous co-morbid tendencies and behaviors. This presentation will present a holistic lens to evaluate and assess ADHD children, including through the lens of nervous system regulation.
The SAFE Model: School Counselors Supporting Queer/LGBTQIA+ Youth Identity
Lead Presenter: Clewiston Challenger
The SAFE model, a conceptual model, will be introduced to attendees offering a pragmatic approach on how to effectively work with queer-identifying students questioning and exploring their identities. Practical counseling strategies and approaches will be offered to practitioners servicing LGBTQ/Queer students to offer support and resources necessary for school adjustment, social and identity development, and mental health awareness.
Classroom Management for the School Counselor
Lead Presenter: Richard Walcek
This session will model proven techniques, tips, and hints that counselors can employ immediately to engage and empower students and preclude discipline issues when conducting classroom lessons and any group sessions.
DESE Licensure Advice
Lead Presenter: Tim Wilson
We will discuss all paths to obtaining, extending, advancing, and renewing the Massachusetts DESE School Social Worker / School Adjustment Counselor license and the Massachusetts DESE School Counselor license.
Elevating Mental Health Partnerships with Families
Lead Presenter: Johana Rodriguez
In this session, we will engage in an open, interactive learning experience to explore the impact of mental health in the school setting on children and families. We will explore the effect of stigma on students, best practices with families, youth voice, cultural considerations, real resources, and ideas that work. Join us for some out-of-the box thinking!
Engaging Students, PK-3rd Grade, in Learning Through Play
Lead Presenter: Kelly Meehan-Rooney
In this workshop, presenters from both DESE and school districts around the Commonwealth will discuss playful learning as an instructional strategy for engaging students, PK-3rd grade, in learning across content areas. Participants will become familiar with the research base connecting literacy, math, science, and social/emotional outcomes.
Enhancing Student Self-Esteem: Data-Driven Insights for School Counselors
Lead Presenter: Whitney Foley
In today’s educational environment, student well-being is paramount, with self-esteem playing a critical role in academic success, emotional resilience, and overall development. This workshop will explore practical strategies to enhance student self-esteem through the lens of data-driven insights. There will be interactive discussions, a collaborative atmosphere and tangible takeaways!
Ethical Dilemmas in School Counseling: A Legal Perspective
Lead Presenter: Melinda Cripps
Join us for a thought-provoking session exploring real-world ethical dilemmas faced by school counselors. We’ll examine recent court rulings to understand the legal boundaries of your practice. Learn how to navigate boundary issues, confidentiality concerns, and advocacy challenges while protecting yourself and your school. Leave with a renewed commitment to ethical practice and a toolbox of strategies to address the unique challenges that arise.
Supporting School Counselors to Deliver Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Lead Presenter: John Crocker
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based approach to addressing a litany of concerns that our students face, including anxiety, depression, and trauma. Despite the overwhelming amount of research available that underscores the efficacy of CBT, many misconceptions still exist about its utility in a school setting. In this session, participants will learn how school counselors can implement CBT in groups and individually.
A Counselor’s Compass In Ethical Decision-Making
Lead Presenter: Melinda Cripps
Join us for an interactive session exploring the complex ethical challenges school counselors face. Using Carolyn Stone’s “School Counseling Principles: Ethics and Law,” we’ll delve into real-world scenarios and learn how to apply a structured decision-making model. Leave with a renewed commitment to ethical practice and a toolbox of strategies to navigate boundary issues, confidentiality concerns, and advocacy challenges.
Little Known Secrets for Paying for College
Lead Presenter: Kareen Blake
On average, tuition tends to increase about 8% per year. This means that the cost of college doubles about every nine years. (Finaid.org)” Planning for these expenses has become essential. Some families have children attending college next year and others have years to plan, but the fears of tackling these rising costs are the same. The College Funding Coach® is here to help families figure out HOW to pay for it and still retire one day.
Making the MA Model 3.0 Work for You
Lead Presenter: Cynthia Esielionis
The MA Model is a framework to help counselors explain their work and guide the delivery of a School Counseling program. It also includes demonstrating the effectiveness of counselors’ programming through measuring student outcomes (Brag a little!). Bring examples from your program (eg: lesson, calendar, event, community partnerships, SEL/MH support, intervention project) along with data (if you have it). Learn how to “Model” it professionally!
My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP): Planning for Success After High School
Lead Presenter: Lisa Harney
MyCAP is a structured post-secondary planning process that encourages students to discover personal strengths, interests, skills, and talents, align them with careers of interest, and connect with course selections and future plans. MyCAP ensures that each student creates a meaningful pathway to success after high school. This session will include a school presentation with MEFA Pathway.
The Power of You: Amplifying School Counselor Impact through MASCA and ASCA
Lead Presenter: Bob Bardwell
This session will empower school counselors to harness their unique strengths and influence to create transformative change in their schools and communities. Participants will explore how to leverage the resources and networks of the Massachusetts School Counselors Association and the American School Counselor Association to enhance their practice and elevate their leadership potential to support student success and achievement in their schools.
Unions: How Counselors Fit In
Lead Presenter: Juliette Coatsworth
When it comes to union conversations and concerns, counselor voices can easily get lost. Join members from the Government Relations and Advocacy Committee and the Massachusetts Teachers Association to learn how to best advocate for your and your students’ needs. This session directly relates to the MASCA Program Audit Tool Objective 5.1.
2024-2025 MA State Financial Aid Programs Overview with OSFA
Lead Presenter: Robert Dais
Did you know that state financial aid has changed dramatically for the 2024-2025 school year? Join the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) for a comprehensive and fun overview of the many new financial aid programs launched this year. The session will provide an overview of new financial aid programs including the Tuition Equity Law, MassReconnect, MASSGrant Plus, and MASSGrant Expansion. Come learn and win fabulous prizes with OSFA!
Preparing Counselors for the Future: Innovative Approaches to Collaboration
Lead Presenter: Allison Cumming-McCann
This session explores strategies for collaboration between counselor ed programs and districts to increase BIPOC and Spanish-speaking counselors and better prepare all trainees. We’ll discuss coaching, mentoring, data-driven interventions, screenings, Spanish infusion, and grant funding. Join us to discuss innovative approaches that equip counselors with the skills to meet the growing college, career, and social/emotional needs of all students.
School Counseling and ELL Partnership to Enhance Support for Students
Lead Presenter: Jennifer Bullard
This session will highlight the collaboration between the school counseling and ELL departments to optimize student success. At Dracut High School, the EL population has increased exponentially in the past four years to now make up more than 10% of the school population. We will share strategies and programs that have helped EL students not only succeed,but thrive in high school and beyond.
Supporting Multi-identity Students in Fostering their Personal Identity
Lead Presenter: Rebecca Edelman
This session will aid school counselors to be better prepared and proactive in supporting students with multiple marginalized identities (i.e., ability, religion, race, ethnicity, multi-racial, immigration status, and SES) while supporting social/emotional development. In this interactive presentation, participants will take away creative interventions to implement in their school counseling practice to support students with multiple identities.
Tell Better Stories with Your Data: An Introduction to the Pivot Table
Lead Presenter: Lisa Vigneau
This session introduces the Pivot Table, a powerful tool for data analysis included in Excel and Sheets. Participants will learn best practices for setting up clean spreadsheets, and then watch Pivot Tables in action with data from sources like school management systems, college application programs, and surveys. Learn this tool to synthesize your data quickly and easily, and derive greater meaning from your data.
Unpacking “Doing What Is Right!”
Lead Presenter: John Steere
Ethics is a major piece of the work of a school counselor. However, one may not realize just how large of a piece it really is. Please join in the presentation and conversation on the topic of ethics in school counseling. In this breakout session, we will explore several case studies and then engage in enriching conversation around the ethical consideration regarding this sometime overlooked piece of the job.
What is Program Evaluation, and Why Should Our Department Conduct One?
Lead Presenter: Paige Kenney
What are the benefits of conducting a Program Evaluation of your school counseling department? What does the evaluation process include? Learn about MASCA’s initiative to provide a holistic assessment of a department’s efforts to develop a comprehensive program aligned with the MA Model. Hear about program evaluation findings from several Massachusetts districts and find out how your school can participate in a future program evaluation.
National Center for Youth Issues
ATTN: MASCA
P.O. Box 22185
Chattanooga, TN 37422-2185
