November 13-15, 2025
Rochester Riverside Convention Center
123 E. Main St. Rochester, NY
We look forward to having you join us at the New York State School Counselor Association Conference!
We hope to see you next year!
Lead Presenter: John Hodge
S.A.M.E. stands for Social, Academic and Moral Education. It is a holistic approach to creating and sustaining academic excellence in today’s schools. S.A.M.E. provides a research supported, holistic view of school improvement by addressing all of the components of school and district culture which must be addressed if lasting school reform is to be attained, i.e. the Social Domain, the Academic Domain and the Moral Domain. As the rigor of state accountability measures increase, schools must focus their efforts to achieve and sustain academic excellence. Come learn how this approach has been particularly successful in schools serving high-poverty populations.
Lead Presenter: Orfelina Cisneros
The CUNY Immigration Resource Guide for school counselors working with immigrant-origin students and/or multilingual learners was created to support school counselors in addressing the diverse needs of immigrant students and their families when accessing educational services in K-12 public school settings.
Lead Presenter: Rose Zinkowski
Attendees will receive a brief background on up-to-date terminology, data and best practice. We will focus on case studies, scenarios and building a “tool box” so that school counselors can return to their districts feeling competent to serve ALL students.
Lead Presenter: Janelle Lyons
Often times, school counselors deliver SEL education and supports to promote student success. SEL curriculums help students learn positive social and emotional regulation skills. With that said, all humans face adversity and experience trauma. Trauma experienced by school age children can have a great impact on their ability to learn and function. Trauma-informed practices are an important part of SEL support!
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Lead Presenter: Robert Jamison
Topics presented in this session will include a review of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008, Section 504 eligibility requirements, a school district’s responsibility to implement a comprehensive Section 504 program, and “best practices” to consider. Participants will engage in individual, small and large group activities throughout the presentation. Resources will be made available. The pre-conference session will include the following
Section 504 eligibility explained: What to review and who is Technically Eligible
Section 504 rules and regulations to consider: Documenting Section 504 decisions
Difficult Section 504 issues and scenarios
Throughout each section of the pre-conference session, participants will be encouraged to share current practices and collaborate with professional peers.
Lead Presenter: Melissa Montague
This informative session provides a comprehensive overview of the current diploma requirements. Participants will learn about the diploma types, credit and assessment requirements, and the various pathways to graduation under our current system.
Lead Presenter: Hennessey Lustica
Learn how the Wellness Workforce Collaborative (WWC) is addressing mental health workforce shortages through a dual-enrollment “Grow Your Own” program that equips rural high school students with college credit, certifications, and hands-on experience in helping professions—creating a diverse, local pipeline into careers like counseling, social work, and psychiatric care.
Lead Presenter: Amanda Jones
School Counselors play a pivotal role in identifying and serving youth experiencing housing loss and insecurity. We will discuss the following: identification process established in the Rome City SD, referral process to link identified youth with community resources, collaboration with Community Schools Site Coordinators and SEALs Coordinator, and overview our successes as well as struggles and challenges we have experienced along the way.
Lead Presenter: Tammy Aubrey
The Seal of Biliteracy is an honor that students can earn on their diploma in the form of a special “seal”. Different seals and pathways will become even more important if and when the the NY Inspires recommendations are approved by the Board of Regents and become options towards graduation. Participants will get an overview of how students earn this seal, the counselor’s role, and what it takes to implement it successfully in their district.
Lead Presenter: Benedetta (Beth) Gerardi
Do your seniors struggle to organize their post-secondary tasks? In this session, we will examine one school’s use of senior checklists for military, workforce, two-year college, and four-year college career pathways. These checklists benefit students by increasing their sense of preparedness for the future and helps ensure that all necessary steps are completed.
Presenters: Mary Banaszak, Courtney Hill, Kelly Whitney-Rivera, Lysa Mullady, Bob Rotunda and Nancy DeStefano
Counselors are strong advocates for our students, but it can be difficult to advocate for ourselves. Join us to learn about the Collective Care Team Initiative and how you can become a stronger advocate in your school and your community. You will also hear how NYSSCA collaborates with other statewide organizations to advocate for your needs at the state level.
Lead Presenter: Hanna Mick
Session Description: Coming Soon
Lead Presenter: Gerald Corbin
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) continues to be a phenomenon that some students may engage in. School counselors are well positioned to address this behavior with compassion in tandem with other interventions. School counselors should continue to support students who engage in NSSI at the school level in collaboration with other Tier 1 supports. Collaboration with adult stakeholders and mental health service providers to address NSSI is key.
Lead Presenter: Lynn Girolamo
Unlock AI’s potential in school counseling! Participants will learn practical strategies for leveraging AI tools to increase efficiency, personalize student support, and enhance program effectiveness. Ethical considerations and best practices for the responsible and safe use of AI will be a focus, ensuring counselors can confidently and ethically utilize AI tools to build their capacity and empower students for future success.
Lead Presenter: Jenny Konop
This session equips school counselors with strategies to support students facing mental health challenges during the transition to college. We’ll explore common concerns, how the transition can impact well-being, and share best practices for proactive support. The goal is to develop approaches that empower students to navigate this critical period with confidence and resilience.
Lead Presenter: Amanda Jones
Since 2016, Rome CSD has been a “Connected” community school. The Connected initiative collaborates to address barriers to education for students and families in “Connected” districts. School Counselors collaborate within an MTSS framework to identify, outreach, and engage families in accessing short-term resources in order to stabilize and explore long-term supports that address root causes of the issues, enabling students to resume engaging in their education.
Lead Presenter: Andrea Kramarczyk
Just as positive relationships are vital to our students’ success, our relationships with our coworkers are vital to our success as educators. Learn ways to build systems of support that make you a more effective school counselor or administrator and help to make your place of employment a happier place to be.
Lead Presenter: Belinda Westfield
NYS Master Counselors will present current research, progress, and best practices gained through their PLT study group. Highly skilled school counselors are essential in fostering the Career, Academic, and Social/Emotional Development of all students. Teaching and mentoring are crucial parts of maintaining a strong and skilled population of counselors and ensuring the health of students and schools for years to come and sustaining our profession.
Lead Presenter: Lysa Mullady
Creating a successful principal-counselor relationship is essential for a well-run comprehensive counseling program. This presentation will provide strategies and insights from elementary, middle, and high school perspectives from both suburban and city school counselors. Join us to learn the secrets to success!
Lead Presenter: Phoenicia Grant
Just when you thought ADVOCACY was canceled, think again! International students deserve to earn US equivalent credit for coursework taken abroad. Districts that embrace a fair and sustainable transcript evaluation and enrollment process can minimize hardships experienced by secondary newcomers challenged with learning English while passing graduation requirements. Counselors will receive a toolkit with resources to analyze transcripts.
Lead Presenter: Marshall Nagy
Looking for resources and activities to incorporate with your elementary small group lessons? Join us as we model a variety of methods and resources to make your small group instruction engaging and meaningful for students. We will emphasize methods for fostering connections as we share practical ideas. You will leave with ideas and resources to take back to your school and use immediately!
Lead Presenter: Lysa Mullady
The social/emotional needs of our elementary students are growing at an alarming rate. This presentation will focus on tiered interventions that can turn your days from reactive to proactive. The secret to success lies in learning the language of emotional regulation and calming strategies.
Lead Presenter: Crystal Clark
This workshop highlights the urgency for a system-wide shift: moving from students merely having “Access” to school counselors, to ensuring that every school is staffed with a full-time, certified, highly-qualified elementary school counselor. Please join us to learn how the Rochester City School District (RCSD) went from having no elementary school counselors to obtaining a full-time school counselor for every elementary school.
Lead Presenter: Andre Torres
Who advocates for the advocates? As they pour their energy into guiding others, counselors can sometimes feel overlooked within the broader educational system. By stepping into leadership roles, counselors become their own champions, creating a platform to voice the collective needs of their profession. Leadership empowers us to advocate for resources, policy changes, and professional recognition that not only benefit counselors but also enhance.
Lead Presenter: Benedetta (Beth) Gerardi
In this workshop, we will explore the various roles and responsibilities of crisis team members and the use of care stations. We will also discuss developmental reactions to death, signs and signals of stress reactions, and grief at school.
Lead Presenter: Shelly Chizzonite
Primary Project is a Tier two, play-based, early prevention program designed to support students in Pre-K – 3rd grade who are showing early signs of school adjustment difficulties. Learn how working together to bring Primary Project to your district builds stronger schools and stronger students.
Lead Presenter: Qiana Spellman
Students who live in temporary housing are a unique population, which all too often go unnoticed. This presentation draws on the real-world experiences of students in temporary housing (SITH) by highlighting strategies that create supportive school communities and foster student self-efficacy through belongingness and trust. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of personal connections, tailored individualized support, and leadership support.
Lead Presenter: Alison Schwenzer
Teachers and principals who have established trust can work more productively to solve complex problems (Tschannen-Moran, 2014). This workshop will explore the methods taken by two counselors and their administrator to establish a relationship that fosters collaboration in order to meet the needs of students. Rooted in research, we will discuss centering vulnerability to allow for the sharing of ideas to improve practice.
Lead Presenter: Diahann Hesler
Discover free, state-wide resources from the CTE Technical Assistance Center (CTE TAC) that support school counselors in preparing students for college, career, and life. This session highlights tools aligned with NYSED’s counseling regulations and CTE frameworks, including career planning supports, equity-focused practices, and ready-to-use materials to foster collaboration across roles and ensure student-centered success.
Lead Presenter: Carrol Miller
Discover how to infuse joy and movement into the essential work of social/emotional learning. Join us for a hands-on session that will equip you with a toolkit of innovative strategies to make SEL both fun and effective! By the end of the session, participants will leave empowered with a repertoire of engaging activities ready to implement in their schools, enhancing their students’ social/emotional competencies while having fun!
Lead Presenter: Stacy Gidley
In today’s digital age, the problematic use of smartphones and social media presents significant challenges for students’ academic, career, and social/emotional development. Learn how Greece CSD Counselors and the Tech Coach are tackling this problem through collaboration and comprehensive support. Discover evidence-based tools and gain actionable strategies for your students, families, and school community.
Lead Presenter: Amy Giblin
Family engagement is one of the most powerful tools school counselors can use to promote student achievement, well-being, and a sense of school connectedness. School counselors can accomplish this with intentional and inclusive practices. This session will focus on initiatives to welcome new students and families to the district, deepening home-school partnerships, and will show the positive impact of making the school the hub of the community.
Lead Presenter: Gerald Corbin
To build future school counselors’ interview competencies and school leaders’ interviewer skills, two graduate school programs partnered to support an integral component of preparation by engaging students with a job interview simulation. This presentation explores the potential benefits that school counseling and school leadership students received from learning about each other’s roles, developing interview skills, and practicing interviews collaboratively.
Lead Presenter: Carol Dahir
Generative AI and General AI are supposed to make our professional lives easier. These tools can help us design a survey, an exit ticket for school counseling lessons, and gathering and interpreting data. It is suggested that using AI enhances school counselor effectiveness and efficiency to support students. Can AI also help us design and/or revise our comprehensive school counseling program as required by the amended school counseling regulations? As AI is used more extensively by principals and teachers to develop programs and enhance curriculum, where does school counseling fit in? Let’s explore how to channel the power of AI to ensure ethical applications in our work with students and better address school needs with fidelity and integrity. Please bring a device to follow along.
”Lead Presenter: Carrol Miller
Discover how to infuse joy and movement into the essential work of social/emotional learning. Join us for a hands-on session that will equip you with a toolkit of innovative strategies to make SEL both fun and effective! By the end of the session, participants will leave empowered with a repertoire of engaging activities ready to implement in their schools, enhancing their students’ social/emotional competencies while having fun!
Lead Presenter: Christina Hegedus
Learn how partnerships with local community agencies such as libraries, doctors, and dentists, can enhance the school counseling program. By collaborating to bring in workshops, presentations, and resources, we strengthen the connection between school, home, and the community, providing valuable support for students’ academic and personal growth.
Lead Presenter: Paul Leheste
Stall Studio helps students express themselves, build community, and seek mental health support in a private and innovative way. This program capitalizes on an often overlooked space, bathroom stalls, to create engagement opportunities for K-12 and collegiate students. The program utilizes acrylic folio covers to display rotating student-created content like art, writing, playlist links, and mental health resources.
Lead Presenter: Amanda Luther
Since the rise of technology, students are experiencing higher rates of anxiety and mental illness. In this presentation, attendees will learn how school counselors can play an active role in educating parents and teachers to navigate this epidemic of technology use, mental illness, and anxiety. By actively working together and initiating positive change, we can have a beneficial effect on students mental health and well-being.
Lead Presenter: Alison Schwenzer
Transformative social/emotional learning should be the foundation of a Comprehensive School Counseling Program. While there are many classroom curriculums available, finding one that meets the needs of individual schools is difficult and typically requires adaptations. This workshop will review literature pertaining to belonging, highlight examples of lessons incorporating CASEL competencies, and discuss evaluation to measure effectiveness.
National Center for Youth Issues
ATTN: NYSSCA
P.O. Box 22185
Chattanooga, TN 37422-2185
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