September 21-23, 2025
Embassy Suites Hotel & Convention Center
Murfreesboro, TN
We look forward to having you join us at the Tennessee School Counselor and Administrator Institute!
We hope to see you next year!
Lead Presenter: Dr. Karen Whidby
This interactive session presents an innovative framework for building responsive, collaborative crisis intervention systems that align counseling services with school-wide mental health initiatives. Participants will explore evidence-based crisis response protocols, learn strategies for effective administrator-counselor partnerships, and develop customized action plans to implement coordinated mental health support systems that serve all students while managing counselor workload.
Lead Presenter: Heather Bushelman
Students are filling classrooms daily with an increase in unexpected behaviors as educators struggle to manage and intervene effectively. School counselors can create systemic change by becoming experts in proactively intervening with unexpected behaviors. Learn to create an easy-to-implement, individualized behavior toolbox aligned with the ASCA Student Standards, which includes functions of behavior, SEL skills and evidence-based interventions for student success at all MTSS tiers. Samples of data-tracking tools will also be shown for progress monitoring.
Lead Presenter: Elishia Basner
Learn how to better manage and diffuse a crisis with De-escalation Strategies 101. In this session, you’ll gain an understanding of why students lose control of their emotions and the best strategies for addressing difficult situations. You’ll also learn proactive skills to help children of all ages develop regulation and coping skills to prevent future crises. With these tools, you’ll be better equipped to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone in the classroom.
Lead Presenter: Emily Pitt
Are you looking to implement a strong Career Advising Program across your district? Learn from GCSSD’s Career Advising Specialist and Innovative School Model Director on how they implemented their own program. We will discuss their best practices, training programs, and counselor collaborations. Learn how they use Career Aptitude assessment results within each individual advisement session, as well as scheduling 1:1 meeting’s for high school course selections.
Lead Presenter: Franciene Sabens
School counselors have a unique and ethically obligated role in facilitating collaborative relationships with parents/guardians. This session will focus on the school counselor’s ethical responsibility to parents/guardians, as outlined by the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors. Specific examples and best practices to help school counselors navigate the legal and inherent rights of parents/guardians to be the guiding voice in their children’s lives and creative ways to foster collaborative relationships with parents/guardians will be discussed.
Lead Presenter: Makenzie Perkins
Whether you are a school counselor overwhelmed with the mental health needs of your caseload, or a parent wondering how on earth you can help your child navigate the ever-changing world we live in, this session is for you. Participants will gain a better understanding of current mental health trends, how to recognize declining mental wellness, and hands on techniques to support students experiencing a variety of mental health challenges.
Lead Presenter: Shawna Griffin
This session provides schools with an Overview of PBIS, guides your team through the critical elements of school wide PBIS and provides planning time to design your PBIS plan.
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.
Lead Presenter: Joshua Webb
The school counselor’s role is not a cookie cutter role. The school counselor wears many hats in the building, and is the glue that holds the building together. As the glue, it is the counselor’s opportunity to build relationships within the school community. While doing this, it is important that the school counselor and administration work together and support each other in their roles in the building while understanding a proper work/home balance.
Lead Presenter: Katherine Wood
This presentation will provide ways to integrate college and career programming in comprehensive school counseling programs. It also will focus on the college admissions process, providing practical resources and tips for school counselors, students and their families to manage the college application and admissions process. This session is helpful for counselors that have a large caseload and/or feel overwhelmed by the college process.
Lead Presenter: Heather Bushelman
Students are filling classrooms daily with an increase in unexpected behaviors as educators struggle to manage and intervene effectively. School counselors can create systemic change by becoming experts in proactively intervening with unexpected behaviors. Learn to create an easy-to-implement, individualized behavior toolbox aligned with the ASCA Student Standards, which includes functions of behavior, SEL skills and evidence-based interventions for student success at all MTSS tiers. Samples of data-tracking tools will also be shown for progress monitoring.
Lead Presenter: Elishia Basner
Learn how to better manage and diffuse a crisis with De-escalation Strategies 101. In this session, you’ll gain an understanding of why students lose control of their emotions and the best strategies for addressing difficult situations. You’ll also learn proactive skills to help children of all ages develop regulation and coping skills to prevent future crises. With these tools, you’ll be better equipped to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone in the classroom.
Lead Presenter: Laura Filtness
In this session, you’ll discover practical, research-informed strategies to support the development of executive functioning skills in students, including activation, focus, effort, emotion regulation, memory, and task completion. Whether you’re working directly with students in a small group or individually, or collaborating with colleagues and families, these tools will empower you to foster greater independence, engagement, and academic success.
Lead Presenter: Franciene Sabens
School counselors have a unique and ethically obligated role in facilitating collaborative relationships with parents/guardians. This session will focus on the school counselor’s ethical responsibility to parents/guardians, as outlined by the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors. Specific examples and best practices to help school counselors navigate the legal and inherent rights of parents/guardians to be the guiding voice in their children’s lives and creative ways to foster collaborative relationships with parents/guardians will be discussed.
Lead Presenter: Makenzie Perkins
Whether you are a school counselor overwhelmed with the mental health needs of your caseload, or a parent wondering how on earth you can help your child navigate the ever-changing world we live in, this session is for you. Participants will gain a better understanding of current mental health trends, how to recognize declining mental wellness, and hands on techniques to support students experiencing a variety of mental health challenges.
Lead Presenter: Shawna Griffin
This session provides schools with an Overview of PBIS, guides your team through the critical elements of school wide PBIS and provides planning time to design your PBIS plan.
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.
Lead Presenter: Amy Baltimore
This workshop is focused on mitigating the culture of isolation by creating a culture of belonging that sets healthy boundaries and fosters positive relationships.
Lead Presenter: Janna Ramsey
What do you do with an unmotivated student? Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative, student-centered approach that helps students overcome ambivalence and ignite intrinsic motivation for change. MI boosts engagement, addresses academic and behavioral challenges, builds stronger counselor-student bonds, and can be used with a variety of ages. Join this session for practical techniques to implement MI in school counseling.
Lead Presenter: Anna Lora Taylor
In 2024 TNpassed legislation requiring parent notification of name/gender reference requests made by students. In 2025, TN passed legislation that public school personnel are not required to use a student’s preferred pronouns or name if they don’t align with the student’s biological sex. These laws impact school counselors as well as vulnerable students which we serve. This session will explore how counselors can uphold the laws, yet stay trusted advocates and safe spaces for our students.
Lead Presenter: Emily Fain-Lynch
Supervising practicum students is both a privilege and a responsibility. As supervisors, we are not only supporting the professional development of emerging practitioners, but also modeling the ethical standards they will carry forward in their careers. In this session, we will outline key components such as setting boundaries for yourself as the mentor, confidentiality, informed consent, competence, and dual relationships. We will also address common ethical dilemmas that arise in real-world.
Lead Presenter: Elizabeth Evans
Join us for an interactive session where you’ll learn to create a responsive, data-driven counseling program that adapts to your school’s needs! Discover strategies for building strong relationships with leadership, integrating college and career readiness, and using social media to elevate your program. Walk away with actionable tools, templates, and insights to advocate for your counseling initiatives and foster whole-child success. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your impact!
Lead Presenter: Elizabeth Henke
Smooth school transitions are key to student success in academics, social/emotional growth, and career readiness. This panel of school counselors and a social worker will share best practices for supporting students from elementary to post-secondary and the workforce. Topics include academic planning, social/emotional support, and career advisement, with a focus on collaboration between schools, families, and communities. Attendees will gain strategies to create seamless, supportive transitions.
Lead Presenter: Katherine Wood
This presentation will focus on defining different types of grief and identifying ways to support students who are grieving both death and non-death losses. The presentation will provide interventions across K-12 for school counselors to utilize with students and their families/caregivers during their grief process.
Lead Presenter: Sara Cottrill-Carlo
School counseling is a deeply rewarding profession, but one that also comes with high levels of stress and burnout. In this session, you’ll explore eight practical, research-informed strategies to reduce overwhelm, boost confidence, and support long-term sustainability in your role. Walk away with tools, mindset shifts, and boundary-setting language to help you thrive for years to come.
Lead Presenter: Suzanne Stokes
What if every counseling session held the potential for growth and connection through play? This session explores practical strategies to weave play into individual counseling, small group counseling, and classroom lessons. Counselors will discover how play can spark meaningful change, deepen student engagement, and ignite joy. Come ready to explore, laugh, and leave with hands-on tools and fresh inspiration to reimagine your role—one playful moment at a time.
Lead Presenter: Penny Lane Fletcher
This workshop is aimed at enhancing support for student mental health and facilitating smooth transitions back to school post-facility stay. We empower participants to understand prevalent mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD, and equip them with protocols for effective student reintegration. Attendees will gain insights on legal considerations, confidentiality, and essential communication channels, fostering a supportive and inclusive school environment.
Lead Presenter: Sarah Morgan
School administrators tell me that their biggest challenge is dealing with angry parents who blame them for doing “nothing” about bullying. Meanwhile, the educators wonder what on earth they haven’t done! Although we cannot outlaw hate or guarantee the absence of disappointment, the negative impacts of hardship can be minimized, and even channeled into growth. You will leave this interactive workshop with the tools to impart respect, responsibility, and resilience to your K-12 students.
Lead Presenter: Jodie Overton
This session provides an overview of how Knox County Schools implements a comprehensive, data-driven school counseling program using tiered interventions to support student success. Participants will explore Tennessee’s counseling model and examine how school counselors deliver targeted services across academic, social/emotional, and college and career domains.
Lead Presenter: Ashley Crowder
Suicide is a leading cause of death among adolescents. Unfortunately, during a school counselor’s career, they will be faced with crisis situations involving suicidal intent and ideation among their student population. This presentation will explore the importance of suicide prevention in the schools. We will discuss resources available to school counselors to help with suicide prevention and assessment, including the use of the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS).
Lead Presenter: Warren Powers
This session will explore ways to strengthen the relationship between the counselor and principal in order to build a better program for your students and staff. By defining both the counselor and principal roles clearly, how to respect each other’s roles while working together, and how to implement data for decision making, we will demonstrate what a successful working relationship could look like.
Lead Presenter: Jason Seay
Paying for college is a concern for most families, and keeping up with all the changes related to financial aid is a challenge for everyone. As always, Jason will provide pertinent updates regarding the HOPE Scholarship, Dual Enrollment Grant, Tennessee Promise, and federal aid, including the latest with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Lead Presenter: Kaycee Miller
Learn practical strategies for planning, facilitating, and evaluating small counseling groups in high schools. This session will cover how to identify student needs using data, select group topics, structure sessions, manage logistics, and measure outcomes. Attendees will leave with tools to confidently run small groups in the high school setting.
Lead Presenter: Byron McClure
Description Coming Soon
Lead Presenter: Kristina Kalb
In the wake of increasing mental health challenges among students, schools are seeking sustainable solutions beyond immediate crisis interventions. This session delves into creating comprehensive, long-term mental health support systems that integrate wellness practices for both students and faculty. Participants will explore strategies to embed wellness into the school culture, ensuring proactive and responsive services that address mental health holistically.
Lead Presenter: Regina Peery
Cowboy Up, Inc. is a message of suicide prevention, education, and hope. Since 2005, it has been shared with over 25,000 students and educators. During the presentation, participants will learn about the middle/high school program of Cowboy Up. Also, participants will learn about the new Cowboy Up Kids Program that focuses on using agricultural literacy to promote social/emotional learning. The personal story of Cowboy Up will also be shared.
Lead Presenter: April Milam
This session will explore how schools can implement trauma-informed practices to better support students’ academic success, emotional regulation, and long-term resilience. Drawing on research and real-world implementation strategies, the presentation offers a roadmap for school counselors to lead and cultivate trauma-sensitive learning environments.
Lead Presenter: Jodie Overton
Learn how to use data to plan and evaluate key components of your comprehensive school counseling program, including student outcome goals, pre/post lesson data, and High School & Beyond Plan implementation. This session will also introduce a practical rubric for assessing program implementation and aligning your work with state standards.
Lead Presenter: Suzette Telli
From Memphis to Mountain City, students across TN have unique stories and aspirations, shaped by their communities and landscapes. Those stories don’t begin in high school, and neither should access to resources to help prepare students for what comes next. We’ll discuss all that THEC has to offer, including our newest additions—Elementary Guides for Grades K-2 and 3-5. Discover how we’re working to help all Tennesseans succeed and achieve their dreams with free college and free resources!
Lead Presenter: Mary Gilbert
Join us to explore REL’s award-winning journey as a TN Reward, Purple Star, Trauma-Informed, and America’s Healthiest All-Star School! Discover how REL fosters SEL, family engagement, student leadership, military support, wellness, and trauma-informed practices. Learn about Buddy Up, Kinder Buddies, and more. Walk away with FREE, ready-to-use resources to bring these strategies to your school or district!
Lead Presenter: Pennie Dismukes
Have you ever wondered how you could possibly connect with all of the students on your caseload? Minute Meetings can give you a face-to-face with every student, help students feel seen, ensure they have a connection with a trusted adult in the building, and provide you with valuable data. If you think there isn’t enough time to get them done, think again. This workshop will show you everything you need to do them this year!
Lead Presenter: Stephanie Coffman
Riding the wave of mental health is a serious ride on a big wave. In this presentation, we hope to explain what the wave looks like from a rural school’s perspective, where resources are limited at best, and geographic isolation can really be a wipeout waiting to happen. We hope to provide ideas and tools for your school to help pick the waves you want to ride, successfully surf those waves, and get your kids surfing, too!
National Center for Youth Issues
ATTN: TNSCALI
P.O. Box 22185
Chattanooga, TN 37422-2185
