Makenzie Perkins, MS, currently serves as the Counseling Specialist for Collierville Schools (TN). In this role she is responsible for coordinating and supervising school counseling, threat assessment, health facility transitions, and crisis response across the district. Previously she served as the Prevention Counselor at Collierville High School, where she helped students and staff navigate mental health concerns and crises at the largest high school in the state.
Makenzie is a National Certified Counselor and earned her Master of Science degree and Clinical Mental Health Specialist degree from the University of Memphis. She is passionate about training professionals in the areas of threat assessment and management, suicidality, school safety, loss and grief, and understanding the everchanging mental health needs of today’s youth.
Did you know new studies estimate 1 in 13 children will lose a parent or sibling before the age of 18? This presentation will allow school counselors to leave with creative ways to help students process their own grief journeys. A variety of expressive counseling techniques will be explored (and practiced!) that can be utilized in both individual and group sessions for all ages. Although we can’t control if a student experiences loss and grief, we can help give their grief a voice.
Curious if your school or district is prepared to prevent and manage potential acts of targeted violence? Wondering how different professionals in a school should be utilized to build a functioning multidisciplinary threat assessment team? Look no further! Using a variety of case studies and tabletop exercises, participants will leave with a better understanding of targeted violence, take an in-depth look at the threat assessment process, and learn how to implement a variety of interventions to effectively enhance school safety. This training workshop is designed to last 3-5 hours and can be used as a starter course or modified as a training refresher for school professionals with an already established threat assessment team.
School counselors are uniquely positioned to be front line responders to students presenting in crisis. This workshop is designed to enhance a school counselor’s knowledge on current suicide statistics, explore strategies to provide effective screening, and demonstrate how to create meaningful safety plans. Special emphasis will be placed on empowering student voice through this process.
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.
Addressing increasing rates of violent, threatening, and concerning behavior present challenges for school leaders across the nation. This workshop is designed to explore four essential pillars of prevention, including emergency planning, physical security, school climate, and community connectedness and how they all play a major role in school safety. Post-incident reviews and case studies will be explored to help participants brainstorm current gaps and areas of growth in their own school safety plans in this hands-on session.
