Dr. Michelle Sircy has served in public education for over 20 years. Her service includes work as a special education teacher, high school counselor, specialist for school counseling services for Jefferson County/Louisville, KY Public Schools, where she led over 300 school counselors, and she currently serves as the Coordinator for Comprehensive School Counseling at the Kentucky Department of Education. Dr. Sircy is also an adjunct professor at Spalding University where she teaches courses in the school counselor preparation program.
While at JCPS, she co-led the district crisis team, where she developed over 400 personalized crisis plans for schools throughout the last 10 years. Dr. Sircy also led suicide prevention efforts for 70,000 students in grades 2nd-12th, and with over 15,000 adults. Dr. Sircy is the past president of the Kentucky Counseling Association, Kentucky high school counselor of the year, and the Kentucky school counselor advocate of the year. She has led numerous national trainings on the school counselor’s role in equity work, school counseling data, how to be an ally, new school counselor academies, and comprehensive systems of support for students.
Her passion resides in improving mental health services, leading school counselor work in addressing racial equity at the school level, data driven school counseling and empowering school based mental health teams to develop, plan and support students through various crisis.
Unfortunately, the likelihood of school leaders encountering a crisis event during their tenure is high. Being well-prepared for crisis response equips school staff with the ability to think quickly and critically when such situations arise. In this session, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of how to effectively respond to crises within a school setting. School counselors, administrators, and educators will explore best practices and strategies to ensure the safety and mental well-being of students and staff during times of crisis.
This session is not a replacement for crisis prevention but provides attendees with skills and a knowledge base on how to respond once a crisis has occurred. The session will include interactive activities, case studies, and practical tools that participants can immediately apply to their school environments.
Attendees will learn how to:
In this session learn how to leverage data to enhance school counseling and student support services. In today’s educational landscape, data-driven approaches are essential for identifying student needs, measuring the effectiveness of interventions, and ensuring equitable outcomes for all students.
Through hands-on activities, real-world examples, and practical tools, attendees will gain the skills necessary to integrate data into their daily practice. This session is designed to empower school counselors to make informed decisions, optimize their support services, and ultimately enhance student success. Whether you’re new to data-driven approaches or looking to refine your existing practices, this session will provide valuable insights and actionable strategies.
Attendees will learn how to:
This interactive session focuses on empowering school counselors to become proactive allies in addressing inequities within their school communities. Through a blend of discussion, reflection, and practical strategies, participants will learn how to:
