Student Well-being and School Safety Summit

We have gathered eight experts on student safety, social-emotional learning, restorative practices, and mental health to share best practices for increasing student well-being and safety in your school. This free professional learning opportunity, paid for in part the Idaho’s Communities of Excellence Federal CSP Grant, is open to superintendents, school leaders, counselors, social workers, students service coordinators, and others who support K-12 education. Please join us, and share this opportunity with your colleagues!

LEARNING GOALS

1. Best practices for assessing and implementing school safety plans.
2. Develop your risk and threat assessment team (RTAT) to support the safety and well-being of your students.
3. Identify and serve students facing social or emotional challenges such as trauma, neglect, and mental illness.
4. Access mental health professionals for your students and families in need.
5. Build a strong school culture using restorative practices.

_____________________________________________________________________________

 AGENDA

8:30 – 8:45 am – Welcome and brief overview of sessions
*Guests, please choose one topic per session (you’ll participate in two out of the five offered at this event)

9:00 – 10:20 am – First Session
– Best practices when assessing and implementing your school safety and emergency plan
Jim Sawyer, Security Director of Seattle Children’s Hospital
– Student Mental Health and Wellness
Jill Brown, Generation Text Online
– Preparing for Mass Casualty Incidents
Brian Armes, Program Manager for the Idaho Office of School Safety and Security
– Using Restorative Practices to Build a Strong Culture and Climate in Your School
Darrell Jackson, Jon Munn, and Kat Armstrong | Licensed Restorative Practice Trainers

10:35 – 11:55 am – Second Session
– Best practices when assessing and implementing your school safety and emergency plan
Jim Sawyer, Security Director of Seattle Children’s Hospital
– Social and Emotional Learning
Jill Brown, Generation Text Online
– Developing your Risk and Threat Assessment Team (RTAT)
Brian Armes, Program Manager for the Idaho Office of School Safety and Security
– Using Restorative Practices to Build a Strong Culture and Climate in Your School
Darrell Jackson, Jon Munn, and Kat Armstrong | Licensed Restorative Practice Trainers
– Access a school-based Mental Health Therapist at no FTE cost to your school or district
Angela Hernandez-Harris and Nina Dowdy, Terry Reilly Health Services

_____________________________________________________________________________

Meet Our Nationally Recognized & Idaho Education Speakers

Angela Hernandez-Harris, LCPC-5805
Angie Hernandez-Harris  is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and registered supervisor in the State of Idaho. Angie has undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Spanish from the University of Idaho as well as a Master’s Degree in Counseling with an emphasis in Addiction from Boise State University. Angie works with children and adults and provides therapy in English and Spanish. She is a Certified EMDR therapist and approved consultant who specializes in treating sexual abuse and facilitating the protective parenting classes for SANE Solutions. Angie is also the clinical supervisor for the School Based Therapist Program for Terry Reilly Health Services. Outside of Terry Reilly, Angie works with Boise State University’s Graduate Counselor Education Program teaching as an adjunct and providing live-supervision to practicum students.

Brian Armes, Idaho Office of School Safety and Security
Brian has served as the program manager of the Idaho Office of School Safety and Security since 2016. He is passionate about his work and the mission of his office to promote and foster safer student environments by supporting school communities with assessment, training and expertise across our state. Brian also served in education as a teacher and school administrator in the Idaho Falls and Bonneville school districts, and is the owner of Citadel Education Consulting LLC and a Partner with EducationEyes LLC.

Darrell Jackson
Darrell has worked in education for 17 years serving at-risk youth in alternative education settings. He is a licensed Restorative Practice Trainer. He has his Masters in Education focused on Special Education and is currently working on his Educational Doctorate for Education Leadership focusing on how teacher to student relationships affect discipline outcomes. He is a member of the Council for Exceptional Children and has been a very active in Canyon County serving students and their families.

Jim Sawyer, Security Director Seattle Children’s Hospital
Jim Sawyer has been a Crime Prevention and Personal Safety presenter for over 30 years.  He is a certified instructor in Nonviolent Crisis Intervention, a member and presenter with Homeland Security, President and Past President with the Washington State Crime Prevention Association, and board member with this association for over 20 years.  He is also certified as a Nat’l Crime Prevention Specialist with the National Crime Prevention Association.  Jim instructs ongoing classes for Seattle Children’s staff on Workplace Violence, Personal Safety, and began an in-house self defense course for women.  Jim has also taught classes on verbal de-escalation throughout the region for hospitals, schools, seminars and businesses. Jim has spent over 30 years working in Security Services at Seattle Children’s Hospital and has a Bachelor degree in Society in Justice.

Jill Brown, Generation Text Online
Jill is internationally recognized for her work and commitment to addressing the mental health and wellness of adolescents and young adults. She is the President and Founder of Generation Text Online. Jill’s vision is to equip universities and colleges, K-12 schools, sports organizations/clubs, youth organizations and families on an international level with the necessary support system for the psychological, social and emotional well-being of today’s youth, adolescents and young adults. Jill assembled a team of experts in their fields – doctors and pediatricians, neuroscientists, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, educators, and mental health professionals to develop a 21st Century Social and Emotional Framework and a Mental Health and Wellness curriculum. This framework and curriculum are being used around the world to support young people in academic success, provide them with life skills, and prepare them for the workforce in a global economy.

Jon Munn
Jon has over 10 years of experience in social work. He is a licensed Restorative Practices Trainer. He currently serves as the Vice President of the School Social Work Association of Idaho. He is on the United Way of Treasure Valley’s Education Vision Counsel. He also serves as a board member for the Gates of Hope organization serving refugee families across the Treasure Valley. He has led pioneering efforts to bring trauma care and restorative justice to the Nampa School District and is proud that Union High School was the first school in the Treasure Valley to initiate comprehensive trauma informed care and restorative practices.

Kat Armstrong
Kat Armstrong has worked for the Nampa School District for 18 years, 13 years with the Alpha One Suspension program, focusing on behavior modification with at risk students and the last 5 years at Union High School as the Learning Through Internship Coordinator. She is a licensed Restorative Practices Trainer and always excited to share with others about Restorative Practice and how it has transformed Union High School and its culture. Kat Armstrong attended College University of New York and obtained her B.A from University of Utah in Human Development FCS and holds CDAC licenses in drug and alcohol treatment.

Nina Dowdy, LMSW-34859
Nina is a licensed master social worker clinician in the state of Idaho.  Nina has an undergraduate degree in design from Brigham Young University with a minor in Spanish and a Master’s degree in Social Work from Boise State University.  Nina works with children, teens, and adults, providing mental health therapy in English and Spanish.  She has also previously worked with victims of sexual abuse and is a trained EMDR therapist. Nina recently joined the School Based Counseling Program and is working with children and families in the Melba School District as well as providing therapy at the Melba Medical/Dental Clinic.

This free professional learning opportunity hosted by Bluum and funded in part by Idaho’s Communities of Excellence Program. This is a competitive public charter school grant program funded under the Congressional Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA, Public Law 114-95), which reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965 (ESEA). $6,375.00 (75%) of this event funded by Federal CSP Grant dollars; $2,125.00 (25%) of this event funded by Bluum; total cost $8,500.00