Katie Brown, a school counselor from Pueblo, Colorado, discusses her journey into education, her role as a school counselor, and her involvement with the Colorado School Counselor Association (CSCA). She highlights the importance of advocacy, sharing her experience as a political and community organizer. Katie emphasizes the need for school counselors to be involved in advocacy at all levels, from individual student needs to state-level legislative changes. She mentions the success of securing $2 million for counselor core grants and the efforts to reduce student-to-counselor ratios. Katie encourages school counselors to get involved in advocacy and to use resources like the Shmi survey to share their experiences.

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Email Katie through the CSCA website.

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Anna Gisetti, a middle school counselor and assistant chair of the Colorado School Counselor Association (CSCA), interviews Jenn Smela, the CSCA chair. Jen shares her journey from Aurora, Colorado, to becoming a school counselor, highlighting her work with at-risk youth and her transition from high school to middle school counseling. Jenn discusses her involvement with CSCA since 2010, including her role in supporting counselors and addressing challenges like imposter syndrome. She emphasizes the importance of groundedness, realistic expectations, and peer support for both new and veteran counselors. Jenn also mentions the School Counselor Mental Health Initiative (SCMHI) survey to gather insights from counselors across Colorado.

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Find out more about SCMHI here.

Email Jenn through the CSCA website.

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In the inaugural episode of the Colorado School Counselor Association's podcast, host Anna Gisseti interviews Matthew McClain, the Executive Director. McClain shares his journey from psychology to school counseling, emphasizing his passion for serving all students. He discusses the current challenge of a shortage of school counselors, with many districts having open positions. McClain outlines the various committees within the association, including advocacy, professional development, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, and encourages involvement. He also highlights a data collection project with the School Counselor Mental Health Initiative to better understand school counselors' needs and improve support.

Connect with Matthew via his LinkedIn Page.

Email Matthew directly through the CSCA website.

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Host Anna Gisetti welcomes you to a brand new podcast series called From Plains to Peaks, Counsellors Speak!

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