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Please join us on October 7th to discuss, learn, and share best practice in academic, social-emotional and post-secondary counseling as we all navigate the "new normal" in education. As we move so many elements of school to the virtual world, counseling is no exception. Alongside adapting the way we instruct, how do we create a more structured approach to virtual counseling?
The panelists will be sharing strategies and tools that they have found success in getting their students engaged and feel supported.
Facilitated by seasoned school counselor Dustin Seemann of Beverly Hills, he'll lead the conversation with school counselors from around the country on best practices for organizing, relaying information, and communicating with students while keeping their goals at the forefront of importance.
Dustin Seemann, Assistant Superintendent, Beverly Hills, CA
Dustin Seemann is currently the Assistant Superintendent in Beverly Hills, CA. Dustin has worked in K-12 and Higher Education for over 15 years. Throughout his professional career, he has served as a School Counselor, Club Advisor, Graduate Professor and now Assistant Superintendent. Dustin is passionate about creating opportunities for students to set achievable goals and give back to their communities while feeling supported by their school.
Kirstin Perry, Social-Emotional Learning Specialist, Chicago Public Schools, IL
Kirsten Perry is a Social-Emotional Learning Specialist for the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) serving 29 schools in the Englewood and Auburn Gresham neighborhoods. Kirsten also serves as the President for the Illinois School Counselor Association (ISCA) and as an adjunct instructor for DePaul University’s Office of Innovation. Prior to this, she served as a K-12 School Counseling specialist for CPS for 2 years and as a P-8 school counselor for 7 years.
Kirsten was named the National School Counselor of the Year by the American School
Counselor Association (ASCA) in 2018 for her work at Lawndale Community Academy. She served as a Master Counselor for the CPS district for 5 years, mentoring school counselors and assisting with the development of district initiatives. Kirsten also served on the CPS Naviance Advisory Committee for 3 years, where she developed a middle school companion guide to be used district-wide to support Naviance implementation. Kirsten was awarded the CPS Directors Choice Award in 2013 for her work with high school matriculation and was named the CPS Site Supervisor of the Year in 2015 for her work supporting school counseling interns.
She earned her undergraduate degree in 2006 from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a degree in the Liberal Arts and earned her masters degree in school counseling from DePaul University in 2011 where she also earned the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2018. It is her passion to serve at-risk youth and underserved communities by developing programs that work to create change and close the achievement gap.
Ali Norman-Franks, Wellness Counselor, Beverly Hills
Ali has worked as a School Counselor for over 15 years and currently serves as Beverly Hills High School Wellness Counselor. She founded the Beverly Hills High School's NormanAid Wellness Center (NAWC) which is one of the nation's first school based mental health centers.
The NAWC provides weekly and short term counseling services, crisis management and wellness programs. The NAWC has a team of 22 counseling interns and 12 peer counselors. The NAWC counseling team provides services for the entire student body, parents, staff and on average has over 2000 individual counseling sessions every year.
Ali also created Beverly Hills High Schools MonthlyAid Wellness Program which conducts monthly mental health campaigns to reduce the stigmas surrounding mental health concerns and to empower students to take care of themselves and their peers.
Franciene Sabens
Franciene is a southern Illinois high school counselor, she also serves as a board member for the Illinois Student Assistance Commission and is a member of the ACT Council. Franciene was named Illinois high school counselor of the year in 2014 and honored by ASCA in 2016 at the White House as the Illinois state representative for the School Counselor of the Year ceremony. She co-authored the 2014 edition of the Developmental Counseling Model for Illinois Schools and contributed to the current edition. She was also a member of the state advisory committee responsible for creating IL PaCE, a recognized state-wide post-secondary and career expectations framework and a former Illinois School Counselor Association board member. Franciene is a well respected presenter who is passionate about helping school counselors implement comprehensive programs that meet students changing needs and assisting students with reaching their greatest potential.