The need for educators and schools to focus resilience has never been higher. With COVID-19 numbers climbing to all time highs, the hope for new vaccines to get distributed and contribute to the end of this pandemic may still be far away! Reports of anxiety, depression, and other emotional trauma taking their toll on students, have left us scrambling for solutions. In this webinar we will discuss what we can do to better support our school counselors and recognize what an amazing resource they can be to help us reach those struggling students. We will also share some strategies and best practices that counselors are following to foster resilience in their students and staff during these difficult and unprecedented times.

Trish Hatch PhD
Dr. Hatch is a Professor Emeritus at San Diego State University and President and CEO of Hatching Results, LLC, a professional learning and consulting company focused on improving school counseling program outcomes for students. Dr. Hatch is a recipient of multiple national awards and is a best-selling author on several books about best practices in school counseling. She has served as a consultant to the US Department of Education and as a thought leader to the Obama administration. Dr. Hatch is also the author of the ASCA (American School Counseling Association) National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs.

Damien Sweeney EdD
Dr. Sweeney serves as the Program Coordinator for Comprehensive School Counseling at the Kentucky Department of Education where he works alongside school counselors to equip them with best practices. Sweeney
oversaw the publication of the Kentucky Framework of Best Practices for School Counselors. He also contributed to Guidance on How Districts Can Facilitate Conversations About Race-based Stress and Trauma for districts and schools in Kentucky and also recently had his first publication in the ASCA magazine titled
Stand Up, Stand Together: Now is the time for school counselors to take a stand and fight for social justice and equity for Black students.
With a passion for change agency and social justice, Dr. Sweeney has served as a special education teacher, English teacher, high school counselor, and adjunct professor. Dr. Sweeney holds a Master’s in Teaching Special Education and Secondary English from Bellarmine University, a Masters in Education for School Counseling and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Louisville. Dr. Sweeney’s wife is Dr. Abigail Sweeney and they have three boys, Smith, Shawn and Parker.

Jason Johnson EdS
Jason is a licensed school psychologist and has published research on resilience and student performance. Jason is a passionate advocate for disadvantaged students and currently consults and trains educators across the nation as the director of training and research for the WhyTry organization. Jason is a thought leader on resilience education and has spoken at hundreds of conferences around the country. He has led successful implementations of all WhyTry programs and has pioneered trainings for clients in healthcare, corporate, and the US Military.