A Message From the CT School Counselor Association...

During this unprecedented time in our schools, the CT School Counselor Association wants to provide you with as many resources as we can to help you to continue to provide services to your students during this national pandemic. We will continue to update the resources on this page as they become available and any resources you think might be valuable for others can be emailed to cscaadvocacy@gmail.com. 

Please remember that the guidance and protocol of your school districts takes precedent over any other guidance. However, you may find resources on this page that would be helpful to share with your administration in order to help make the best decisions for your students.  

Resources

  Facebook: @CSCAcounseling    Twitter: @CSCA_Counseling

 Instagram: @csca_counseling    YouTube: @CSCA Executive Director

REOPENING SCHOOLS RESOURCES

• “School Reentry Considerations: Supporting Student Social and Emotional Learning and Mental and Behavioral Health Amidst Covid-19”  from ASCA & NASP
• CT School Counselor Association Reopening Guidelines 
• “An Initial Guide to Leveraging the Power of Social and Emotional Learning as You Prepare to Reopen and Renew Your School Community” from CASEL
• Trauma-Informed SEL Toolkit from Transforming Education
• Trauma Resource Center Websites from the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare
• Trauma Sensitive Schools Online Professional Development from the Wisconsin Department of Education
• Guiding Schools' Covid-19 Recovery Decisions Using Data and Evidence from Brown University
• "Cops and No Counselors: How the Lack of School Mental Health Staff is Harming Students" from the ACLU
• "Wearing a Mask to School" by Autism Little Learners - A Social Story for Children on Wearing a Mask at School
• Heading Back to School: Trauma-informed MTSS by School Counselors 4 MTSS - great webinar about trauma and returning to school after/during COVID
• Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) - training offered online for FREE, or live/virtual trainings also available for districts for cost. The free online training provides mental health professionals with 5 hours CEU's approved by the APA and NBCC.
  
• Quaver SEL July Calendar - ideas for self-care, rest & recovery
• Internet Assistance for Low Income Families - this covers an extensive list of financial and internet resources for eligible families

CSCA WEBINARS/ZOOM MEETING RESOURCES

• School Based Crisis Response Teams PowerPoint (from 4/6 zoom call)
• Letter to Parents - Covid death  (from 4/6 zoom call)
• Crisis Planning PowerPoint 2  (from 5/4 zoom call)
• Crisis Plan Annex (from 5/4 zoom call)
• ACT Presentation (from 4/28 zoom call)
• Fee Waiver User Scenarios (from 4/28 zoom call)
• Fee Waiver Facts for the ACT (from 4/28 zoom call)
• Virtual Transition to Middle School Ideas  (from 5/6 zoom call)
• Resilient Workforce Ecosystems PPT (from 5/18 zoom call)
• Workforce Presentation Overview (from 5/18 zoom call)
• Notes from Transition to High School CSCA HS Roundtable  (from 5/27 zoom call)

SCHEDULING TIME/TASKS/MATERIALS

• School Counseling Weekly Online Template (shared via permission from RISCA)
• Google Classroom - this is a great platform to use to post your school counseling lessons and activities that you want your students to complete. If you're not already using it, it is super easy to set up and start using. VIDEO TUTORIAL HERE
• GOOGLE TOOLS TEACH FROM HOME - website devoted to google tools to use to teach/counsel from home
• Virtual School Counseling Resources - this google spreadsheet was shared in an online forum from someone from Missouri. Lots of great resources. 
• Sample Letter to Parents/Guardians about School Counseling Services - this is just a sample letter that you can use and add your own information to, that can be sent out to parents/guardians in the district to let them know what services you are offering during this time. 
• Wellness Check in Google Form - this is a copy of a version shared from Windsor Public Schools. PLEASE MAKE A COPY of it before using it for yourself! 
• Blue Light Glasses - these can help immensely when staring at a computer screen all day! Link is to Amazon. 
• Remote Learning Advice from Evelyn Rebollar a teacher in the Bronx - great tips for remote/distance learning!

• Zoom  - Zoom is an online platform that allows you to video conference with students. The FREE version is not FERPA/HIPPA compliant and only allows meetings for a max of 40 minutes. 
• Google Meet - Google meet is another online video conferencing platform and may be a good option for those of you already using Google Suite. Allows for us to a 150 users at a time. If your school uses Google Suite then they already have a BAA (business associate agreement) and therefore Google Meet/Hangouts should be FERPA compliant because you have that agreement. When in doubt check with your IT department. 
• Doxy.me - a free, HIPAA, GDPR, PHIPA/PIPEDA, & HITECH compliant video conferencing site used for providers to do telecounseling. 

• Screencastify - allows you to create videos to publish. You can talk over a power point or make a video of yourself for students. This is a Chrome extension add-on. The free version allow for up to 5 minute videos. However, they are offering a special to get the extended version for Free until April 30th - use code: CAST_COVID
• Screencast-o-matic - another resource to produce videos of a powerpoint or yourself. The education pricing is $1.65 a month for deluxe or $4.00 a month for premier.
• LOOM - another free video recording resource

PHONE CALLING STUDENTS/PARENTS

• Google Voice - this allows you to create a free phone number that you can use to contact students and families. If you do the personal version (by downloading the app on your phone) there is no charge. To create a number through a business (like your school), there is a charge of $20 a month for unlimited numbers - this might be a wise investment for your school so teachers, counselors, etc. can contact parents/students without giving out their personal numbers or having to create individual accounts on their own. **When given this out it is suggested that you create a "time" window for which you are available for calls - i.e. Monday - Friday 7:30am - 2:30pm (depending on the hours you are expected to be available per your school).

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

• DCF - The Department of Children and Families are still taking calls and if you suspect abuse or neglect you are still mandated to call the care line at 1-800-842-2288. DCF-136 Form - we are still waiting for guidance on how to submit this form if counselors do not have the ability to fax. 
• Emergency Mobile Psychiatric Services (EMPS/211) - EMPS is still available and are still going out to families when needed.
• Suicide Prevention Crisis Hotline - 1-800-273-8255 or text 741741
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention - great resources

MEDITATION APPS/WEBSITES, ETC.

• Blissful Meditation by Heather Casale (CSCA Board Member) - quick 10 minute, blissful meditation for you to do at home, counselors!
• Daily Meditations by Phone - the Community Mindfulness Project is offering meditations 3x a day
• Tara Brach Meditations - a variety of free guided meditations
• Mind Yeti - meditation videos free of charge through YouTube - great for elementary kids. English version link, Spanish version link
• Calm 
• Mindfulness 
• Headspace 
• Insight Timer  

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

• Questions & Answers on Providing Services to Children with Disabilities Disease 2019 Outbreak (March 2020) - this is guidance provided by the US Department of Education and discusses Special Education and 504 students. 

COLLEGE RESOURCES

• College Board SAT Updates - SAT School Day and May 2nd SAT Cancelled; They're working on a plan for students to take AP exams at home.
• ACT -  the April 4th ACT has been cancelled and students will receive and email to take it on June 13th, which is the next schedule exam. ACT is also offering digital learning, and workforce resources to assist students, teachers, and workers impacted by COVID-19. LETTER FROM ACT.
• NACAC - National Association for College Admission Counseling has a lot of Covid-19 resources - updated deposit deadlines for colleges, virtual tours for juniors, etc. 
• NCAN - The National College Attainment Network has put together a website of resources for this time

ASCA RESOURCES

• ASCA U Specialist Courses DEEP Discounts - You asked, they answered. DEEP discounts on ASCA U Specialist trainings for members, nonmembers, grad students whose internship site closed, SCs required to do PD to fulfill contract hours, etc. $29/members, $49/nonmembers. http://ow.ly/6jxU50yOgvS - GREAT OPPORTUNITY!
• ASCA's COVID-19 UPDATE - find ASCA's latest update here
• Planning for Virtual/Distance School Counseling during a Emergency Shutdown - great resource for guidelines on conducting virtual counseling with students. Great to share with your administration.
• The School Counselor in a Virtual School Setting Webinar (ASCA) 
• CRISIS PLANNING AND RESPONSE (added 4/7/2020)
• Choosing a College When You Can't Visit (added 4/7/2020)
• National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement (added 4/7/2020)
• The Coalition (Grief Resources) (added 4/7/2020)
• ASCA Position Statement on Virtual School Counseling 
• ASCA's Virtual Counseling Ethics Fact Sheet (updated 3/24/2020)
• ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors: Virtual Section (from ASCA)
  A.15. Virtual/Distance School Counseling 
  School counselors: 
  a. Adhere to the same ethical guidelines in a virtual/distance setting as school counselors in face-to-face settings. 
  b. Recognize and acknowledge the challenges and limitations of virtual/distance school counseling. 
  c. Implement procedures for students to follow in both emergen- cy and nonemergency situations when the school counselor is not available. 
  d. Recognize and mitigate the limitation of virtual/distance school counseling confidentiality, which may include unintended viewers or recipients. 
  e. Inform both the student and parent/guardian of the benefits and limitations of virtual/distance counseling.
  f. Educate students on how to participate in the electronic school counseling relationship to minimize and prevent potential mis- understandings that could occur due to lack of verbal cues and inability to read body language or other visual cues that provide contextual meaning to the school counseling process and school counseling relationship. 

CT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RESOURCES

• Up-to-date Guidance from the Department of Education - from the Commissioner of Education, Miguel Cardona
• Mental Health Resources - a wealth of resources
• Connecticut Resources:
• Crisis intervention, family support, mental and behavioral health referrals: E-mail help@211info.org, dial 211 or 1-800-203-1234, or visit: https://uwc.211ct.org/.

• Kids Mental Health Information
• Mental Health and Evidence-Based Directory age 0 to 21
• Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
  • Current: Programs and Services
    • Finding Services in your Town/City
    • Regional Directories
    • 24-Hour CRISIS Numbers 
• Learning Resources for courses by the Connecticut State Department of Education
  • Resources to Support Student Learning During School Closures Due to COVID-19
  • Student Learning Resources