Session Details:

LIVE SESSIONS

Keynote Session: It Takes a Village

Presenter(s): Judge Renee Rodriguez-Betancourt

Session Description:

As a juvenile court judge, I witness firsthand the consequences when a child's mental health needs go unmet. This presentation will provide a brief overview of Juvenile Justice System 101 while exploring how trauma, mental health, and adverse childhood experiences influence youth behavior. Grounded in the theme of Fostering and Supporting Mental Wellness, the session will highlight the critical role school psychologists and mental health professionals play in early identification, intervention, and collaboration to build resilience, support youth with mental health diagnoses, and prevent unnecessary involvement in the juvenile justice system. When we come together as a village, we can transform lives. 

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the basics of the juvenile justice system and its relationship to youth mental health and trauma..​
• Recognize the critical role of school psychologists and mental health professionals in fostering mental wellness, building resilience, and preventing juvenile justice involvement through early intervention and collaboration.

Session Skill Level: Intermediate

NASP Domains: Domain 4: Mental and Behavioral Health Services and Interventions, Domain 7: Family, School, and Community Collaboration

FS01: integrated perspectives: neurodiversity, lived experiences, and overlapping identities

Presenter(s): Dr. danyelle s. goita beal and Olivia Baylor, LCPC

Session Description:

This session explores how neurodiversity, culture, migration, and identity collectively shape behavioral health experiences for refugee and migrant youth. Grounded in a strengths-based, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive framework, this presentation examines the role of lived experience and community knowledge in understanding behavior, engagement, and access to care. Participants will explore how historical and structural influences contribute to disparities affecting neurodivergent and culturally diverse communities and learn practical strategies for supporting youth and families through identity-affirming, culturally responsive approaches. Emphasis is placed on partnership, context, resilience, and meaningful community engagement.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain how neurodiversity, lived experience, & overlapping identities shape behavioral health experiences & access to care.​
• Describe how historical & structural influences contribute to disparities affecting neurodivergent & culturally diverse communities.​
• Apply culturally responsive, identity-affirming, & trauma-informed approaches for neurodivergent youth & families from refugee & migrant communities.​

Session Skill Level: Intermediate

NASP Domains: Domain 2: Consultation and Collaboration, Domain 4: Mental and Behavioral Health Services and Interventions, Domain 8: Equitable Practices for Diverse Student Populations

FS02: Supporting Children Within Their Ecology of Care: EMDR in School Settings

Presenter(s): Ana M. Gomez, MC, LPC;  Katherine Driskell, MSW, LICSW; Liz Epperson, LCSW & Isis Millward, LCSW

Session Description:

This presentation explores the implementation of EMDR therapy in school settings through a trauma-informed framework that recognizes how trauma often underlies emotional, behavioral, relational, and academic difficulties. Participants will learn how to identify and address the experiences at the core of students' struggles while working within the realities and demands of the educational environment.
Special attention will be given to supporting children within their ecology of care through collaboration with caregivers, educators, and school mental health professionals. Through practical strategies and case examples, attendees will discover how EMDR therapy can be adapted to promote healing, resilience, emotional regulation, and greater access to learning.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe how trauma can contribute to emotional, behavioral, relational, and academic difficulties in school-aged children and adolescents.
  
• Apply EMDR therapy strategies that support trauma healing within the school environment while collaborating with caregivers, educators, and other members of the child's ecology of care.

Session Skill Level: Intermediate

NASP Domains: Domain 4: Mental and Behavioral Health Services and Interventions

FS03: Supervisor Series: Supervising Interns Learning to Implement MTSS

Presenter(s): Dr. Arlene Ortiz

Session Description:

Ready to help your school-based mental health interns thrive? This session delivers actionable strategies to effectively guide interns through the multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) framework. Participants will learn how to cultivate essential intern competencies—from data-based decision making to evidence-based practice—and explore professional evaluation systems to monitor growth. Elevate your supervision skills from a tiered system of supports perspective.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn strategies for effectively mentoring and supporting interns as they learn to implement MTSS in their practice.

• Participants will identify key competencies and skills necessary for interns to successfully contribute to the MTSS framework.
  

• Participants will explore methods for evaluating the progress and effectiveness of interns in applying MTSS principles and practices in real-world settings.

Session Skill Level: Intermediate

NASP Domains: Domain 2: Consultation and Collaboration, Domain 10: Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practice

FS04: From Dysregulation to Risk: Understanding the Link Between Early Relational Trauma, Escalating Behavior, and Long-Term Outcomes

Presenter(s): Dr. Vicki Sanders

Session Description:

This training explores how early relational trauma shapes emotional regulation, behavior, and long-term developmental outcomes. Participants will examine how dysregulation, aggression, and other concerning behaviors can emerge as survival-based adaptations rather than simple defiance, while also considering how unresolved trauma may contribute to more serious behavioral patterns over time. The session will provide practical, relationship-based strategies for recognizing underlying needs, responding more effectively to dysregulated students, and intervening in ways that reduce escalation and support healthier developmental pathways.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will understand how early relational trauma can impact emotional regulation, behavior, attachment, and long-term developmental outcomes in students.
  
• Participants will identify dysregulation, aggression, and other concerning behaviors as possible survival-based adaptations and recognize the underlying needs those behaviors may be communicating.
  
• Participants will apply practical, relationship-based strategies to reduce escalation, respond more effectively to dysregulated students, and support healthier developmental pathways.

Session Skill Level: Intermediate

NASP Domains: Domain 2: Consultation and Collaboration, Domain 4: Mental and Behavioral Health Services and Interventions, Domain 6: Services to Promote Safe and Supportive Schools

FS05: Applied AI in School Mental Health Practice: Live Demonstrations for Intervention Planning, Documentation, and Workflow Efficiency

Presenter(s): Dr. Adam Lockwood

Session Description:

This session provides a practical overview of how artificial intelligence tools can support school mental health practice. Participants will explore general strategies for using AI to assist with common professional tasks. Emphasis will be placed on platform-agnostic approaches that can be applied across tools, with a focus on responsible use, professional judgment, and maintaining high-quality services.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify ways AI tools can support common school mental health practices such as planning, documentation, and communication.
• Describe general strategies for using AI tools effectively across platforms.
• Apply responsible-use principles when integrating AI into school-based practice.

Session Skill Level: Introductory

NASP Domains: Domain 4: Mental and Behavioral Health Services and Interventions, Domain 8: Equitable Practices for Diverse Student Populations, Domain 10: Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practice

FS06: Building Wellness Practices that Last

Presenter(s): Dr. Molly Lopez and Jennifer Baran-Prall

Session Description:

This session introduces the Center for Mental Health Implementation Support (CMHIS) and core practices that help schools and districts successfully implement and sustain mental health initiatives.  Participants will explore how to engage communities, conduct meaningful needs assessments, and identify factors that influence implementation.  The session also highlights practical strategies for turning ideas into action and evaluating impact.  Through real-world examples and interactive activities, attendees will gain tools to design, implement, and sustain effective, community-informed mental health programs that improve outcomes for students, staff, and school systems. 

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the role of CMHIS and core implementation practices in supporting sustainable school mental health initiatives.
  
• Identify key factors, implementation strategies, and evaluation methods that support effective and sustained program implementation. 

Session Skill Level: Introductory

NASP Domains: Domain 1: Data-Based Decision Making, Domain 7: Family, School, and Community Collaboration, Domain 9: Research and Evidence-Based Practice

FS07: Supporting Newcomers in Texas: Definitions, Demographics, and RMTAC Services 

Presenter(s): Dr. Mutsa Majero and Luz Chapa, MEd, LPC

Session Description:

As newcomer populations continue to grow across Texas, schools play a critical role in fostering belonging, resilience, and academic success. This session provides an overview of newcomer communities in Texas, including key demographic trends, terminology, and common migration experiences. Participants will explore the impact of trauma, migration stress, and cultural adjustment on student functioning and learn trauma-informed, culturally responsive strategies to support newcomer students and families. The session will also introduce RMTAC’s services and resources available to help schools strengthen support for newcomer communities.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify common experiences and stressors affecting newcomer students and families in Texas schools.
• Recognize how trauma, migration stress, and cultural adjustment may present in educational settings. 
• Apply trauma-informed and culturally grounded strategies to support newcomer students and families in school environments. 

Session Skill Level: Introductory

NASP Domains: Domain 2: Consultation and Collaboration, Domain 4: Mental and Behavioral Health Services and Interventions, Domain 6: Services to Promote Safe and Supportive Schools.

FS08: Systemic Suicide Prevention Strategies for Rural Schools 

Presenter(s): Dr. Kurt Michael and Whitney Yoder

Session Description:

As newcomer populations continue to grow across Texas, schools play a critical role in fostering belonging, resilience, and academic success. This session provides an overview of newcomer communities in Texas, including key demographic trends, terminology, and common migration experiences. Participants will explore the impact of trauma, migration stress, and cultural adjustment on student functioning and learn trauma-informed, culturally responsive strategies to support newcomer students and families. The session will also introduce RMTAC’s services and resources available to help schools strengthen support for newcomer communities.

Learning Objectives: 

At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to:

• Summarize the current epidemiology of suicide in the United States, including trends and most common methods of death.
  
• Describe the three core pillars of suicide risk management that are relevant for school settings.
• Identify best-practice strategies for reducing suicide risk in K-12 schools. 

Session Skill Level: Intermediate

NASP Domains: Domain 6: Services to Promote Safe and Supportive Schools, Domain 9: Research and Evidence-Based Practice, Domain 10: Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practice

ON DEMAND SESSIONS

FS09: Ethical AI Use in School-Based Mental Health: Bias, Disclosure, and Responsible Practice (2 CPDs)

Presenter(s): Dr. Adam Lockwood

Session Description:

This session examines ethical considerations related to the use of artificial intelligence in school-based mental health practice. Topics include responsible use, bias awareness, disclosure practices, and maintaining appropriate professional judgment when using AI tools. The session emphasizes broad principles that can guide decision-making across different platforms and evolving technologies.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify ethical considerations associated with AI use in school-based mental health practice.
  
• Describe strategies for recognizing and mitigating bias in AI-supported work.
  
• Explain appropriate disclosure and professional responsibility when using AI tools.

Session Skill Level: Introductory

NASP Domains: Domain 8: Equitable Practices for Diverse Student Populations, Domain 9: Research and Evidence-Based Practice, Domain 10: Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practice

FS10: Trauma-Informed Strategies for Survivors of Disaster, Conflict, and Violence (3 CPDs)

Presenter(s): Dr. Rocio Chang 

Session Description:

Caring Through Crisis: Trauma-Informed Strategies for Latino Children Survivors of Disaster, Conflict, and Violence will review the impact of trauma utilizing a Radical Healing Framework and a Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Education and Therapy Model (TARGET), which is an educational and therapeutic approach for the prevention and treatment of developmental trauma disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, and other stress-related disorders. 

Learning Objectives:

• Identifying practical trauma-informed care strategies that acknowledge the unique linguistic, and contextual needs of Latino student survivors of traumatic events.
• Highlighting practices that are responsive to context, such as understanding expressions of distress, building trust, and mitigating challenges like stigma, language, and access issues. 
• Connecting providers with tools and frameworks to enhance their ability to support survivors of disaster, violence, and conflict in school settings. 

Session Skill Level: Intermediate

NASP Domains: Domain 4: Mental and Behavioral Health Services and Interventions

FS11: Building Compassionate and Caring School Communities Through Community Resiliency (3 CPDs)

Presenter(s): Dr. Rocio Chang

Session Description:

This session will focus on understanding how trauma impacts students' behaviors and how to apply trauma-informed principles to decrease reactivity and build community resilience. 

Learning Objectives:

• Define trauma and describe how it differs from everyday stress
• View behaviors through a trauma lens
• Better understand the role of community resilience and recovery in buffering the effects of traumatic events and promoting health and development

Session Skill Level: Intermediate

NASP Domains: Domain 1: Data-Based Decision Making, Domain 4: Mental and Behavioral Health Services and Interventions, Domain 8: Equitable Practices for Diverse Student Populations