Register for the conference here!

When you register you will be required to choose which sessions you would like to attend. Please reference the session information below.

7:30 AM Check-in/ On-site Registration and Program Information Center

8:15 AM – Welcome Remarks

Session A – 8:45 AM – 9:45 AM

A-1 Having Difficult But Necessary Conversations about Race...Especially with Students

Conversations about race can be difficult at times, especially as it relates to student/teacher classroom relationships. The goal of our session is to provide counselors with effective strategies and/or resources to better assist faculty that may be struggling within the area of talking to their student population about race. In addition, the program will discuss areas of biases and/or other factors that may also hinder a sense of student self-belonging and student achievement.

Michael Mayes and Patricia Bridges are Licensed/Certified School Counselors who work for the Union Township Board of Education. Mr. Mayes has earned Master's Degrees within Counseling and Educational Leadership and also holds a certification as a Student Assistance Coordinator (SAC), all from Kean University. Mrs. Bridges has earned her Master's Degree in School Counseling and is a former Adjunct Professor with Kean University.

Audience: Middle School, High School

A–2 Self-Care for Better Mental Health in Schools from a School Counselor’s Perspective

Students are often consumed by classes, extracurricular activities, relationships, and daily commitments. This hectic schedule can be overwhelming and leave little time to build relationships and care for themselves. Without proper self-care, they end up with fatigue, anxiety, distractibility, and stress. Ongoing exposure to stress without proper care can lead to poor mental and physical health. This is why we need to implement the CARE and developmental relationships frameworks. These frameworks help promote self-care and positive youth development in schools. In this session, we look at how we, as school counselors, can use CARE to offer guidance to our students.

Amy Lombardo is a High School Counselor at the Middlesex County Magnet Schools Piscataway Campus. She has been a high school counselor for 11 years, advocating and supporting students with academics, post-secondary plans, and social and emotional well-being. She is an executive board member of NJSCA. Amy is the founder and owner of "Amy Lombardo Life Coach," providing coaching services to teens and young adults.

Audience: All

A-3 Strategies to Assist Middle and High School Level Counselors with Navigating Mental and Emotional Struggles of Their Students

Working in today’s educational environment has created new challenges for school counselors. New strategies are needed to address the mental and emotional challenges their students in this post-pandemic era face.
In this workshop participants will be able to….
1) Learn therapeutic tips & tricks to take back and utilize in their school communities.
2) Expand their capacity for managing at-risk students and students managing trauma.
3) Connect with other school counselors that understand and can provide additional support for working with the challenges in today’s educational environment.

Tee Raney is a licensed professional counselor, a wellness activist, and meditation teacher specializing in the emotional well-being of adults and teens. She has 17 years of experience working as a school counselor with at-risk populations. She is also a doctoral student at Kean University where her research focuses on racial trauma, social emotional learning and wellness in educational/clinical environments. Tee Raney is an accomplished speaker in the areas of emotional wellness, mindfulness and empowerment. She also maintains a private practice in Maplewood, NJ. More information about her can be found at www.raneywellness.com.

Audience: Middle School, High School

A-4 Human Trafficking and the School Counseling Response

This presentation provides information about human trafficking identification/prevention and will enable counselors to recognize human trafficking from a place of knowledge and understanding while offering resources and prevention strategies. The school counseling profession plays a vital role.

Gina Cavallo is a Survivor Consultant for the New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking, member of the NJCAHT Board of Trustees, and Coordinator of the NJCAHT Survivor Leader Advisory Council. She is the Co-Chair of the Anti-trafficking Task Force of the NJ Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics, was appointed to the NJ Commission on Human Trafficking by the Governor, and received the National Liberator Award for Survivor Leader in 2020. Patti Pfeifer, BA Ed, MA in Counseling/Guidance, retired after 36 years in education, is the NJCAHT Outreach Committee Co-Chair, Speakers Bureau, Operating Council, Gala Director, and Education Committee.

Audience: All

Session B – 10 AM – 11 AM

B-1 Navigating the 504 and I&RS Processes for New High School Counselors

Streamlined process and helpful tips for high school counselors who are new to the Section 504 and I&RS processes. The presentation will cover everything from new referrals, gathering and reviewing data, implementing plans/accommodations, and maintaining records for renewals and standardized testing.

Cheyenne Finocchiaro is a school counselor at Randolph High School in Randolph, NJ and serves as Secretary for the Morris County Professional Counselor Association. Cheyenne is the 504 Coordinator and the Intervention and Referral Services Coordinator at RHS. She has previously worked at Roselle Park High School in Union County and Kittatinny Regional High School in Sussex County.

Audience: High School

B-2  Barrel Children: Who Are They and How Do We Support Them in the School Setting?

Barrel children are children left behind by their parents who are seeking a better life aboard (US, UK, and Canada). They receive material necessities via shipping barrels, but often lack the emotional support from their parents. During this session, the presenter will share her lived experience as a barrel child, explore some of the traumatic experiences children encounter during separation from parents, and reunification with parents. Additionally, the session will provide school counselors with best practices to support barrel children in the school setting.

Ms. Ming is proud native of New York City, where she attended public education. She earned her Bachelor Degree in Psychology and Master Degree in Educational Leadership from at Long Island University, she also holds a Master’s Degree in School Counseling and an Advanced Certification in Counseling from Brooklyn College. Currently, Ms. Ming is pursuing her doctorate in Counseling and Supervision. Ms. Ming has over 10 years of experience in education serving in various capacities including but not limited to teacher, school counselor, and supervisor. Ms. Ming currently serves as the Director of School Counseling & Support Services; she is responsible to lead and provide guidance to school counselors and school social workers. She is a former Board member of Essex County School Counselor Association. Additionally, she is also a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Union County, where she facilitates family and individual therapy at Ming Psychotherapy Group.

Audience: Elementary School, Middle School, High School, Postsecondary, Supervisors/Directors/SC Administrators, All

B-3 Feeling Crispy? The 3-R's for School Counselor Self-Care: Reflect, Release and Recharge

This workshop is based on the book by Kate Steiner, Ph.D. She asserts that "when it comes to burn prevention, we actively engage in many ways, from sunscreen to observing “caution hot liquid” warnings; however, we do not always apply that same prevention strategy to our career." Learn about her theory on burnout prevention for professional life. In this interactive session, complete activities to help you focus on your burnout prevention. Focus on yourself and what you want and need, let go of regrets, grief, or unfinished business and make plans to regain your spirit and energy.
This course will help participants to:
1. Quickly review data on educational workplace stress specific to school counselors.
2. Discuss how reflection, release, and recharge can help us regain who we are.
3. Take time to reflect on themselves.
4. Think through and begin releasing regrets, grief, or unfinished business.
5. Make a plan to recharge what works specifically for you by prioritizing yourself and using bite-size self-care.

Cindy Povall is a 31 year school counseling veteran, and PhD candidate in Kean University's Counseling and Supervision program. She has been an elementary, middle and high school counselor as well a Director of School Counseling. She started her career as an admission counselor.

Audience: All

B-4 Facilitating the School Climate Change Process Using the New Jersey School Climate Improvement (NJ SCI) Platform

This presentation introduces the New Jersey School Climate Improvement (NJ SCI) Survey, which is available for statewide use to help schools in NJ identify strengths and needs to create more positive and inclusive learning environments. The surveys are administered through the NJ SCI Platform, a free, web-based application that allows schools and districts to use their data to set strategic goals, align research-based strategies, and monitor implementation and progress over time. The survey and platform were developed by the School Climate Transformation Project, a collaboration between Rutgers University and the NJDOE. For more information visit njschoolclimate.org.

Alicia Raia-Hawrylak, Ph.D., is Co-Project Manager of the School Climate Transformation Project (SCTP). Alicia supervises the development and validation of the New Jersey School Climate Improvement (NJ SCI) Survey and evaluation of the project’s impact, including analyses of implementation factors and school climate outcomes. Alicia completed her Ph.D. in sociology at Rutgers University, where her research and publications use both quantitative and qualitative methods to explore the ways school-wide culture is communicated and enacted within classrooms. Alicia is a former middle school language arts teacher in New York City and Asbury Park, NJ, and holds an M.S.T. in teaching English to Adolescents.

Audience: All

Keynote Address: Lean into Leadership – Alma Lopez

In recent years, school counselors have increasingly found themselves in the spotlight. Join Alma Lopez, 2022 ASCA School Counselor of the Year, to learn how increased attention and awareness bring greater responsibility to build relationships with your school community and engage in meaningful conversations about the profession. How will you lean into opportunities to advocate and lead?

Alma Lopez, lead school counselor at California's Livingston Middle School, is the 2022 School Counselor of the Year. Lopez is the first Latina School Counselor of the Year. A graduate of California State University - Fresno, Lopez has been a school counselor for 16 years and serves as Livingston Unified School District's school counseling coordinator. Lopez, a Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) reviewer, serves on the California Association of School Counselors Board of Directors. In 2018, she received the city of Livingston's "You Make Us Proud Award" and helped her school achieve RAMP status the same year.

Lunch – 12:30 PM – 1:15 PM

Session C – 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM

C-1 The P Factors in the College Search and the College Admission Decision Making Process

This workshop will pick up from last years' presentation at the NJSCA Spring Conference entitled, "How to Reduce Stress and Lessen Anxiety in the College Admission Decision Making Process." The P Factors that come into play in the College Search and College Admission Decision Making Process include: Planning the College Search (how much time?), Practicality (what makes sense for the student and the parents), Peer Pressure (its effect on personal decisions), Payment (cost and return on investment), Physical and Psychological Well Being, Parents (their influence and who is making the final decision), Preparation (both academic and personal at the secondary school level), Performance and Participation (level of achievement and involvement: academically, athletically and extracurricular wise in high school), and Potential (for success going forward to a college/university campus). Will this institution of Higher Education help the student to realize his/her full Potential, academically, personally and career-wise?

Richard Freccia was a Secondary School Counselor for thirty-five years in Pennsylvania, Virginia, the District of Columbia and in New Jersey with the Freehold Regional High School District and at Allentown High School for 23 years before retiring. Rich is currently an Independent College Counselor and has organized, moderated and presented at workshops for the New Jersey Association For College Admission Counseling (NJACAC), New Jersey School Counselor Association (NJSCA), the Monmouth County School Counselors' Association (MCSCA), and the Pennsylvania Association For College Admission Counseling (PACAC). He has coached Baseball, Basketball and Football at the Middle School and High School levels. Rich is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of New Jersey. He has worked for ESPN, ESPNU, CBS Sports Network Fox Sports and The Big Ten Network as a statistician, spotter, stage manager and time out coordinator on their broadcasts of College Football, Basketball, Lacrosse and Baseball.

Audience: High School

 C-2  ASCA Wannabe>>>RAMP

You’ve been taking full advantage of your ASCA membership benefits, professional development and resources for years, improving your program along the way. Now you’re starting to think about applying for RAMP. Join 2022 ASCA School Counselor of the Year Alma Lopez and discover how to seek feedback on ways to continue improving your program and the first steps to mapping out a plan. Learn tips and tricks to help you along the way.

Alma Lopez, lead school counselor at California's Livingston Middle School, is the 2022 School Counselor of the Year. Lopez is the first Latina School Counselor of the Year. A graduate of California State University - Fresno, Lopez has been a school counselor for 16 years and serves as Livingston Unified School District's school counseling coordinator. Lopez, a Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) reviewer, serves on the California Association of School Counselors Board of Directors. In 2018, she received the city of Livingston's "You Make Us Proud Award" and helped her school achieve RAMP status the same year.

Audience: All

C-3 – BIPOC Affinity Group Book Club: A Reflection on"School Counseling to Close Opportunity Gaps a Social Justice and Antiracist Framework for Success"

Members of the BIPOC Affinity Group will share their takeaways from the book "School Counseling to Close Opportunity Gaps a Social Justice and Antiracist Framework for Success." Participants will learn actionable steps to create more equitable school counseling services.

Florentina Crawford is an elementary school counselor (Pre-K thru 3rd grade) in the Pennsauken School District. She is co-director of a mental health grant in the district. Professional Development chair for CCSCA and a member of NJSCA.
Laura Fortson-Williams is currently a middle school counselor in Gloucester County. She is a former first grade teacher. She currently serves as the Vice President of the Gloucester County Elementary School Counselor Association and is the chairperson for NJSCA's BIPOC Affinity Group. Laura has also presented at the NJEA's Annual Teacher's Convention.

Audience: All

C-4 When Students Don’t/Won’t/Can’t Talk: Strategies That Jumpstart Communication so Students Find Their Voice

What can school counselors do when students “clam up” or when their only response is “I don’t know?" This session explores what happens when students won’t/don’t/can’t talk and how to invite students back into the conversation. Resistance is demystified and reframed as an important message they tell without talking. Creative and therapeutic strategies are shared that jumpstart communications with or without words so students can find their voices.

Jane M. Webber, PhD, LPC, DRCC is Assistant Professor in the Counselor Education Department at Kean University. Before moving to the academe, Jane was a school counselor and director of school counseling. She is an ACA Fellow and co-editor of Disaster Mental Health Counseling: A Guide to Preparing and Responding in its fourth edition. Her interests include trauma-informed schools, trauma and disaster counseling, play and sand tray therapy, anything Italian, and her constant companion, Jin Jin.

Jeanette Torruella is a doctoral candidate at Kean University. She works on the helpline for the Mental Health Association of NJ and with clients as a Licensed Associate Counselor. She has been a school counselor and drug prevention counselor in NYC public schools with 15+ years of experience working with students and their families. Jeanette was a member of the Manhattan crisis team for middle and high schools. She has extensive experience working with students in theater. Her interests are in creativity in counseling, and women's empowerment. Her research interests include using creativity to enhance empathy, and cultural humility.

Audience: All

2:30 PM – till? Optional Campus Tour