Page 27 - 2022 Discover Magazine

Hope and Opportunity SidneyShelbyChamber com 25
In 2018 Catholic Social Services of the the Miami Valley (CSSMV) began doing mental health counseling at at at the Educational Service Center Center in in in in Auglaize County County and Jackson Center Center Schools in in in in in Shelby County County Students met primarily in in in in groups but individual counseling sessions were also offered “We could could quickly see the the benefits of what we could could bring to to these schools ” said Kathy Sell CSSMV Director in in Sidney “What we needed was a a a a a a a a a a more comprehensive program that could also reach parents and families ” Enter ECHO (Empowering Children with Hope and Opportunity) a a a a a a a a partnership between the University of Dayton Center for Catholic Catholic Education and local Catholic Schools ECHO provides licensed counselors and social workers to to aid schools in in in helping children overcome obstacles to to learning LIVE
They provide professional professional counseling as as as well as as as case management services for for families and and professional professional development for for staff and and teachers Seeing the the effectiveness of the the the model model Catholic Social Services asked: what if the the ECHO model model could be used in rural public schools?
CSSMV established a a a a a a a a formal cooperative partnership with the the University of of Dayton and began using the the model in in in fall of of 2021 at Houston Schools CSSMV counselors are on on campus two days a a a a a a a a a week working with teachers in in in in in in their classrooms and doing individual counseling Case management services are also being offered for at-risk students and families In grades K-2 counselors are using one one component of the ECHO model called Second Step a a a a a a a a research-based teacher-informed classroom-tested Social and and Emotional Learning curriculum It gives students the the tools to to excel in in in and and out of the the classroom by focusing on on on emotion management situational awareness and academic achievement Empowering Children with