What: Psychology and Education Symposium
When: Tuesday, July 27, 12:30 - 4:30 pm
Where: Virtual (Microsoft Teams meeting hosted by Bellarmine University)
Cost: Free

On behalf of Bellarmine University's School of Education and the Kentucky Psychological Association, you are invited to the inaugural Psychology and Education Symposium.

Registration for the event is free, and professional development credit will be available for many participants!*

This Symposium will bring together a wide range of education stakeholders and mental health providers to create a much-needed venue for collaborative dialogue aimed at establishing a multi-tiered, integrated approach to caring for the psychosocial needs of our students, teachers, families, and communities.

Leading voices in this space will convene to share current evidence-based practices and brainstorm new strategies for addressing some of the challenges associated with large-scale implementation of mental health initiatives in our schools.

Symposium Agenda
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12:00 - 12:30 Teams meeting opens (Join here)
Gallery Walk - Virtual student posters viewable
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12:30 - 12:45 Welcome and Introduction
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12:45 - 2:00 Panel Discussion
From Legislation to Implementation: Surveying the landscape of mental health in
schools (Join at link above)
Moderator: Dave Schroerlucke
Panelists: Anna Schneider, Tommy Wells, Shambra Mulder, Lisa Willner, Jennifer Driscoll

Dave Schroerlucke, Psy.D., is a licensed psychologist and certified math teacher who has spent
15+ years as a classroom teacher at every level from elementary through college. Working at
the intersection of psychology and education, Dr. Schroerlucke helps teachers combat math/test
anxiety and cultivate psychological safety in their classrooms.
Anna Schneider will begin her 21st year as an elementary educator this fall. She is a National
Board Certified Teacher (2008, 2018) and Elementary Teacher of the Year for Bullitt County
Public Schools (2021). Anna is passionate about meeting the needs of the whole child in her
classroom.

Dr. Tommy Wells is an Assistant Professor of Education at Bellarmine University where he
teaches courses in trauma-informed practices. Prior to this, he served as a school counselor
primarily at the middle school level in Indianapolis, IN. Dr. Wells received his Ed.D. in
Educational Leadership and Policy from Vanderbilt University.

Dr. Shambra Mulder has over 20 years of experience advocating for underserved populations in
the fields of psychology, education, and politics. She earned her Specialist degree in School
Psychology and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Kentucky. She is
currently a Licensed Psychologist with her own practice in Lexington called Abundant Living
Psychological and Coaching Services for Children and Adolescents, PLLC.

Lisa Willner, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist who served as the Executive Director of the KY
Psychological Association from 2009 – 2019. She is currently in her second term as a member
of the KY House of Representatives, where she serves on a number of committees, including
Education and Health & Family Services. Dr. Willner’s legislative initiatives center on efforts to
prevent or mitigate trauma.

Dr. Jennifer Driscoll is a district resource teacher for JCPS, specializing in Trauma Informed
Care and Social Emotional Learning. She has worked in education for 15 years, having taught
at the middle school level and worked as a behavior coach before taking her current position.
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2:00 - 2:10 Break
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2:10 - 3:00 Breakout Session I
Trauma-Informed Schools and Advocating for Students' Mental Health Needs
(Join here)*

A recently-passed Kentucky law requires that every school district in Kentucky will launch a
Trauma-Informed Schools plan beginning with the 2021-22 school year. This breakout session
brings together a state legislator, a school social worker, and Kentucky's leading mental health
advocate. They will discuss the tragic events behind the 2018 Trauma-Informed Schools Bill,
and the advocacy efforts involved in its passage into law as a major component of the 2019 and
2020 School Safety Bills; identify components of an effective trauma-informed plan; and
introduce advocacy strategies to ensure that the plan's implementation addresses the real
mental health needs within classrooms and schools.

Moderator: Marcie Timmerman; Panelists: Sheila Schuster, Lori Vogel, Lisa Willner
Marcie Timmerman is in her fourth year as the Executive Director of Mental Health America of
Kentucky. She has been a mental health and health advocate for sixteen years. She earned a
master’s of health administration from the University of Kentucky College of Public Health, and a
bachelor's degree in English from The Ohio State University.

Sheila A. Schuster, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist who has been engaged in state legislative
activities for more than forty years as a volunteer, as Executive Director of the KY Psychological
Association, and currently as a legislative agent for a number of healthcare organizations
including KPA. Dr. Schuster is recognized for her long history of advocacy training and
coalition-building around issues of behavioral health, disabilities, and health care access.

Lori Vogel serves as child guidance specialist at Leestown Middle School in Fayette County and
has tallied 20+ years in various roles in FCPS including school-based mental health provider,
Title I school social worker, and child guidance specialist. In 2019, the Kentucky Association for
School Social Work named Ms. Vogel as its Kentucky School Social Worker of the Year.

Lisa Willner (see bio in Panel Discussion session above).
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Racial Trauma 101 (Join here)

Participants will explore definitions of racism, microaggressions, and race-related stress.
Discuss the experience of racial trauma and its impact on the psychological and physical health
of individuals. They will also identify strategies to support students and staff when dealing with
racial trauma in the school setting. This session is a great overview to better understand how
racial trauma impacts all individuals, where conversations will be encouraged, and new
discoveries and strategies will be gained.

Co-Presenters: JCPS SEL Team (Jennifer Driscoll, Lisa McGarry, Shay Johnson)

Dr. Jennifer Driscoll is a district resource teacher for JCPS, specializing in Trauma Informed
Care and Social Emotional Learning. She’s worked in education for 15 years, having taught at
the middle school level and working as a behavior coach before taking her current position.

Christina “Shay” Johnson has served as an educator for 19 years in JCPS. She taught many
years in elementary school serving as the Compassionate School Educator. She is currently a
district resource teacher for JCPS specializing in Social Emotional Learning/Trauma Informed
Care.

Lisa McGarry has been in education for 20 years. She taught several years as a middle school
Science teacher before stepping into a behavior support role and is now working as a district
resource teacher where she serves in Social Emotional Learning and Trauma Informed Care.
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Students and Trauma: Lessons Learned during the Pandemic (Join here)

This session will discuss trauma-related behavioral and academic concerns students have
faced at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels. Speakers are in-service
teachers who will share their experiences both prior to the pandemic as well as how students
have changed throughout the pandemic. Lastly, speakers will address strategies that have been
successful in meeting student needs. The speakers will all be August 2021 graduates of
Bellarmine’s MAEd Teacher Leadership program in trauma-informed practices.

Presenters: Barbara Andersen, Kristen Heupel, Madeline Stenhjem

Barbara Andersen is the German teacher at Castro Valley High School in Castro Valley, CA,
where she will be starting her 20th year of teaching this Fall. She has a bachelor's degree in
European history and teaching credentials in German and Social Studies. Her passion for
teaching is driven by her love for community building - all means all!

Kristen Heupel, a veteran teacher of 25 years from central Iowa, received a double degree in
Elementary and Early Childhood Education from Iowa State University. She currently holds a
split position teaching elementary Title I Reading and middle school Spanish Exploratory
classes. This Fall she will add the position of MTSS Teacher Leader for the middle school.

Madeline Stenhjem is a 4th grade teacher at a Title 1 school in Tacoma, WA. She has been
teaching for three years and is nearing the completion of her MAEd in Trauma-Informed
Practices in Education from Bellarmine University. Madeline currently leads her school
trauma-informed team, working to implement a trauma-informed framework by 2022.
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3:00 - 3:10 Break
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3:10 - 3:30 Student Poster Presentations
Impact of Trauma-Informed Practices Training on School Staff Perception of
Student Behavior and Treatment of Students Who Have Experienced Trauma
(Join here)

Students who experience traumatic events without access to a supportive adult are destined to
suffer from negative consequences throughout their lives. Teachers, as caring adults in the lives
of dozens of students at a time, have the power to change the trajectory of these students’ lives.
It is increasingly important for teachers to understand the impact of trauma, the brain science
behind trauma, the consequential behaviors that stem from trauma, and the importance of
teaching regulatory practices.

Presenter: Madeline Stenhjem (see bio in Students and Trauma session above)
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Value of Building Community through Visual Arts (Join here)

This proposal aimed to conduct a two-part study related to the value of building community
through Visual Arts. Visual Arts integration can help bolster social-emotional learning in today's
educational setting. Students can learn to harness all five of the CASEL Competencies in an Art
room through a purposefully designed curriculum while students learn a craft that teaches them
to connect with themselves and others.

Presenter: Tara Thompson
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Impact of Social Skills Training on Sixth-Twelfth Grade Students Who Have
Experienced Trauma and Teachers’ Experiences (Join here)

The aim of this research was to address how implementing social skills training for both
teachers and students directly impacts the academic success for these students. The results of
the study demonstrate that direct instruction and training in the area of social emotional learning
positively impacts the perception of both students and teachers in their proficiency with those
skills. Results showed that the training and positive perceptions led to more confidence and
success and impacted the overall school culture.

Presenter: Sylvia Barrett
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3:30 - 4:20 Breakout Session II
Beyond ACEs: Exploring the Role of Race in Trauma-informed Classrooms
(Join here) *

The landmark Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study identified ten specific types of
trauma but excluded race-related trauma (e.g., racism, racial discrimination, and
microaggressions). This session will challenge participants to examine ways that schools remain
a place of racial trauma for black students. Participants will recognize that attempts to address
the impact of racial trauma must go beyond providing mental health services and a
social-emotional learning curriculum. To this end, participants will learn ways that schools can
become more trauma-informed by incorporating anti-racism strategies to transform school
climate.

Presenter: Shambra Mulder (see bio in Panel Discussion session above)
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Trauma-Informed Caregivers (Join here)

Throughout this session participants will understand the impact of trauma and its effects on
individuals. They will work to explore the role of a caregiver when working with trauma exposed
youth. Participants will discuss and understand the importance of psychological safety in
supporting all trauma exposed individuals and will gain specific strategies and a better
understanding of calming the brain. This session will encourage great conversation, and a better
understanding of how to support the trauma exposed youth within our lives.

Presenters: JCPS SEL Team (see all bios in Racial Trauma 101 above)
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Investment, Innovation, and Collaboration: Systems for School Mental Health
(Join here)

Participants will learn how a larger school district garnered community investment in student
mental health through the funding of mental health specialist positions in all schools, a mental
health task force involving community mental health and private agencies in partnership with the
schools, the first in the nation mental health referral pathway, and the implementation of a
comprehensive mental health system.

Presenter: Raine Engle-Minichan

Raine Engle-Minichan, MSW, LCSW currently serves as the Coordinator of Mental Health
Services, Guidance, & Counseling for Fayette County Public Schools. Prior to her 17 years in
the education field, she provided clinical services for child and adolescent victims of trauma. Her
current work includes installing and co-leading the district's mental health services and
facilitating the adoption of trauma informed practices across the district.
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4:20 - 4:30 Final remarks and participant feedback
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*These workshops have been approved for 1 CE credit by the Kentucky Psychological Association (KPA).

It is important to note that APA continuing education rules require that KPA only give credit to those who attend the entire workshop.  An evaluation of the workshop must be completed. Those who arrive more than 15 minutes after the scheduled start time or disconnect before the workshop is completed will not receive CE credit. Partial credit may not be given.

Psychologists: 
KPA is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. KPA maintains responsibility for this program and its content. KPA is also an approved sponsor for the Kentucky Board of Examiners of Psychology.  

Social Workers & Art Therapists: 
KPA is an approved sponsor for the Kentucky Board of Social Work, the Kentucky Board of Professional Art Therapists. (Provider #1004)

Pastoral Counselors:
KPA is approved to offer Continuing Education to Pastoral Counselors as stated in 201 KAR 38:070, Section 3(1)(b) as an approved KBEP provider.