John Shirley's blog

The Counselor Is In

They say the counselor is the heart of a school
and most school counselors I know are really cool
with that description of the role they play
in support of their students and school each day.

Two traits which are common to all counselors
are a zeal and passion for helping others,
accompanied by an intense love for what they do -
as they work to help every child’s dreams come true.

The average day (and there is no such thing)
of most counselors is very likely to bring
a myriad of unanticipated things to do
and difficulty doing what’s scheduled, too.

The Grant Halliburton Foundation has formed a coalition of professional Mental Health groups and individuals, parents and other stake holders. The group is named I AM HERE ( the H is for Help, the E for education, the R for resources, and the last E is for Encouragement. The groups are working on a number of initiatives to actively address the problems of youth depression and suicide in the DFW area. We meet about 8 times a year for a couple of hours to review our progress, discuss and plan for issues and needs, and review our progress on the four different teams - Help, Education, Resources, and Encouragement.

…If not us, then who? Denine Hammonds and I represented NMCA at the recent TCA Advocacy Institute in Austin. Our chapter, and many TCA divisions and other local chapters were represented at the institute. We were challenged to actively and passionately discharge our advocacy responsibilities, especially this coming year. The Texas Legislature is meeting in Austin for 140 days (as specified by our constitution) beginning in January. It is going to be a tough year, since the state is in deficit some 20 billion dollars (+ or – depending on who’s figures you use).

NMCA was first known as Blackland CA. In keeping with the agraian theme, when another name was offered, we diecided to adopt the oak tree as our symbol. Like the mighty oak, NMCA offers comfort, shelter and security, as well as community to all who seek refuge amidst its branches. The might oak is also strong and enduring as we hoped NMCA would always be.