Diocese schools hire counselors, expand programs to support mental health

As schools prepare to welcome students back for a new year, a common thread is running through their preparations -- expanded support for student mental health.

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For some, it means having a school counselor when there's never been one before. For others, it means adding programs that reinforce positive behavior or teach coping skills. K-8 schools in the Diocese of Jefferson City are focusing on addressing children's struggles with anxiety, conflict and mental health.

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Jacob Luecke, executive director of communications for the diocese, said adding counselors hasn't been a directive of the diocese, but it has been a conversation since COVID-19.

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"We really started looking at different programs and different ways we could offer support," said Erin Vader, superintendent of schools. "And our schools that are able have really been putting having a mental health professional on campus as much as possible as a priority."

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Vader, who joined the diocese in 2020 during COVID-19 lockdowns, said while her focus was initially on getting people back to school, mental health also soon came to the forefront, manifesting in worrisome behaviors, a lack of socialization, and difficulty identifying and working through emotions.

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"Those sorts of issues, I think, were going to happen whether or not the COVID lockdown happened, but I think it might have accelerated it a bit," she said.

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New personnel

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In the past, some diocese schools have not had counselors or have shared counselors with other local schools.

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St. Stanislaus, St. Francis Xavier and St. Martin schools all added a counselor this year.

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While she would love to see an on-site counselor at every school, Vader said there is a significant shortage of mental health professionals. However, the diocese has been working to combat that by providing $100,000 each year in tuition support for continuing education, which for many teachers has become a way to get a post-graduate degree in counseling.

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"We have to make sure that our kids feel safe and secure and supported, if we're going to expect them to be able to learn," Vader said. "Not to mention the fact that it's part of our mission as a Catholic institution to make sure that our kids feel love and understand that they are incredibly and beautifully made in the image of God."

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St. Martin hired its first counselor this year. Taylor Kinde will be working part-time three days per week after careers for the state and in higher education and recently, staying at home with her three children.

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Kinde told the News Tribune via email that she views her position as a chance to nurture "the whole child: mind, heart, and soul."

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Her goals are to create a safe and welcoming space for students; implement a counseling program that includes lessons, individual and small-group counseling and support for families and staff; and keep faith at the heart of what she does.

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She'll focus on values like kindness, forgiveness and service, as well as conflict resolution, self-regulation, empathy and resilience.

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Kinde said she'll give 15- to 20-minute lessons to each class every other week, alternating with lessons from the parish priest. They will focus on age-appropriate standards, interspersed with Catholic values. She will also meet individually with students according to need and provide "short-term" counseling services helping students who are dealing with anxiety and other challenges.

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Kinde said she'll also spend time with students in the lunch room and is focused on making herself available to students who have never had a counselor before.

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New programs

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Other schools have had counseling programs for a while, but are focused on increasing their reach.

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Immaculate Conception counselors Landra Collins and Emily Rowland have been working together to shape the counseling program to better respond to the needs of teachers and students.

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Rowland had been a counselor in the school for eight years, but realized she didn't have time to conduct all the one-on-one meetings that she wanted to, so the school brought on Collins last year.

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They say it's rare for a school like theirs to have two counselors.

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"We have a principal that's pretty cool and supports our ideas," Collins said.

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For part of last year and all of this year, counseling will be a part of the specials rotation, alongside weekly classes like art, band or P.E. During those times, Rowland and Collins oversee service projects, lessons and study hall or "unplugged" time, in which students can do fun activities like chess, card games, crocheting or anything without a screen. This promotes socialization, dexterity and a chance for them to solve their own problems.

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St. Joseph Cathedral School counselors Hope Day and Kathryn Marke are creating two new classes for next year to be offered as electives: an introductory psychology class and a life skills class where students will explore things like time management, laundry, sewing, dealing with feedback and criticism, and first aid.

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Like Immaculate Conception, students at St. Joseph can also participate in crocheting, which is taught by parent and grandparent volunteers after school.

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Among the initiatives the two have started since coming to St. Joseph are Hope Squad and Positivitree.

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Positivitree is a network of positive behavioral reinforcement. When a student spots another student doing something positive, they report it to Marke, who fills out a card and drops it in the student's locker as a surprise. The cards are anonymous, and the counselors say it has worked well among students who may be self-conscious and reluctant to reach outside their friend groups.

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"It's just a fun mystery, 'cause they get the card and they're like, 'Ooh, who sent it?' And it maybe gives them an awareness of like, 'Oh, wow, people are noticing my actions,'" Marke said.

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It also opens doors for one-on-one conversations with students they don't necessarily meet regularly.

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Hope Squad, which the counselors discovered at a conference, is a suicide prevention effort. Hope Squad's website shares research that shows students are more likely to talk to their peers about suicide concerns than an adult. To address this issue, Hope Squad creates a peer-nominated group of students who exhibit qualities like good listening, involvement and trustworthiness, and they receive education about coping skills, the signs of suicide and how to get a student in crisis to the right adult.

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"They're not responsible for counseling that student," Day said. "If they see someone that's struggling, their job is to kind of talk to them, give them a peer that they feel like can understand them, and then they can guide that peer to come talk to us."

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"We kind of started it, too, because we were having a lot of kids come to us because they were seeing stuff online," Day added.

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As younger children have phones, children have more access to the internet and have greater awareness of things going on elsewhere in the world that may scare them or make them feel uncertain.

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Content

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While formal meetings don't happen frequently, Rowland, Collins, Marke and Day all said they talk with other counselors at nearby parish schools and exchange ideas and perspectives. They're also available to assist in crisis, such as when a school is dealing with the death of a student.

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Marke and Day also teach two lessons per month to each grade using a faith-based counseling curriculum.

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They say major needs among students include anxiety and conflict resolution skills. COVID-19 exacerbated anxiety, Day said, but it's also arisen from social media.

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"Feelings is also something that we do need to teach, because we all have them," Rowland said. "I tell my students, you're gonna have these for the rest of your life, and the more you know about who you are and your feelings and what sets you off and what makes you feel better and things like that, the easier life is going to be."

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Rowland and Collins also have the freedom to "tailor" their instruction to meet needs in real time.

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"Teachers have said, 'We are really struggling with friendship issues, or we are really having a hard time with conflict resolution,'" Rowland said.

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Collins said they are preparing to meet "COVID babies" coming into kindergarten who may struggle with things like reading facial cues because of the world in which they grew up.

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Originally published at https://www.newstribune.com/news/2025/aug/03/diocese-schools-hire-counselors-expand-programs/