Conroe ISD crisis intervention specialist outlines counseling, after-hours supports and district resources

Janice Lovelace, a crisis intervention specialist with Conroe ISD, told the district's School Safety & Security Committee that the counseling department 'which she said represents 185 school counselors' provides a "proactive data driven school counseling program that supports every student's academic, career, and personal development." She opened by saying the department's mission is to collaborate with families, educators and community partners to keep campuses safe.

Lovelace framed crisis response around relationships, urging trustees to ensure "every student should have a champion, a mentor, or an adult they trust on the campus." She said crises are personal and gave examples ranging from classroom disruptions to deaths in the community, adding, "What a crisis is to you or to one campus, it might not be a crisis to somebody else or to that campus." The presenter said district staff and counselors avert many crises that never make the news.

The presentation described routine training and supports: annual staff refreshers and a training module called REACT to help staff "recognize differences in their students" and connect them to counselors, nurses or police when appropriate. Lovelace said campus teams decide when to call the district support team, which can deploy "when an incident affects a large portion of the campus community." She emphasized timely reporting: "Don't wait another day."

Lovelace said the district's suicide protocol and counseling resources are posted on the Conroe ISD website in English and Spanish and include local emergency-room phone numbers. She outlined after-hours guidance: staff should contact a parent or call 911 for severe situations; district dispatch can perform year-round welfare checks and is trained in mental-health response.

The presentation also summarized the district's employee assistance program (EAP): 24/7 access to licensed mental-health professionals by phone, Zoom or text; three free counseling sessions per specific issue; anonymous services; and referrals to outside counselors when additional care is needed. Lovelace noted the EAP includes nonclinical supports such as legal and financial consultations and discounted services. She closed by distributing brochures and encouraging trustees to reach out with concerns.

Trustees and staff responded with praise and examples during Q&A, including a committee member's anecdote that a teacher'through daily greetings'helped a senior who had contemplated suicide. One trustee described a forthcoming survey goal to measure whether students identify at least one trusted adult on campus, citing a pilot that the speaker said rose from about 60% to 97% at one middle school.