In this episode:

I am thrilled to have my friend Leslie from Informed Decisions join us. Leslie is a fantastic social worker based in Brooklyn, New York, with a wealth of experience working with diverse groups, including court-involved youth, LGBTQ+ individuals, teen mothers, special needs populations, and fellow educators.

Leslie shares her invaluable insights on advisories and SEL (Social Emotional Learning) programs, providing practical advice and real-world examples to help school counselors effectively engage their students and create impactful programs.

Key Highlights:

• Leslie’s Background: Get to know Leslie and her extensive experience working with various populations and settings.
• Starting from Scratch: Leslie offers actionable tips for counselors who are new to advisories and SEL programs or need to start from scratch.
• Importance of Space and Resources: Learn how understanding your space and available resources can significantly impact the success of your programs.
• Using Existing Resources: Discover the value of connecting with existing programs and curriculums to avoid reinventing the wheel and save time.
• Collecting and Using Data: Leslie emphasizes the importance of data collection in demonstrating the impact of your programs to administration and stakeholders.
• Favorite Groups and Programs: Leslie shares her favorite types of groups and programs to run, and why advisory programs hold a special place in her heart.
• Practical Tips: From over-planning to the magic of lamination, Leslie and I share our top tips for staying organized and prepared.

Special Mention: Leslie will also be one of our esteemed presenters at the 2024 Summer Counselor Conference!

Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from her extensive experience and practical advice.

Connect with Leslie:

• Informed Decisions
• TpT
• IG

Links Leslie mentioned:

• Youth to Youth- This is the program that models alternatives to using drugs and/or alcohol 
• Social Emotional Learning and Advisory Survey -This resources allows students to provide their input. Which helps you form connections and see what topics they are interested in discussing. The resource includes both a handout and digital survey
• 10 simple Tips for Forming Connections in an Advisory or SEL Class - Getting student buy-in
• 9 easy ways of getting principal buy-in for anadvisory and sel program

Resources Mentioned:

• Summer Counselor Conference
• Laminator

Grab the Show Notes: Counselingessentials.org/podcast

Join Perks Counseling Club Membership and get the lessons, small group and individual counseling materials you need. Join now and get your first month free when you sign up for 3 months!

Connect with Carol:

• TpT Store
• Counseling Essentials Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Elementary School Counselor Exchange Facebook Group
• Caught In The Middle School Counselors Facebook Group
• High School Counselor Connection Facebook Group

Mentioned in this episode:

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