For this webinar series, participants will automatically be enrolled in all 5 sessions.
SpeakerS
DescriptioN
This five-part webinar series focuses on the impact of internalizing issues on mental health and school performance. It explores early identification and intervention strategies as well as evidence-based practices that can be integrated into the student’s learning environment. Presenters will offer strategies to adapt practices for diverse student communities and to enhance resilience.
Participants must attend all 5 sessions and successfully pass a quiz following Session 5 to receive PDPs and CEUs. Following the live webinar, registrants will be emailed a link to view the recorded webinar within 24 hours. The recording will be made available for 7 days after each session.
About the SpeakerS
Ashley Aguiar, CAGS, NCSP, (she/her) is the Central Massachusetts Technical Assistance Center Director at the BIRCh Center, where she supports public school districts in implementing trauma-responsive mental health systems. She is a nationally certified school psychologist, Certified Childhood and Adolescent Trauma Professional, and certified in the PREPaRE model for school crisis prevention and intervention. She has extensive experience training school-based teams across Massachusetts in trauma-informed practices, crisis response, and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). With a background as a district mental health administrator and adjunct faculty member, Ashley combines deep clinical expertise with practical systems-level leadership. She is especially passionate about equipping educators and mental health professionals with the tools to understand and respond to trauma’s impact on student learning and behavior. Her work is rooted in the belief that safe, supportive environments are essential for healing and resilience.
Kathryn Kurtz, Ph.D., NCSP, (she/her) serves as the Project Director of the BIRCh Center and a school psychologist with the Boston Public Schools. Kurtz’s work as a school psychologist in the Boston and Minneapolis Public Schools informs her work in the areas of cross-system collaboration, the cultural and contextual adaptation of interventions for implementation in urban communities, Tier 2 interventions targeting internalizing problems, and effective and efficient training practices. At the BIRCh Center, Kathryn directs program operations, supports training and coaching, and collaborates with partners to inform the development and implementation of the BIRCh Center Statewide School-Based Behavioral Health Technical Assistance Center.
Bethany Nichols, CAGS, NCSP, (she/her) is the Western Massachusetts Technical Assistance Director for the BIRCh Center. She brings extensive experience in public education, having served as a Director of Social-Emotional Learning, district coordinator, and school psychologist. Bethany has worked at both the school and district levels, supporting educators, students, and families across a range of settings for more than fifteen years. She holds certifications as a special education director and school psychologist and has played key roles in leading cross-district initiatives and collaborating with state and community partners. At the BIRCh Center Bethany provides coaching, professional development, and implementation support focused on multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), data-based decision-making, and sustainable SEL and mental health practices.
Melissa Pearrow, Ph.D., (she/her) is the Executive Director of the BIRCh (Behavioral health Integrated Resources for Children) Center, which provides professional development and resources for schools and strengthens the coordination of behavioral health supports provided by school and community agencies. She is a Professor of School Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where she teaches graduate courses in legal, ethical, and professional practices and internship. Prior to joining the faculty at UMB in 2004, she spent ten years as a special educator, school psychologist, and program coordinator for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Her training in inpatient, outpatient, and community mental health settings informs her research on school-based mental health, including her partnership with the Boston Public Schools and Boston Children’s Hospital in the Comprehensive Behavioral Health Model.
Sara Whitcomb, Ph.D., (she/her) is a licensed psychologist, associate director of research and evaluation with Boston Children’s Hospital’s Neighborhood Partnerships Program, and member of the faculty at Harvard Medical School. She is also co-director of the BIRCh Center at UMass Boston. Prior to her current role, she was a professor in the UMass Amherst school psychology program and a teacher in general and special education settings in Oregon, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Dr. Whitcomb’s research and practice interests are in behavioral assessment, social-emotional learning, and organizational consultation in schools. She has authored a number of texts and journal articles on these topics, and her book, Bolstering Resilience, recently received a Foreword INDIES Book Award and Independent Book Publisher Award. Dr. Whitcomb has consulted with over 100 school districts in Massachusetts to build capacity to meet all students’ behavioral health needs.
Membership Information
Most MPY webinars are available ONLY to current staff from member districts and organizations. Public school memberships include police and fire personnel. Former and retired employees and members of committees, including but not limited to, PTO/PTA, PAC, School Improvement Councils, Health Councils, Drug/Alcohol Councils, and school volunteers, are not considered MPY members.
PDPs and CEUs
MPY is an approved Professional Development Provider through the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (Provider No. F20180079). Professional Development Points (PDPs) are offered for most MPY professional development webinars. PDPs are issued in 10 hour increments, per DESE requirements.
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available for clinical staff through the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association, Inc. (MaMHCA). The NASW and the MaMHCA approve each event individually. CEUs may be given in hourly increments.
To receive PDPs and CEUs, participants must pass the quiz.
Event Cancellation Policy
If you are unable to attend a MPY webinar you must cancel, through Bonnie Mullen at bonnie@mpyinc.org, one business day before the webinar.
For MPY hybrid conferences, the date in-person registration closes will be posted on MPY’s website. Virtual conference registration will close one business day before the hybrid conference. You cannot cancel or switch your registration from in-person to virtual after in-person registration closes. Please email Bonnie Mullen at bonnie@mpyinc.org with any questions regarding registration.
All sessions are 9:30 am – 11:30 am.