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<p class="MsoNormal">Good morning. I wanted to send out the American School Counselor Association membership and ASCA national certification scholarship links that were mentioned in the recent DOE newsroom release. For those who have not seen the newsroom
release, it has been included:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:.25in;background:white"><span style="color:#1E1E1E">The Maine Department of Education (DOE) recognizes the importance of supporting student mental health. Data from the U.S Center for Disease Control and the Maine Integrated
Youth Health Survey reflect increased student mental health needs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:.25in;background:white"><span style="color:#1E1E1E">In 2023, Maine DOE received a five-year Expanding Access in School Environments (EASE) grant to increase school-based mental health staff and services in Maine schools.
The Maine DOE will spend the next year providing opportunities to the current workforce of school counselors and school social workers to build upon their expertise and to promote evidence-based practices in Maine schools. This emphasis on school-based mental
health workforce development strengthens the quality of mental health services in schools.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:.25in;background:white"><span style="color:#1E1E1E">The following scholarship opportunities are being presented to school counselors and school social workers working in Maine schools:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:51.0pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white">
<![if !supportLists]><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#1E1E1E"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="color:#1E1E1E">With the goal of increasing the number of school counselors benefiting from access to their professional communities, Maine school counselors (up to 31) will be given scholarship opportunities to obtain
full membership in the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). This membership opportunity will connect more Maine school counselors with their professional community, providing access to additional networking, training, evidence-based practice resources,
and research. Eligible ASCA members will also be able to pursue national school counselor certification through ASCA. Once the application is created, it will be distributed through a Maine DOE school-based mental health listserv.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;margin-left:51.0pt;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white">
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</span></span></span><![endif]><span style="color:#1E1E1E">With the goal of increasing the number of nationally certified school counselors (ASCA) supporting Maine schools, the Maine DOE will provide scholarships to qualified school counselors (up to 10) to
participate in the ASCA national certification process. At this time, ASCA has reported that Maine does not have any ASCA national certified school counselors working in Maine schools. Once the application is created, it will be distributed through a Maine
DOE school-based mental health listserv.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:.25in;background:white"><span style="color:#1E1E1E">To be eligible for these opportunities, school counselors must meet the eligibility requirements for each individual activity, be employed as a school counselor in
a Maine school and hold 075 certification from the Maine Department of Education. Interested school counselors must use the forthcoming application to request access to these scholarship opportunities. Each of these opportunities will be provided on a first
come, first serve basis.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:.25in;background:white"><span style="color:#1E1E1E">ASCA accepts applications for their national certification process twice a year, the next date acceptance window being in June of 2024. The link for ASCA certification
will be sent out at a later date. Please review the requirements below and information on the ASCA website to determine if you meet the requirements for this certification.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:.25in;background:white"><span style="color:#1E1E1E"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:.25in;background:white"><span style="color:#1E1E1E">The link for
<b>ASCA Membership</b> is here:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:.25in;background:white"><span style="color:#1E1E1E"><a href="https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=q6g_QX0gYkubzeoajy-GTtb2bwdvwgJNg_AMNBrts39UMFNPSzczOEtKQUxMQUw5SDVXRUVHVTQyTy4u">https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=q6g_QX0gYkubzeoajy-GTtb2bwdvwgJNg_AMNBrts39UMFNPSzczOEtKQUxMQUw5SDVXRUVHVTQyTy4u</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:.25in;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:.25in;background:white"><span style="color:black">The link for ASCA national certification will be distributed at a later date. The next window of application with ASCA is June 2024. The link will be distributed through
the Maine DOE school counselor listserv</span><span style="color:#1E1E1E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:.25in;background:white"><span style="color:black"><img border="0" width="859" height="720" style="width:8.95in;height:7.5in" id="Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:image001.png@01DA5D9B.2503EFE0"><img border="0" width="222" height="731" style="width:2.3083in;height:7.6166in" id="Picture_x0020_5" src="cid:image002.png@01DA5D9B.2503EFE0"></span><span style="color:#1E1E1E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Ken Rautiola, LCSW, NCSSW (he/him)</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Mental Health Distinguished Educator</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Office of School and Student Supports</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Maine Department of Education</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">23 State House Station</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><br>
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">Augusta, Maine 04333-0023</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><br>
</span><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Email</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">: <a href="mailto:kenneth.a.rautiola@maine.gov"><span style="color:blue">kenneth.a.rautiola@maine.gov</span></a>
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><br>
</span><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Phone</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">: (207)441-4754<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="color:black"><a href="http://www.maine.gov/doe" target="_blank" title="Original URL: http://www.maine.gov/doe. Click or tap if you trust this link."><span style="color:#0070C0">Maine DOE</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#242424;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"> | </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#242424;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MaineDepartmentofEducation1/" target="_blank" title="Original URL: https://www.facebook.com/MaineDepartmentofEducation1/. Click or tap if you trust this link."><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">Facebook</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#242424;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"> | </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#242424;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><a href="https://twitter.com/mdoenews" target="_blank" title="Original URL: https://twitter.com/mdoenews. Click or tap if you trust this link."><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">Twitter</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#242424;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"> | </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#242424;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/mainedepted/?hl=en" target="_blank" title="Original URL: https://www.instagram.com/mainedepted/?hl=en. Click or tap if you trust this link."><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">Instagram</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#242424;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"> | </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#242424;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><a href="https://mainedoenews.net/" target="_blank" title="Original URL: https://mainedoenews.net/. Click or tap if you trust this link."><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">Maine
DOE Newsroom</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#242424;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"> | </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#0070C0;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><a href="https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/safeschools/healthed/nurseresources/guidelines" target="_blank" title="Original URL: https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/safeschools/healthed/nurseresources/guidelines. Click or tap if you trust this link."><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0C64C0">School
Health Services</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#242424;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><br>
</span><span style="color:black"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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