University of Montana Safe Schools Center
Providing training, research, and professional development services to schools and communities across Montana and the U.S.
- School Emergency Operations Planning
- Cybersecurity
- Victim Assistance
- Social-Emotional Learning
- Professional Development
- Threat Assessment
About Us
The UM Safe Schools Center was endorsed by the Superintendent of Montana's Office Public Instruction in 2005 and approved by the Montana University System Board of Regents in 2006. However, our organization has been working on numerous school safety grants and initiatives since 1999. Our current director is Dr. Daniel Lee, an associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership.
Contact Us
Safe Schools CenterPhyllis J Washington Education Building, Suite 109
safe.schools@umontana.edu
(406) 243-5230
Social Media: UMTSafeSchools
What Is Tele-Counseling?
Tele-counseling is the process of providing counseling remotely, typically utilizing HIPAA compliant video conferencing. Tele-counseling is another option for schools to use in order to meet students’ mental health and school counseling needs.
The Clinic
The Montana Safe Schools Center is working closely with the Department of Counseling to provide a Tele-Mental Health clinic. This has been made possible through the Bureau of Justice Assistance STOP Violence Technology and Threat Asesment Solutions for Safer Schools Program grant. This clinic will be operating as a pilot site in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021, with the mission of providing high-quality tele-mental health services to children in Montana's rural communities. We hope to meet students' diverse needs through mental health tele-counseling and school tele-counseling to give students mental, social, emotional, and academic support.
Services
Mental health and school counseling services will be provided to students by Counselors-in-Training in the Department of Counseling at the University of Montana. Counselors-in-Training are supervised by counseling faculty members who are certified tele-mental health providers.
Criteria to Participate
For schools to participate and to be in compliance with HIPAA regulations criteria need to be in place to provide a safe and private tele-counseling environment. Schools will be responsible for providing a licensed school counselor on site, secure device(s) for student use, private space(s) for student use, emergency contact information for on-site school counselor or school administrator and community referral sources. Counselors-in- Training will provide tele-counseling in the Intimate Relationships Lab (IR Lab) which is located in the Department of Counseling at the University of Montana. For tele-counseling to be most successful for the participating student parent permission is required, as well as authorization to exchange information, videotape sessions, and participate in a study by the UM team.
For additional information, contact Nancy Berg at nancy.berg@mso.umt.edu or (406) 243-4973.
Click the following link to see the full brochure.
Brochure
Supervising Faculty
Department of Counseling Website
Dr. Jayna Mumbauer-Pisano
Assistant Professor, Department of CounselingJayna Mumbauer-Pisano is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling at University of Montana. Jayna’s educational background includes a B.A. in Psychology and Human Development from Vanderbilt University, an MA in School Counseling from Wake Forest University, and a PhD in Counselor Education from University of Central Florida. Jayna’s previous counseling experiences include counseling children and adolescents in elementary and high school, facilitating group counseling for adolescents with disabilities, and counseling adults at a community counseling clinic. Jayna has presented on issues relating to counseling and education at state, national, and international conferences. Her research focuses on mental health literacy, bibliotherapy, and child adolescent health and well-being. Jayna remains active with the American Counseling Association, Association for Humanistic Counseling, and the Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling.
Dr. Emily Sallee
Assistant Professor, Department of Counseling
Emily is a school counselor educator in the Counseling Department at the University of Montana. Prior to transitioning full-time into higher education, she was a professional school counselor for ten years in Oregon public schools, where she also served on the board of the state school counseling association and enjoyed the opportunity to advocate for students and school counselors at the state level in various capacities. She is passionate about advocating for the profession of school counseling, and her research interests include adolescent suicidality, non-suicidal self-injury, school violence, and incorporating conversations about diversity and multicultural humility in all her work.
News and Updates
- We recently hired a School Safety Specialist to assist in training and assessment, Jeff McDonald! We are so excited to have him join our team.
- We received a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. This grant will give us the opportunity to collaborate with schools across the state, and work locally on campus, to create safer schools for students statewide.
- The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services has added a Coronavirus update to their information page on Communicable Diseases in Schools
- The Montana Office of Public Instruction released this document concerning public school reopening which contains information on various levels of reopening.
- The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services released a report for the Attorney General on Ten Essential Actions to Improve School Safety
- This Active Shooter Training video has tips and strategies for situations where active shooters are present
- The National Association of School Psychologists have a guide for Talking to Children About Violence for parents and teachers
- Sandy Hook Promise has compiled a list of Sixteen Facts About Gun Violence and School Shootings
- John Sommers-Flanagan is a professor of counselor education here at the University of Montana. He runs a blog discussing mental health and counseling issues, which you can find at johnsommersflanagan.com
- The Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center (REMS TA Center) has created a tip sheet for teaching the Psychological First Aid model
- The Child Abuse Library Online (CALiO), supported by OJJDP, provides a collection of publications and resources for professionals working in fields associated with child abuse prevention. CALiO is a service of the National Children's Advocacy Center
COVID-19
- The Governor has created a Coronavirus Task Force, their website has lots of information regarding the spread of the disease in Montana.
- The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services has resources to answer questions abouts Coronavirus, explain certain programs, and give general information.
- At samhsa.gov/coronavirus, there are a variety of links and articles to help professionals.
- Psychology Today has a great article on Mental Health and Coronavirus, specifically how to care for yourself and others during this difficult time.
- The National Child Traumatic Stress Network released a guide on Trauma-Informed School Strategies during COVID-19
Cyber Safety
- Password Managers are a great way to keep passwords safe and keep information secure
- "Zoombombing" is a potential security risk due to the move to remote school. This article contains tips for how to keep Zoom calls secure.
- The FBI has created the FBI Child ID App to help parents keep track of their children's information
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 24/7, confidential, and free: 1-800-799-7233 and through chat.
The National Sexual Assault Hotline is 24/7, confidential, and free: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and through chat.
The Trans LifeLine for peer support for trans folks 9am-3am CT: 1-877-565-8860. This hotline is staffed exclusively by trans operators and is the only crisis line with a policy against non-consensual active rescue.
National Parent Helpline Monday -Friday 12pm-9am CT emotional support and advocacy for parents: 1-855-2736.
The Trevor Project Lifeline is 24/7, confidential and free: 1-866-488-7386 and specifically designed for LGBTQ+ youths in crisis.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides a 24/7, toll-free hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. After dialing 1-800-273-TALK, the caller is routed to their nearest crisis center to receive immediate counseling and local mental health referrals. The Lifeline supports people who call for themselves or for someone they care about.
