Counseling
Welcome to the SHMS Counseling Department
Counseling supports the development of the whole child by advocating for the academic, social/emotional, career and postsecondary needs and strives to develop life-long learners and productive citizens.
The counseling program in Adams 12 Five Star Schools works collaboratively with parents, community members and educators to empower every child, regardless of individual differences or obstacles, to ensure all students are prepared for meaningful, productive learning through a data-driven comprehensive K-12 school counseling program. It is our privilege and our passion to support and assist students and their families in ways that promote student achievement, success, and growth and that build and bridge relationships that connect us as a community.
We are so excited to be working with our students and are looking forward to an amazing year at Silver Hills!
Meet Our Counselors
Using the forms below students and parents/guardians may sign up for a time slot for a meeting with their counselor. Meetings are available via in-person, Google Hangouts or via traditional phone call. Students can discuss any topic for which they would typically sign up to see us (academic, social/emotional, college/career, family, friends, etc.). Students and families are also more than welcome to send an email or call us with any questions/concerns if they’d prefer to not talk via video chat or phone.
Office Hours
Our office hours are a structured time during which the counselors will be available for immediate communication. Please reference our contact information below. Outside of these hours we will still make every effort to return parent/guardian/student communication within one business day. You may contact us via phone or email. Outside of these contact hours, however we will be upholding our 24-hour response time during the school week.
Office Hours for all counselors is Monday - Friday 8:30-4:30pm
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Sarah Myers
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720-972-5010 sarah.myers@adams12.org |
Student request for to meet with Mrs. Myers |
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Anita McKiernan
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720-972-3005 anita.mckiernan@adams12.org | Student request form to meet with Ms. McKiernan |
Molly Geiger 8th Grade Counselor |
720-972-2979 gei027462@adams12.org |
Student Request form to meet with Mrs. Geiger |
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720-972-5009 |
School Based Therapist
We are also very lucky to have a full-time School Based Therapist through Community Reach at our school. Our therapist helps students in need with one-on-one counseling during the school day. If you have concerns that your child needs to meet with a School Based Therapist, please contact your counselor to fill out the appropriate paperwork. You can also learn more about Community Reach through their website http://www.communityreachcenter.org/.
- Carolina Osuna:
- 720-972-3007 or 720-446-8167
- C.Osuna@communityreachcenter.org
- Carolina.Osuna@adams12.org
Announcements:
The Eureka! Program at GIMD is a 5-year, year-round, comprehensive STEM-based program that builds girls’** confidence and skills through hands-on opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Utilizing a “whole child” approach, the program also incorporates sports and physical fitness, personal development, and college and career readiness. Serving youth from across the Denver metro area, Eureka! broadens youth’s future academic and career interests, encourages enrollment in advanced math and science courses, promotes positive risk-taking, and assists girls in developing networks of peers and mentors to support their future endeavors.
Eurekans start the program in the summer before 8th grade and are supported through high school graduation. In their first two summers, Eurekans explore STEM concepts, personal development, and physical growth in a 4-week summer camp on the MSU Denver campus. During the school year, they attend monthly activities focused on building their knowledge in STEM subjects and careers while also building their confidence. In their third and fourth summers, Eurekans are placed in paid STEM-focused internships that provide real-world career experiences. In the fifth summer, Eurekans get to select from different STEM leadership pathways and travel to various colleges and universities in the region to learn about their STEM academics. In addition, Eureka! will provide support for participants to apply to institutions of higher education and find scholarships available to them.
Interested parties can also go to OUR WEBSITE for the application and more information. Applications will commence being reviewed on Monday, February 28, and rolling interviews will begin in March. The FINAL deadline for submitting an application is Friday, March 25, 2022. We are trying to move our entire process to digital formats, so applications should be completed with the fillable PDF format (which can be saved!), and submitted via email to eureka@gidenver.org. If you know an interested applicant that does not have access to a computer to fill out their application, please let me know – we do have laptops that they can borrow.
Eureka! STEM Program at Girls Inc. of Metro Denver is now open
Flyer- Eureka! Flyer_2022.pdf
Eureka Application- GIMD_Eureka_Application_2022.pdf
Recommendation form- GIMD_Eureka_Recommendation_2022.pdf
Student Safety
In the same manner that we do when we are at school, if a member of our mental health team is ever concerned about your student’s safety, we will reach out to a parent/guardian right away. Please be sure to respond to correspondence in a manner as timely as possible to help us support your student’s safety. If a parent does not answer, the mental health personnel will follow district protocol to contact an outside agency (such as law enforcement) to help us initiate a well-being check. If you become concerned about your student’s safety and/or well-being, please use the resources below to access immediate mental health support for your student. If safety is an immediate concern, contact 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255; www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
- Suicide Prevention Resource Center: www.sprc.org
- American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: www.afsp.org
- Trevor Project (LGBTQ+ youth): 1-866-488-7386; www.trevorproject.org
- Crisis Text Line: 741-741; www.crisistextline.org
- If your student is concerned about a peer please encourage them to use the Safe2Tell Button and communicate to their counselor.
Colorado passed a bill that provides temporary behavioral health services program to provide access to mental health and substance use disorder services for youth, including addressing needs that may have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is open to youth 18 years of age or younger or 21 years of age or younger if receiving special education services.
The program, called I Matter, is funded by the Colorado Department of Human Services, Office of Behavioral Health. The program provides up to 3 free behavioral health sessions for youth in Colorado and reimburses participating providers, which are licensed clinicians from agencies and independent contractors. The I Matter program also has a statewide public awareness and outreach campaign that includes digital ads on platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat, and on-the-ground outreach to schools and youth organizations. Both the awareness campaign and the IMatterColorado.org website were informed by youth feedback.
Community Resources
Please take a look at the following resources to support your student’s social/emotional well-being at home.
- FLEX Lab tutorting: is a space where 6th−12th graders can receive academic support, tutoring, & assistance with credit recovery classes fromAdams 12 teachers & support staff!
- Collection of Resources including help from the community, mental health, and academic support
- November Seasonal Resources : Use this link to find community resources that are open to the public
Resources for Undocumented Families:
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Learn about Relevant Institutional Policies & Legislation
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Find & Advocate for Scholarships and Financial Support
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Access Reputable Legal Information & Assistance