the 37th annual wsca conference
"The Modern School Counselor Role"
Tuesday, March 17th, 2026, 7:30 am-2 pm
hosted at
Stony Brook University
Events@westernsuffolkcounselors.org
Itinerary
7:30–8:15am Check-in & Breakfast
8:15–8:20am Committee Welcome Intro and Keynote Speaker
8:20–9:15am Keynote Speaker
9:20–10:20am Workshop Session A
10:30–11:30am Workshop Session B
11:40am–12:40pm Exhibitors Expo/Lunch
12:50–1:50pm Workshop Session C
keynote speaker: Adam holtzer
Adam Holtzer is a Long Island native who has proudly called Commack his home for 39 years. A 2005 graduate of Commack High School, Adam earned his associate’s degree from Suffolk Community College in 2007, his bachelor’s degree from Adelphi University in 2009, and his master’s degree from Queens College in 2012. His professional journey has been anything but linear; from pizza counter and Baskin Robbins to limousine driver, swim instructor, adjunct professor, venture capitalist, and entrepreneur. Adam believes every experience builds skills, perspective, and connection, there are no shortcuts to showing up and being present.
As the founder and owner of Nooks and Socials, a private vetted business community, Adam turned his natural love for bringing people together into a thriving business model that supports local, and soon national entrepreneurs, professionals, and business owners. He is deeply relationship driven and takes tremendous pride in the people around him. For Adam, success has never just been about “what you do,” it’s about who you are as a person, and the impact you make along the way.
Married for nine years, and a proud father of three young children, Adam is passionate about helping others discover their paths to success through their “Ikigai.” Encouraging students and professionals alike to use what they love to create meaningful change in the world, while being happy. When Adam is not building businesses, you can find him playing hide-and-seek, building forts, or gathered around his obnoxious bonfire with friends, clients and strangers who become friends.
workshop selection descriptions
9:20am – 10:20am Workshop Session A
1. Supporting Students Experiencing Housing Instability: Understanding McKinney-Vento
Emilie Larson, LCSW, Transitional Housing Social Worker, William Floyd School District
This seminar equips participants with essential knowledge of the McKinney-Vento Act, including student rights, definitions of contemporary and unstable housing situations, and common warning signs of housing insecurity. Participants will explore practical strategies for identifying and supporting students with sensitivity, maintaining dignity and trust, and ensuring equitable access to school resources and stability.
2. Financial Aid 101: Myths, Facts, and the Latest Updates
Lyndsay Johnson, Stony Brook University
Lyndsay.Johnson@stonybrook.edu
Financial aid can often feel overwhelming for students and families, and guidance counselors play a key role in helping them navigate the process. This workshop will provide counselors with clear, up-to-date information on financial aid, focusing on common myths and misconceptions that create unnecessary barriers for students. We will also review recent updates to federal and state regulations, ensuring counselors are equipped with the most current knowledge as they guide their students through the college planning process. Counselors will leave this session with practical talking points, resources, and confidence to better support students and families in making informed financial decisions for higher education.
3. You Are Not Alone: Consultation, Boundaries, and Practical Tools for the Modern School Counselor
Meg Maginn, LCSW, Eating disorder associates /Life Works NY
School counselors are managing impossible caseloads, non-counseling duties, and students with increasingly complex needs—often with little supervision or support. This workshop offers a supervision-style space to bring real cases, practice concrete skills for "when you don't know what to do," and learn practical boundaries that fit the realities of school settings. Participants will leave with quick, effective tools for themselves and their students, clear scripts for managing faculty and families, and a stronger sense of what's realistic to hold in their role.
4. Building Confidence & Competence: A Guided Dialogue for New School Counselors
Jeannette Alomia, Director of Counseling, K-12, Cold Spring Harbor Central School District
This interactive session provides new school counselors with a supportive, judgment-free space to ask questions and gain clarity about their professional role. Participants will explore ethical decision-making, role boundaries, and real-world challenges that often arise during the transition into practice. Through guided dialogue and practical discussion, attendees will leave with increased confidence, clearer professional identity, and actionable strategies to navigate their work effectively.
5. Social Media: The Double-Edged Sword
Peter Martin, LMHC, Northwell Health
This content focuses on understanding social platforms by clarifying which popular social media apps are most appealing to kids and why they attract young users. It also highlights safe and responsible use, offering strategies for teaching digital citizenship, protecting privacy, and practicing positive online etiquette. In addition, it provides parental guidance through practical tools and tips for monitoring activity, setting appropriate boundaries, and fostering healthy online habits.
6. Careers of the Future: Preparing Today’s Students for Tomorrow’s Workforce
Mark Cortez, Executive Director of Admissions, mark.cortez@stonybrook.edu
Tara Truhan, Sr. Associate Director of Career Development, tara.truhan@stonybrook.edu
Cara Morris, Career Coach, cara.morris@stonybrook.edu
Stony Brook University
Undergraduate Admissions and the Career Center are excited to join you to discuss Careers of the Future, with a focus on STEM. We'll be sharing insights into how students can best be prepared for STEM focused majors, insights into the global and national labor market, high-growth career clusters, skills needed for tomorrow's workforce, equity and access in career pathways, and how we work with students from the point of admission to graduation to help them explore their options. We'll engage you through interactive games, conversations, and pair and share moments!
10:30am – 11:30am Workshop Session B
7. "The Future is Now": The Opportunities and Challenges of Technology and A.I. in Youth Development
Charles Fox, Director of Diversity & Development, The Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County, Inc.
The proliferation and rapid changes to technology, specifically Artificial Intelligence, have exacerbated issues that have impacted education, school counseling, and youth development. This session will touch upon some of the latest A.I. powered programs (including smart phone applications) and seek to foster discussion and dialogue around how we help equip our students with the emotional intelligence and wherewithal to appropriately leverage these rapidly evolving technologies. A.I. has grown substantially in just the past few years, we as educators must stay ahead of the curve in order to advise and educate our students. Additionally, we will spend time discussing the practical and positive educational potential of these tools when used responsibly.
8. Beyond the Body: Identifying Eating Disorders, Anxiety, Perfectionism, and Co‑Occurring Concerns in Students
Meg Maginn, LCSW, Eating disorder associates /Life Works NY
Students are increasingly using perfectionism, appearance focus, and disordered eating as "hidden" ways to manage anxiety and distress, often while maintaining good grades and compliance. "Beyond the Body" equips school counselors to recognize early, subclinical signs of eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and perfectionism—along with commonly co-occurring depression, anxiety, ADHD, OCD, and substance use—and respond with brief, school-friendly interventions and appropriate referrals. This interactive 60-minute workshop combines case vignettes, language practice, and experiential exercises to teach participants how to identify "beyond the body" warning signs in classroom and counseling settings, use validating and trauma-informed conversation scripts with students and caregivers, implement 10-15 minute micro-interventions that support emotional regulation and reduce rigid coping, and clarify when to monitor versus refer to specialized care. Participants receive immediately actionable take-home tools: a warning-sign checklist for school settings, sample student and caregiver scripts, brief regulation strategies, and referral guidelines. Grounded in current research, this workshop provides practical skills counselors can use the very next day to support at-risk students across elementary, middle school, high school, and college settings.
9. Navigating Financial Aid for Students with Unusual or Complex Circumstances
Kimberly Trupiano and Heather Metz, Financial Aid Advisors, Stony Brook University
heather.metz@stonybrook.edu and kimberly.trupiano@stonybrook.edu
This presentation is designed to equip school counselors with foundational knowledge and practical tools to better support students who fall outside of traditional financial aid pathways due to unusual or complex circumstances. These students are often at higher risk of delayed enrollment or incomplete aid due to systemic and procedural barriers. We hope to increase counselor confidence, reduce misinformation, and help ensure students receive timely and accurate guidance as they navigate the financial aid process.
10. Transfer Admissions and Pathways: Take the Road Many Travel
Maria Campanella, Director, Transfer and Special Population Admissions, Stony Brook University
maria.campanella@stonybrook.edu
Have you wondered what colleges look for in a transfer applicant? Are some of your students planning to attend a 2-year college before receiving their bachelor's degree? Come join us and learn about the ins and outs of transfer admission, what colleges look for in a transfer applicant, pathways, support services, and the key elements that define a "transfer-friendly" institution. We may even dispel a myth or two (or seven) about community colleges.
11. Expanding Career Pathways: Leveraging Career Kickstart to Broaden Postsecondary Opportunities
Farah Rahman, Associate Director, NYC, College Board
This session explores how College Board’s Career Kickstart (CK) pathway can support career-connected learning and align with state Portrait of a Graduate priorities. Participants will also receive a high-level overview of BigFuture and the SAT Suite to better support students’ evolving postsecondary planning.
12. PowerSchool Naviance
Maria Engels, Senior Education Impact Consultant and Lila Yu, Enterprise AE, PowerSchool
Explore how college, career, and life readiness efforts can work together to support student success. This session highlights how readiness frameworks, school counseling best practices, and digital tools can align to create cohesive, student‑centered pathways. Attendees will learn practical strategies to help students explore options, plan next steps, and build the skills and confidence needed to thrive beyond graduation.
12:50pm – 1:50pm Workshop Session C
13. Responding to Community Trauma Circle
Gregg Scheiner, Director of Restorative Practices, LIDRC- EAC NETWORK
gregg.scheiner@eac-network.org
Participants will receive and practice the circle script to create a safe space for acknowledging a community trauma and its impact and for expressing emotions; to access the healing effects of connecting with others to cope with trauma.
14. Navigating Mental Health in the LGBTQ+ Community
Bri Nocerino, LGBTQ Services Manager, PFY
This discussion based, informative presentation gives attendees an opportunity to leave with a greater understanding of how to create an affirming environment within their own therapeutic space, includes a full review of the “do’s and don’ts”. This workshop is designed for mental health and/or clinical professionals. The objective of this presentation is to help mental health providers understand the ways in which sexual orientation and gender identity impact mental health and gain a greater understanding of Gender Dysphoria and how to help people identify coping skills to manage it.
15. Managing Anxiety in Schools
Amy Callahan, LCSW, Behavioral Health Counselor, Northwell Health
This presentation equips school counselors with the tools to effectively manage student anxiety across all school ages. Learn to identify warning signs, apply calming techniques, and implement practical strategies within your school setting.
16. Blueprints for Tomorrow: Empowering Girls Through Beautiful Me
Shanthy Hughes, Program Director, Hance Family Foundation
shughes@hancefamilyfoundation.org
Beautiful Me is about creating an environment where girls learn to recognize their strengths, appreciate their uniqueness, and build a positive self-image. This approach goes beyond simply addressing appearance; it focuses on emotional intelligence, resilience, and the power of self-belief. By integrating self-esteem into education, we empower girls to see themselves as capable, valuable, and deserving of success.
17. Defenders of Potential: Unlocking Student Potential Through Mentoring
Erika Pugliese, Recruitment Specialist, Big Brothers Big Sisters of LI
epugliese@bbbsli.org
This workshop is designed for school social workers, counselors, psychologists, and student support staff who are committed to strengthening outcomes for young people facing adversity. Participants will explore how professionally supported one to one mentoring can complement school-based interventions and expand a student’s circle of support. The session will provide a clear overview of how Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island mentoring works, which students benefit most, and how schools can partner effectively with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Long Island. During this workshop, we will:
Review current trends impacting students across Long Island; Identify characteristics of students who may benefit from mentoring; Clarify the referral and enrollment process;
Discuss safety standards, screening protocols, and match supervision; Share data on academic, social, and behavioral outcomes; and Create a streamlined pathway for school to agency collaboration. The goal is to ensure that school professionals feel confident identifying and referring students who could benefit from an additional trusted adult relationship. Attendees will leave with practical tools, clear next steps, and a direct connection to our enrollment team.
