Educator Cafe: Recorded Sessions
The SMHRTCenter is excited to kick-off the school year with an Educator Cafe featuring a national leader in addressing addiction in youth and guiding them towards healthy decision making, Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher. Dr. Halpern-Felsher is the founder and director of Stanford University’s Research and Education to Empower Adolescents and Young Adults to Choose Health (REACH) Lab.
The REACH lab studies developmental, cognitive, psychosocial, and cultural/social factors involved in adolescents’ and young adults’ health-related decision-making, perceptions of risk and vulnerability, health communication, and risk behavior. Our work particularly focuses on understanding and reducing adolescent and young adult substance use (including electronic cigarettes, cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana), risky sexual behavior, and risky driving. The REACH lab has also developed the My Healthy Futures, a self-paced alternative-to-suspension.
Recorded September 2025
Resource Guide
This session offers an engaging overview of EMPACT—Empathy-Based Model for Prevention, Affirmation, and Community Transformation—a trauma-informed, evidence-aligned training developed by the Pride Center of the Capital Region. Grounded in research from the Family Acceptance Project, EMPACT equips educators with strategies to reduce bias-based harm and foster affirming learning environments for LGBTQIA+ students. Attendees will explore key concepts from the full training and learn how even small changes in adult behavior can significantly reduce suicide risk and improve school climate.
Hosted by Nathaniel Gray, MSW, Executive Director of the Pride Center of the Capital Region, this webinar is ideal for school staff, administrators, and pupil personnel interested in bringing the full two-hour EMPACT training to their district or school community.
Recorded June 2025
Burnout affects a large proportion of educators and is associated with a number of negative outcomes, including high financial costs to districts, a loss of student achievement, and high personal costs to teachers. This session will provide research-based interventions and best practices to cope with work-related stress and offer practical suggestions for managing the demands of the job. Participants will leave with strategies they can start to put into practice immediately. Burnout affects a large proportion of educators and is associated with a number of negative outcomes, including high financial costs to districts, a loss of student achievement, and high personal costs to teachers. This session will provide research-based interventions and best practices to cope with work-related stress and offer practical suggestions for managing the demands of the job. Participants will leave with strategies they can start to put into practice immediately.
Dr. Sarah Cioffi has 35 years of experience in education, as both a teacher and administrator. She currently works as an educational consultant and professor in the graduate education programs at Siena College and Bard College.
Dr. Drew Anderson is a clinical psychologist and professor at the University at Albany as well as a firefighter and EMT who has presented nationally on stress and resilience.
They have led versions of this workshop multiple times in New York and Vermont for a variety of audiences. This workshop is based on proven interventions and strategies, and combines both the practical experience of Dr. Cioffi and the clinical experience of Dr. Anderson.
Recorded April 2025
Natural Helpers is a high school peer helping program based on the idea that within every school an informal “helping network” already exists. Students with personal problems naturally seek out other students and adults whom they trust. Natural Helpers taps and uses this helping network and provides training to students and adults who are already serving as helpers, providing them with skills to help others more effectively, as well as places to turn to when they’re not able to help. Natural Helpers are not professionally trained therapists or counselors; they are skilled helpers, identified through an anonymous school survey. Join us to learn how to develop a Natural Helpers program at your school, including the selection process, training, and a wealth of free resources.
Recorded March 2025
Looking to share resources and materials to support mental health in your school? Join our Educator Café with the Long Island Social Emotional Literacy Forum (LISELF) to learn how to collaborate with schools across New York State through their new Creating Well-Being Sharing Site. Learn how to access best practices from New York State Schools and Mental Health Organizations–and how to share your own! All New York State Public and Private Schools and Mental Health organizations working with New York State Schools are invited to submit their mental wellness initiatives for publication on the Sharing Site.
Recorded February 2025.
New Year’s Resolutions often focus on dieting and weight loss. Join Danielle Vallas, LMHC to discuss how to help you—and the students you work with—to challenge the notion of “New Year, New Me.” Help create a school culture that supports all types of bodies for both faculty/staff and students by developing best practices for discussing food and exercise, dieting myths, and eating disorders.
Recorded January 2025
Jennifer Fredricks, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at Union College for an Educator Cafe on Mental Health and School Engagement. Dr. Fredricks will share insights from her research on student engagement, motivation, and educational interventions. Participants are encouraged to submit questions in advance for a discussion on best practices.
Join us for a conversation about how to support student-athlete mental health in schools. Let’s discuss the unique needs and stressors impacting our student athletes and how to promote positive mental health practices.
Join Dr. Melissa L. Rinaldi, PhD, Clinical Psychologist at the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at the University at Albany to discuss the unique mental health needs of autistic students and other neurodivergent learners, emphasizing the importance of explicit instruction in coping and emotional regulation skills. Participants will learn about evidence-based strategies and practical techniques to support autistic students well-being in school settings. The Educator Cafe will be a combination of didactic instruction and a Q&A. Participants are encouraged to submit questions in advance.
