When she was a teenager, Dr. Tiffany Clark’s high school counselor made a huge impact on her life by serving as a mentor and helping her navigate the university system.
Clark realized she wanted to follow in her mentor’s footsteps and become a high school counselor herself. After working in the classroom as a middle school teacher and serving as a high school counselor, Clark is excited to join the “Wolf Pack” counseling team at E.D. Walker Middle School.
“I want to see students become successful just like my high school counselor helped me become successful,” Clark said.
Dallas ISD is ramping up efforts to provide mental health services and focus on social and emotional learning when the school year virtually starts Sept. 8. Dallas ISD Mental Health Services is hiring 53 additional licensed mental health clinicians to increase services to schools and provide mental health support to students and their families.
Clark said that the Covid-19 pandemic and virtual start to the school year could impact some students’ mental health conditions, but that her school is ready to support students in any way possible.
“We’re truly all in this together,” Clark said. “Yes things are going to be different, it’s very abnormal, but we’re going to do the best we can. We’re going to truly care for each other from our students to our staff to our leadership team.”
Quick Mental Health Tips from Dr. Clark
- Take it day by day.
- Practice deep breathing exercises.
- Exercise daily. A 30-minute walk is a great way to debrief and reset.
- Practice positive self-affirmation. We need to be intentional about what we put into ourselves.
