The Madill School District welcomed a new counselor to its ranks recently. Jamea Lawson was hired as the District Trauma Counselor/Director of Student Services.
The Madill Public School Superintendent Larry Case said the new addition was needed to serve the district children. “Trauma is a big issue in schools, so we wanted to get ahead of the curve,” stated Case.
The school district added the new position for the 2019-2020 school year to keep up with the eternally morphing world of education.
“Director of Student Services and Trauma Counselors are actual positions that are beginning to emerge into the world of education,” Lawson said. “Districts in smaller size are seeing the need for a paradigm shift in education.”
Lawson said the goal is to “educate the entire child.” This includes all social, emotional and academic factors. Many school districts are recognizing that traumatic events greatly affect the brain.
“Traumatic events, no matter how great or small, diminish personal control and stability of the brain greatly,” Lawson said.
Lawson earned a master’s in School Counseling and a bachelor’s in Education from East Central University. Previously working for the Dickson Public School District, she has been a school counselor since 2005 and has worked with various types of students in crisis and traumatic experiences.
The counselor was also the education director for Sara’s Project – a child advocacy organization that serves District 20 – covering Carter, Love, Marshall, Murray, and Johnston counties.
Lawson said the position afforded her the chance to work closely with children who were in “situations of trauma, abuse, and neglectful experiences.” She was the liaison between four departments; the center, schools, educational programs and community resources.
Lawson said she will keep her aim in the new position similar to what she did as the advocate of Sara’s Project.
“We are learning to be a trauma informed school,” Lawson said. “With the help of many licensed professional counselors, teachers and administrators, and support staff members, students are receiving a holistic approach to school.”
Lawson also noted that “all children can learn with the help of positive adult relationships and realizing that they are not labeled with their circumstances.”