What We Provide

We increase mental health AWARE-ness, improve services and foster collaboration between agencies to better serve youth with mental health needs and their families, and connect them with additional services.
Benefits
More Counselors available. Calming/Chill Out corners in every classroom. Events for students, parents
and community members. Mental health related trainings for school personnel, students and the community
Trauma Informed Schools
Schools play an important role in providing a safe space for children, having trained personnel helps build a school environment that allows all children to thrive.
Trauma Informed Approach
A trauma-informed approach according to SAMHSA is, “inclusive of trauma-specific interventions, whether assessment, treatment or recovery
supports, yet it also incorporates key
trauma principles into the organizational culture."
2020-2021 School Year: a few things we have accomplished
  • Implementing second step program for Social Emotional Learning lessons
  • Implementing Mindfulness to all students
  • Social media pages (instagram / facebook) multiple instagram accounts (project aware, gay straight alignce, and therapy dogs
  • Our Project Aware website
  • Research on counseling workbooks for students and on children's books related to SEL
  • Designing new sensory areas for our students in the elementary school - this way they will have different options for a sensory break and not get bored with the same one
  • Calming Corners / Chill-Out Corners in each classroom for students to take a mental break in the classroom
  • Created Zen den's in the teachers lounges to support their self care and mental well being
  • We saw the need for an anxiety group and partnered with CMH for that  
  • Diversity mental health informational session for staff & community (month of February, videos are all recorded online on our Project Aware Shepherd Public Schools Facebook page)
  • Creating covid safe fidget boxes for each individual student, this way their items would be germ free and they wouldn't have to worry about others touching their fidgets
  • Tons and tons of research (mental health related)!
  • Screening students
  • Trainings (participating and facilitating)

Shepherd Counselors

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​Brogan Holmes: Project Aware counselor at
Shepherd Elementary. I spent my undergraduate at the University of Detroit Mercy where I was a division I collegiate athlete in track and field. I graduated with my Masters in Social Work and a certificate in School Social Work from Michigan State University. Working with children has been a passion of mine my entire life. I feel very fortunate to have been given this opportunity to work
with the Shepherd Elementary children. In my spare time, I coach track and field for Alma High School, volunteer for kids’ ministry at my church, and I am active in the Royal Family Kids Camp.




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Alaina Sunken: Project AWARE Counselor for
the Shepherd Middle & High Schools. I graduated from Central Michigan University in 2018 with a Master of Arts degree in Professional and School Counseling. I completed my counseling internships at Ferris State University in their personal counseling center and Shepherd Middle School. Previously, I was working at Heritage High School as a school counselor and middle school basketball coach. I also have professional work experience managing a fitness center, working as a middle school paraprofessional, and coaching middle and high school basketball and track.








David Gutierrez: Project AWARE Counselor for
Odyssey and Winn Schools. Previously I was Odyssey’s
Title1/Educational Assistance and Trauma Aware Liaison. I have coached high school football and 7th & 8th grade Girls
Basketball. Before coming to Shepherd, I worked at an
alternative school in Saginaw, Michigan for 13 years. I attended Delta College and Saginaw Valley State University. My wife, Lisa and I have four adult sons. I enjoy golfing in my free time. I am very excited to be a part of the Project AWARE Team and assist Shepherd Public Schools.