Catholic Charities of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties

SAN BERNARDINO - Shanna Puels, M.S., LMFT, School Counseling Coordinator for Catholic Charities Counseling has been recognized by the Office of Catholic Schools of the Diocese of San Bernardino with a “Friend to all Children” Award.

Sr. Sara Kane, Superintendent of Catholic Schools, nominated Shanna for this award because of “what she offers and (what she) does for our children, our youth, teachers, principals, parents and volunteers is so enriching, healing and life-giving.” These high accolades are echoed by Gary McMane, the Director of Catholic Charities Counseling, “Shanna is a big part of our relationship to the Diocese, she is awesome, the true heart of who we are and a wonderful role-model.” She is also the author of “Still Silenced,” an interactive program that instructs non-mandated reporters on what to do when a child they meet tells them they have been abused.

Since August 2003 Mrs. Puels has been mentoring and providing guidance with twelve counselors who cover fourteen catholic schools in San Bernardino and Riverside. In 2007-2008 the school counselors provided 1,815 hours of counseling. Mrs. Puels says school counseling “is enduring because it is necessary; it provides a Different Perceptive on situations, Conflict Resolution, Crisis Intervention, and Suicide Prevention.”

Puels sees the school counselors as a critical component in any school because, “We have a different set of eyes to recognize the complicated human issues that come up in the classroom. By dealing with these issues and resolving them, the students have enhanced academic and behavioral performance. We also educate the students on how make good decisions when a critical situation comes up.”

According to Puels, “school counselors also provide relief for the teacher, because the teacher is freed up from behavioral problems so that he or she can focus on what they are trained to do, teaching.” A counselor in the school also provides accessibility to social service resources. Typically, a school counselor spends between two to seven hours of time at the school. Counselors provide workshops and presentations to schools such as “Good Touch/ Bad Touch, School Success and Bullying.”

This year, on Saturday, January 24, 2009 Mrs. Puel and others will receive a “FRIEND TO ALL CHILDREN and YOUTH AWARD”. The event takes place at the Doubletree Hotel Ontario, near the Ontario Airport.