We are so honored to have recently received two nominations from D CEO’s Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenships Awards. Our President and CEO, Adam Powell, was nominated for the Leadership Excellence Award, and our Clinical Team was nominated for Nonprofit Team of the Year. These recognitions reflect the extraordinary work that CIS provides on a daily basis to surround students with support and fuel their potential.
We’d like to share a little more about our nominees and how they’re empowering students to stay in school and achieve in life.
Adam Powell
Since joining CIS Dallas as President and CEO in 2019, Adam has focused on putting students at the forefront through enhanced programming and expanded reach. Under his leadership, CIS Dallas has:
- Expanded critical services, such as academic support, mentoring and social services
- Expanded services to include out-of-school time programming, through a CCLC 21st Century Grant
- Implemented ongoing innovative strategies to reach students, increasing parent engagement programs and student access to technology
- Brought attention to and addressed mental health, a growing crisis among youth
- Continued the Safer Students, Stronger Schools (4S) campaign to bring clinical mental health professionals to schools rather than referring students out for these critical services
- Added a specialized clinical team to work with students and families in crisis
Adam’s efforts have increased the number of students served by more than 50% and expanded the number of campuses receiving mental health, academic and social services from 67 to 148 Dallas-area K-12 schools.
Our Clinical Mental Health Team
Launched in March 2022, the Clinical Team oversees our mental health programs. With student mental well-being as its north star, the team led by Dr. Summer Rose has made great strides for students including:
- Developing a more robust approach to student mental health by conducting annual needs assessments with school administrators, staff and CIS site coordinators to identify aspects of school climate that support or impede student wellness
- Offering free Mental Health First Aid trainings to help teachers, staff and community members recognize mental health warning signs and know how to respond and support individuals in crisis
- Assigning Clinical Coordinators to a set of schools so they can office within schools, get to know students better, perform assessments, conduct interventions and deliver therapeutic services
In its first year, the Clinical Team provided 1,039 clinical supports to students and families, including direct counseling and mental health services with case management for more than 100 students free of charge.
These efforts, which were supported by so many CIS Dallas team members, have made a profound impact in the lives of our students and their families. Congratulations to Adam and the Clinical Team! Together, we can help students take charge of their story and define their successes for life.
