A new professor is helping future counselors make a difference

Photo by Easton Clark, Photo Editor

Attallah College of Educational Studies welcomes Carla Smith as a new instructional assistant professor of school and clinical counseling. Teaching courses on human development, mental health in schools, partner abuse and fieldwork, Smith leads a new wave of school counselors amid a growing mental health crisis among students. 

Today, one in five students attending public schools in the United States will use mental health services provided by their school, emphasizing the importance of having counselors available when needed. For many, the only access to mental health care is through schools.

“We know that there are many people who do not have access to mental health care, and we do know that even if you do have access, sometimes it can be a really long wait,” Smith said. “That’s why it’s important our students are taught thoroughly on the importance of their job and the impact they have on the community.”

Before coming to Chapman, Smith was an assistant professor at Texas A&M University. She now works alongside Randee Kirkemo in the master's program for school and clinical counseling, while also teaching undergraduate classes. 

Smith has worked as a school counselor in public schools and with the Department of Defense schools, which are located on military bases and provide educational services for children of active-duty parents. At Fort Campbell, a base located on the Kentucky and Tennessee border, she worked with school psychologists, mental health professionals, nurses and administrators to provide well-rounded support.

“We really worked as a team to make sure our students had all the needed support possible,” Smith said. “These schools are also great for the military population because the schools can offer wraparound services to students that make it easier to coordinate with mental health (services), the hospitals and other service providers that are available to military personnel and their families.”

Smith had initially earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education at Angelo State University, then went on to get her master’s in education counseling at Texas Christian University. Fifteen years later, Smith returned to school to earn her doctorate in counselor education and supervision from the University of the Cumberlands. 

“It sometimes takes some life experience to figure out exactly who you are, what you're supposed to do, where you're supposed to be,” Smith said. “Trust the process, trust your instinct, and find something that you really enjoy doing, because you're going to do it for a long time.”

Smith found her passion for counseling and now teaches a new generation of future school counselors during a time when mental health is at the forefront of conversations in education.

“There are a lot of kids who never have the opportunity to get mental health help, except from their school counselor,” she said. “I want to help (my students) feel prepared.”

Students seeking mental health support can contact Chapman's student psychological counseling services.