At Mason City Schools, we believe in educating the whole child - helping students believe in who they are and who they can become by providing supports to foster their educational and social-emotional learning. We believe in building meaningful relationships with every student and helping them take care of themselves mentally, physically, and emotionally.
Our prevention and wellness department is a multidisciplinary team ready to support the needs of all students. Our team works to promote student, staff, and community wellness through resource and program development as well as continuing to build community wellness partnerships. Supports and services provided by our counselors, mental wellness designers, and clinical team are available to all Mason City Schools students.
Children's Hospital Liberty Campus (closest emergency room specializing in those 18 and younger)
7777 Yankee Road, Liberty Township, OH 45044, P: 513-803-9307
If you have an emergency call 911, otherwise use the resources below:
SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service) is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations. Callers can also order free publications and other information.
School Counselors are available to students in need during regular school hours on regularly scheduled school days. If you need more immediate assistance, you can also reach out to Learner Well-Being & Supports Supervisor TJ Glassmeyer at 513.398.0474
Please reach out to your child’s school counselor or the building mental wellness coordinator for a referral to school based therapy through Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Keep a consistent schedule by designating work and break times throughout the day. Maintaining modified schedules over breaks can also help children and teens.
Check out the Virtual MindPeace Rooms designed to provide a space to listen to relaxing music, go on a virtual walk, and practice intentional movement while at home.
Admission and evaluation center for children and adolescents in acute crisis at both Cincinnati Children's Burnet and Liberty Campus Emergency Department
Expert assessment and recommendation to help you determine the next steps in treatment for your child
Mason City Schools compiles a list of certified staff members willing to tutor students outside of the school day. The district provides this list as a resource for families, but does not endorse the services of any of the staff members listed.
Mason City Schools have 21 school counselors throughout our district who are available to work with students and families on an ongoing basis. Each school provides counseling services to help students with social-emotional issues, problem-solving, healthy decision-making, crisis intervention, conflict resolution and substances abuse prevention. School counselors help keep students emotionally healthy and ready to learn. Counselors also regularly engage in college and career planning with students and their families.
Your Prevention & Wellness Designers evaluate building level needs, create and align programming with district rocks, analyze program effectiveness, build capacity of staff, train staff in a variety of mental health topics, and are a front line of support for students in crisis. They work in collaboration with building counselors, administrators, intervention specialists, and contracted clinicians to build a tiered system of intervention to increase access to care. In addition, the Mental Wellness Coordinators assist building teams in developing plans for transitioning students back from clinical care to help ensure a successful reintegration within the school environment.
TJ Glassmeyer has served as the Clermont Northeastern High School (Batavia, OH) Principal for the last eight years. He brings a strong background in multi-tiered support systems, including developing consistent systems that promote collaborative planning and problem-solving, and using data-informed decision-making. As the Learner and Well-Being Supports Supervisor, Mr. Glassmeyer will lead the district’s prevention and wellness efforts, including crisis care, wellness community partnerships, behavior supports, Section 504 supports, student discipline, attendance, homelessness, and staff wellness.
"I am excited to collaborate with the staff, families, and the community to ensure all learners have the supports they need to thrive both in and out of the classroom. I am thrilled to be part of a district that puts student well-being at the forefront and recognizes its importance for student success,” says Glassmeyer.
The team currently consists of 3 mental wellness coordinators, 21 school counselors, 1 resource coordinator, 10 clinical mental health therapists, and 1 psychiatric nurse practitioner.
Prevention & Wellness Coordinator (PK-12)
Laura Martin, M.Ed.- Laura has a Bachelors of Science, K-12 certification serving students with moderate-intensive special education needs and a Masters of Education specializing in birth through year 8 early child intervention. Laura has worked for the Mason City School district for 17 years. She began as a preschool intervention specialist. Laura then worked on a multidisciplinary team to design and implement a state of the art program for students with severe to profound Autism that became the SCSF model across the district. During that time, Laura regularly worked with students with significant behavior and mental health concerns who required a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach. Laura served as a support to families in navigating both in school and out of school support services. Laura has been a support to students, staff, and families in her knowledge and understanding of behavioral de-escalation and crisis intervention. She is a member of the behavior response team and the district crisis team to support students throughout the district who have additional behavioral and mental health needs. Laura’s experience includes program design for students with behavior dysregulation, verbal and non-verbal behavioral de-escalation, community resource support and instruction in social-emotional development.
Mason Elementary and Mason Intermediate Prevention & Wellness Designer
Lauren Wise is a passionate advocate for student well-being and success, specializing in trauma-informed care and school mental health. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Communications from the University of Cincinnati and a Master of Social Work from Northern Kentucky University, focusing on trauma-informed practices. She is a Licensed Social Worker in the State of Ohio and is currently completing a Master of Professional School Counseling at the University of the Cumberlands. Lauren has experience and a passion working with children, families, and school communities to create environments that support emotional well-being and academic success. With a strong foundation in trauma-informed practices, she is committed to fostering resilience in students and equipping educators with the tools needed to address social-emotional challenges in the classroom. She believes that prevention and early intervention are key to helping students develop the skills necessary to navigate school and life successfully. As a collaborative professional, Lauren excels at working with multidisciplinary teams, educators, and families to develop strategies that promote a positive and inclusive school climate. She is passionate about creating a prosperous learning environment where all children feel safe, valued, and empowered to reach their full potential.
Mason Middle School Prevention & Wellness Designer
Dawn McCorkle has spent her career working with students and families across the life span in a variety of mental health capacities. She started her work in mental health as an Adult Mental Health Case Manager with Valley Mental Health Services. Her role was to provide Mental Health Case Management for clients and to coordinate medical care, wrap around supports, and community resources. Dawn then spent time working for Butler County Children Services as a caseworker making referrals for community resources to support families and children in their homes and responding to crisis situations when needed. Dawn was then promoted to an adoption specialist and worked to complete foster care and adoption home studies for adults that wanted to provide foster and adoptive homes. After leaving children’s services, Dawn moved into a role with Butler County Education Services Center working with the Success Program. As part of the success program, Dawn worked to coordinate services for parents and children within the school district and the community to eliminate barriers to poverty and increase academic engagement. Dawn was tapped to come to Mason in August of 2020 to provide support to our students and families across the district. She works in collaboration with our mental wellness and building teams to ensure appropriate wrap around services and referrals are in place to increase academic and community engagement.
All of our schools are also serviced by therapists from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. CCHMC is honored to partner with Mason City Schools to improve access to care within the community. School based mental health services offer individual therapy services to students in the school setting. This optional and confidential service is offered in addition to existing services provided by school counselors and psychologists. Independently licensed clinicians deliver these services in the school setting and are trained to work with various challenges facing youth, such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, major life changes and difficulty with social relationships.School-based therapists are available to provide care either through sessions held during the school day or through telemedicine based on family preference. For those families that select telemedicine services, the patient will receive a secure link that they can access on their computer or tablet to have a video session with their provider. You will still receive the same level of care from our providers as you'd receive in an in-person clinic visit.
All types of sessions are billed to the student's medical insurance. CCHMC accepts a wide range of insurance carriers, and families are encouraged to check with their providers about the specifics of their coverage. Assistance may be available for families experiencing financial difficulty.
Parents, teachers, and students can contact school counselors to make student referrals for services. The decision to participate in therapeutic services is ultimately that of the student's family. To discuss services available or with questions regarding services, contact your child's grade level counselor or prevention and wellness designer for assistance.
Emily Meyer
School Based Clinical Supervisor
Julia Leary
Nurse Practitioner K-12
Rachael Jones
School Based Therapist -
Mason Early Childhood Center
Suzanne Takas
School Based Therapist -
Mason Early Childhood Center
Ashley Allen
School Based Therapist - Mason Elementary/Mason Intermediate
Alechia Bryant
School Based Therapist - Mason Elementary/Mason Intermediate
Erika Chiodi
School Based Therapist - Mason Elementary/Mason Intermediate
Alysha Haury
School Based Therapist - Mason Elementary/Mason Intermediate
The district has school psychologists at each school who provide services to students from preschool to grade 12. School psychologists help youth succeed academically, socially, behaviorally and emotionally. They collaborate with educators, parents and other professionals to create safe, healthy and supportive learning environments that strengthen connections between home, school and the community for all students. Services provided by school psychologists include teacher and parent collaboration, consultation with administrative staff, individual evaluation of students, short-term counseling, and program development and implementation.
Mason Early Childhood Center
Grades: Pre-K, K, 1 and 2 Julie Cooper
513.398.3741 Ext: 82432 Christen Stidd
513.398.3741 Ext: 81124 Joe Schuh
513.398.3741 Ext: 81125
Hope Squad is a mental health awareness and peer-to-peer suicide prevention program at Mason High School and Mason Middle School. Squad members have been anonymously nominated by their peers. Hope Squad's mission is to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health and to promote this message to the community as well as within the schools.
Shiner and Gibson support our students in grades preschool through 2nd grade at MECC. They are cuddly and love being with kids! They love stuffed animals, swimming, and dog treats! Shiner and Gibson visit with many students and classrooms throughout the day and love greeting students as they arrive at school!
Shiner and Gibson were donated by the Shine Like Sable Foundation.
ME
Titan supports students in grades 3 and 4. On especially fun days he walks through the halls to MI to support 5th and 6th graders as well! Titan loves when students ask to say hi and give him cuddles. He enjoys playing with his bones and being outside whenever he can.
Titan was funded through a grant from the Mason Schools Foundation in honor of MHS Class of 2020’s Jake Williams.
MI
Lucy supports students in grades 5 and 6! She even gets to walk over to ME to visit with 3rd and 4th graders sometimes! Lucy enjoys visiting students in class, being read to, and modeling how to stay calm, cool, and collected.
Lucy was funded in collaboration with Circle Tail.
MMS
Coleby supports students in the 7th and 8th grade at Mason Middle School. He is a super sweet and happy dog. Coleby loves to play fetch and is very polite. He also enjoys making new friends with the students and the adults in the building. Coleby assists in the counseling office and will visit classrooms too. When he is off-duty he enjoys fun adventures with his host family.
Coleby was donated by the LoveLikeJJ Foundation.
MHS
Mr. Hibbs supports our students in grades 9-12 at Mason High School. When he is not out helping students, Hibbs spends his time in the counseling department. Hibbs loves when students pet him, wearing bowties, and making everyone that he meets smile. He also helps with Hope Squad. When he is off duty, he loves swimming, playing with his stuffed animals, and going for walks at the Cincinnati Nature Center.
Hibbs was funded in collaboration with Circle Tail and Mason High School Hope Squad.
An important way we practice our Comet Culture belief of “Owning the Moment” is by saying something whenever anyone has a safety concern. Safety concerns can be about someone being bullied, a classmate who has posted something about wanting to harm themselves, an act of racism or bias, or another threat to school safety. The SafeSchools Alert is an anonymous, toll-free tip line that students, parents and staff can access 24/7— any time they need to tip off school administration about a potential crisis. It’s a confidential, anonymous way to keep our schools welcoming and safe. We encourage anyone to submit safety concerns (even anonymously) to our administration in four different ways:
At Mason City Schools, we believe in educating the whole child—helping students believe in who they are and who they can become. Providing supports to foster students’ growth is an essential part of this goal. We believe in building meaningful relationships with each and every student and helping them take care of themselves mentally, physically, and emotionally.
Our Student Wellness and Success Funding Plan plan focuses on ensuring that students are prepared for the academic environment by establishing systems to ensure their mental health and social skill needs are addressed. The plan incorporates multiple agencies and diverse staffing roles in order to create a comprehensive support system for students. This multi-disciplinary team utilizes mental health professionals as well as educational staff to focus on a holistic approach to wellness that supports students in and out of the classroom.
Community Partnerships include:
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC)
Hope Squad is a peer-to-peer suicide prevention program that empowers students to advocate for the well-being of their classmates
School Counselors in all school buildings who support student wellness and advocate for students
MECC - 4 school counselors
ME - 3.5 school counselors
MI - 3.5 school counselors
MMS - 4 school counselors
MHS - 9 school counselors
In the 2023-24 school year, the district recognized that a cessation program was necessary to support students facing disciplinary consequences for vaping. To provide this service, a partnership with Talbert House was established.
6 therapy dogs assigned to school buildings
Students in grades 7-12 received the Signs of Suicide Training in partnership with 1N5
Joshua’s Place works with the Prevention and Wellness Staff to support students experiencing homelessness by providing housing assistance, food, and clothing.
To support students’ physical health, the district employs 2 Registered Nurses in each school building to support health rooms.
For the 2023-24 School Year, the State of Ohio provided the district with $974,967.10 in Student Wellness and Success Funds and $33,452.90 in Disadvantaged Pupil Impact Aid. The funds were used to pay for the salaries and benefits of school counselors. The strategies listed above coupled with the Student Wellness and Success Funds are estimated to impact 10,500 students across all of the district’s buildings.
All of our schools are also serviced by therapists from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. CCHMC is honored to partner with Mason City Schools to improve access to care within the community. School based mental health services offer individual therapy services to students in the school setting. This optional and confidential service is offered in addition to existing services provided by school counselors and psychologists. Independently licensed clinicians deliver these services in the school setting and are trained to work with various challenges facing youth, such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, major life changes and difficulty with social relationships.School-based therapists are available to provide care either through sessions held during the school day or through telemedicine based on family preference. For those families that select telemedicine services, the patient will receive a secure link that they can access on their computer or tablet to have a video session with their provider. You will still receive the same level of care from our providers as you'd receive in an in-person clinic visit.
The district has school psychologists at each school who provide services to students from preschool to grade 12. School psychologists help youth succeed academically, socially, behaviorally and emotionally. They collaborate with educators, parents and other professionals to create safe, healthy and supportive learning environments that strengthen connections between home, school and the community for all students. Services provided by school psychologists include teacher and parent collaboration, consultation with administrative staff, individual evaluation of students, short-term counseling, and program development and implementation.
