Are You Missing the Early Warning Signs? Build a Proactive Tier I & II System to Address Needs Before They Escalate

Universal screening is becoming essential for districts striving to reduce student behavior challenges, build durable skills, and proactively support mental and behavioral health.

Join Dr. Stephen N. Elliott, lead author of the SSIS screening assessments and President of SSIS CoLab, and eLuma’s Brandy Samuell, M.Ed., Director of Mental Health and Related Services, for an in-depth discussion on how schools can use effective, evidence-based social and behavioral health screeners to strengthen their tiered system of supports to save students from falling through the cracks.

You’ll walk away with:

• A clear framework for choosing or implementing a universal screener
• Strategies for turning screening data into meaningful support
• A research-informed approach to improving behavior, attendance, and student well-being
• Practical insights from Illinois’s universal mental health screening mandate

Who should attend? 

• District and School Administrators
• Special Education Directors
• MTSS/SEL/Behavior Leads
• School Psychologists & Counselors
• Anyone responsible for student mental/behavioral health initiatives

Speakers

Dr. Steve Elliott is the Mickelson Foundation Professor at Arizona State University and a nationally recognized expert in student behavioral health and assessment. Over his 40-year career, he has held major research and leadership roles at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Vanderbilt University.

He is best known as the co-developer of the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) and the Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS), including the SSIS Brief + Mental Health Scales—widely used universal screeners that help districts identify student stressors, internalizing behaviors, and skill deficits early. His multi-informant approach incorporates teacher, parent, and student perspectives to provide a clearer, more accurate understanding of student needs.

Dr. Elliott has authored more than 300 publications, secured over $62 million in federal research funding, and received numerous national and international awards for his contributions to educational assessment. His work continues to guide districts in selecting and implementing high-quality universal screeners that strengthen early intervention and improve student outcomes.

Brandy Samuell  M. Ed. is a dedicated educator with over 32 years of experience. She has been involved in all facets of public education from classroom teacher to assistant superintendent. Brandy’s knowledge base spans general education, special education, mental health support, and school turnaround. She has experience working in charter, rural, suburban, urban, and virtual school settings. Brandy currently serves as the Director of Mental Health and Related Services at eLuma.

Brandy earned a Bachelor of Business Administration, Marketing, degree from Texas Tech University in 1989, and a Master of Education, School Counseling, degree from Texas Christian University in 2002. She has completed Post-Master’s work in Educational Diagnostics and Educational Leadership from the University of the Southwest. In addition, Brandy is certified in Critical Incident Stress Management; she has managed multiple school-related crises as well as provided crisis management and crisis response training for school staff and community-based first responders.

While Brandy has a broad scope of knowledge and interests, the majority of her career has been dedicated to supporting the emotional and behavioral needs of students as well as managing, coaching, and developing staff.