Melissa S. Ockerman

Melissa S. Ockerman is a Professor of Counseling at DePaul University, where her work focuses on school counselor preparation, evidence-based school counseling strategies, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), and systemic school change. She holds an M.A. in School Counseling and a Ph.D. in Counselor Education from The Ohio State University and has been recognized multiple times as Illinois School Counselor Educator of the Year. Ockerman serves on boards and advisory councils including the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago and the Evidence-Based School Counseling conference, and has held leadership roles in state and national school counseling organizations.

Ockerman is co-author or lead editor of several influential works in school counseling, including 101 Solutions for School Counselors and Leaders in Challenging Times and The ABCs of Social Emotional Learning for School Counselors and Administrators: An Adaptive, Balanced, and Collaborative Approach, the latter co-authored with Kirsten H. Perry. Her scholarly publications address topics such as integrating RTI and MTSS into school counseling programs, trauma-informed counseling, evidence-based practice to advance social justice, and school counselor leadership, and she is a frequent presenter at local, state, national, and international conferences.[10