Volume 1. Issue 8.
October 2019
CISDR Welcomes President/CEO Adam Powell
Following a detailed search process, Communities In Schools of the Dallas Region (CISDR) is pleased to announce Adam Powell as the new President & CEO. Powell comes to CISDR with an extensive track record in the education field, most recently after his work with education nonprofits including Education Is Freedom, Reasoning Mind, and Dallas Urban Debate Alliance. With more than fifteen years of experience in the field, Powell is well respected for his work in helping organizations innovate and grow.
"Adam is the person we need to lead our team," says Blake Lewis, Board Chair of CISDR. "He knows education and he's laser-focused on our mission of surrounding students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. He has the experience and skills to help us grow and serve more children in the North Texas region."

"I'm looking forward to working with the team at CISDR. We have a busy but exciting new chapter ahead for our organization, a chapter in which we will give more kids in the Dallas area the help and opportunities they need to succeed and thrive," says Adam Powell.

In partnership with nine area school districts, CISDR is in a total of 66 Elementary, Middle and High School campuses to serve students that have been labeled "at-risk." CISDR's professional staff brings community resources into schools to integrate student supports in a coordinated, caring and cost-effective way because they believe every child deserves the opportunity for success.
Suicide Prevention: How You Can Help
Suicide is a serious public health problem that can have lasting harmful effects on individuals, families, and communities. While its causes are complex and determined by multiple factors, the goal of suicide prevention is to reduce factors that increase risk and increase factors that promote resilience. Ideally, prevention addresses all levels of influence: individual, relationship, community, and societal. Effective prevention strategies are needed to promote awareness of suicide and encourage a commitment to social change.
Some groups have higher rates of suicide than others. Suicide rates vary by race/ethnicity, age, and other population characteristics, with the highest rates across the life span occurring among non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native and non-Hispanic White populations. Others disproportionately impacted by suicide include veterans and other military personnel and workers in certain occupational groups like construction and the arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media fields. Sexual minority youth bear a large burden as well, and experience increased suicidal ideation and behavior compared to their non-sexual minority peers.

Helping Youth Cope with Stress

Children and adolescents often struggle with stress coping, which can impact suicidal inclinations. Youth can be particularly overwhelmed when their stress is connected to a traumatic event—like a natural disaster, family loss, school shootings, or community violence. Parents and educators can take steps to provide stability and support to help young people feel better. Tips include:

Reach out and talk. Create opportunities to have students talk, but do not force discussion. Ask helpful questions like, what do you think about these events, or how do you think these things happen? Be a model by sharing some of your own thoughts as well as correct misinformation. As they talk about feelings, it can help them cope and to know that different feelings are normal.

Watch and listen. Be alert for any change in behavior. Are students withdrawing from friends? Acting out? These changes may be early signs that a student is struggling and needs extra support from the school and family.

Maintain normal routines. Regular classroom and school schedules can provide a sense of stability and safety. Encourage students to keep up with their schoolwork and extracurricular activities but do not push them if they seem overwhelmed.

Take care of yourself. You are better able to support students if you are healthy, coping and taking care of yourself first.
  • Eat healthy, well-balanced meals
  • Exercise on a regular basis
  • Get plenty of sleep
  • Give yourself a break if you feel stressed out.

Need Help?

Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
•   Call 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)
•   Use the online Lifeline Crisis Chat.

Both are free and confidential. You’ll be connected to a skilled, trained counselor in your area.

Thank You for Teeing Off with CISDR!
Thank you to everyone who came out to Hackberry Creek Country Club on Monday, September 30 for the 8th Annual CISDR Golf Tournament. With support from Flowserve, Ryan and all of our sponsors listed below, as well as our board members, volunteers, and staff, the tournament was a rousing success! Special thanks to John Scott, who has served as our Golf Committee Chair since the tournament's inception. We couldn't have done it without his leadership over the years!
Click the button below to see pictures from the event, and stay tuned to our newsletter for updates on the 2020 CISDR Golf Tournament!
Make a Difference This Holiday Season
Are you or your organization looking for a way to make a difference in a child's life this holiday season? Get involved with the Adopt a Student Project! For many years CISDR has coordinated this project during the holidays to provide for basic needs (coats, shoes, clothing, etc.) and special gifts for students enrolled in the CISDR program who will likely not receive many holiday gifts this season. With more than 60 schools, and 20 to 30 students identified at each school, there are more than 1,200 children who need to be adopted this year.
CISDR works with partners who support the majority of our elementary schools, which is incredible, but it still leaves nearly 400 middle and high school students and a few elementary children who need to be adopted.

Two Ways to Participate

1. Adopt one or more specific students by contacting Jeannea Busby at jbusby@cisdallas.org, and CISDR staff will provide gift suggestions and a number to identify the student. Please bring unwrapped gift(s) with the intended child's ID number to the main office of CISDR at 1341 W. Mockingbird Lane, Ste. 1000E, Dallas, TX 75247 by 4:30 pm on Wednesday, December 11. This gives us time to distribute them to the schools before the winter break.

2. Donate gift cards in increments of $10, $15, $20 or $25 or make a cash or online donation to the Adopt a Student project. Go to cisdallas.org/donate, or make checks payable to Communities In Schools Dallas Region, Attn: Adopt a Student, 1341 W. Mockingbird Lane, Ste. 1000E, Dallas, TX 75247.

For more information, or to get involved please contact Jeannea Busby at 214-827-0955 ext. 226 or email her at jbusby@cisdallas.org with any questions. With your help, we can make the holidays special for many local children this year!
Vibha Dallas Dream Mile Supports CISDR
CISDR was pleased to be selected as a beneficiary of the 16th Annual Vibha Dallas Dream Mile, held at Brookhaven College in Farmers Branch on Saturday, September 7. Thank you to Vibha Dallas for their ongoing support, as well as everyone who got up early on a Saturday morning to run or walk for the children we serve. Special thanks to CISDR Board Member Neelima Gonuguntla (pictured second from left) for making this partnership possible.
Thank You to North Texas Giving Day Donors
Thank you to everyone who "Got Up and Gave" to CISDR for this year's North Texas Giving Day! With so many worthy causes to give to in the Dallas region, we truly appreciate each and every dollar. And if you missed your chance to participate yesterday, you can always donate to CISDR at cisdallas.org/donate or click the button below. Thanks again for your generosity! We are proud to be a part of the giving tradition of the Dallas region.
Resource Fair Showcases Community Partners
To ensure that our Site Coordinators are well-prepared to serve the students on their campuses, we recently held a resource fair, where our staff could get to know some of our community partners. Thank you to Grant Halliburton Foundation (pictured), Hope's Door New Beginnings Center, LifePath Systems, Mosaic Family Services, and the North Texas Behavioral Health Authority for participating in this event. Together we can help students succeed in school and achieve in life!
EY Connects to Communities In Schools
On October 4, several CISDR campuses hosted volunteers from Ernst & Young as part of EY Connect Day. Every year, EY closes its offices so that around 20,000 professionals can volunteer with community organizations like Communities In Schools. Thanks in part to support from CISDR Board Member Bill Guess, we were once again able to work with these dedicated and enthusiastic EY volunteers. Thank you to everyone who participated. Your impact is deeply felt!
Support Students with Amazon Smile
The holidays are fast approaching, and whether you're purchasing gifts for CISDR students, friends, family or your own kids, you can give a little bit back with Amazon Smile . Use the link below to designate CISDR as your charity of choice. Amazon will then donate 0.5% of your purchases to us.
This program costs nothing extra to you, and every bit that Amazon donates helps to support our mission!

Upcoming CISDR Trainings & Events
October 2019
  • Saturday, October 19: Youth Mental Health First Aid

November 2019
  • Friday, November 19: Youth Mental Health First Aid

December 2019
  • Tuesday, December 3: Giving Tuesday
Stay Connected to Our Community!
Thank you for taking the time to catch up with CISDR. Please visit cisdallas.org to learn more about us, and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Our Mission
The mission of Communities In Schools of the Dallas Region is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.