Head: RFH Student Assistance Counselor Joins County Mental Health Board
RUMSON – Suzanne Fico, Ph.D., student assistance counselor at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School, has been appointed to the Monmouth County Mental Health Board.
“We are very pleased that Dr. Fico is joining the Monmouth County Health Board,” said Barry Johnson, director of the Monmouth County Division of Addiction and Mental Health Services. “She will bring a refreshing new perspective to the board’s work, especially concerning the needs of today’s youth.”
Fico, who has been student assistance counselor at RFH for 17 years, was encouraged by Johnson to join the board to provide her perspective on how schools are meeting the mental health needs of today’s students.
“One of my contributions as a board member will be to help keep the board up to date on how schools are managing mental health issues,” Fico said. “Our goal is to provide the best possible services to students throughout Monmouth County.”
The Monmouth County Mental Health Board provides guidance to the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders on funding for mental health services and programs throughout the county. Its 15 members meet monthly to collaborate on the best practices and new advances in the delivery of mental health programs and services.
Fico was chosen as the 2011 RFH Educator of the Year for her service to students, and has been instrumental in creating student organizations such as the highly popular Peer Leaders.
She is a member of the Traumatic Loss Coalition and vice president of the Student Assistance Professionals of New Jersey.
Most recently, Fico made a presentation to the human resources department for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of New Jersey on the topic of teen substance use and abuse and the role of the student assistance counselor. She also has been invited by the FBI of New York to address the topic of teen substance abuse.
In addition to holding the Student Assistance Counselor Certification from the state Department of Education, Fico is a licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed professional counselor and licensed clinical alcohol and drug counselor.
Fico, who also teaches graduate-level classes for the Monmouth University Department of Psychological Counseling, is a certified disaster response crisis counselor and approved clinical supervisor.
