1. Forest Grove High School
1401 Nichols Lane, Forest Grove, OR 97116
503-359-2432
Fax: 503-359-2521
Counseling: 503-359-2435
Attendance: 503-359-2439
Athletics: 503-359-2437
To touch the future, we dare to dream, aspire to achieve, live to learn.
Karen Robinson, Principal
Tami Erion, Assistant Principal
Brian Burke, Assistant Principal
Doug Thompson, Athletic Director
Dwight Jensen, Dean of Students
July 7, 2016
To Whom It May Concern:
I am pleased to recommend Dana Fears as a Mental Health specialist for your organization. I’ve had the
pleasure of working with Dana for the past six months in her role as Care Coordinator for the Forest
Grove School District and have valued her dedication to students and families in need of wraparound
services.
Dana took on this new position and created a system for referring students and families for countywide
wraparound services. She solicited input from many stakeholders including district officials, counselors
and outside agencies to ensure that access to outside services was readily available and she was able to
connect students and families quickly and efficiently. In her short six months, Dana was able to connect
65 families across six schools in the district. Her responsibilities included identifying precipitating events
including gathering histories of mental and physical disabilities, alcohol and drug use, past mental health
services, and criminal justice contacts. She also provided assistance and resource navigation for
pregnant youth, youth needing completion of alcohol and drug evaluation for mandatory re-entry to
school, and youth who had recently become young parents. Dana also played a vital role in engaging
families of students with truancy and/or homeless issues and providing counseling to students
experiencing death, bullying and drug use and transmission.
I found Dana to be an effective team player who was willing to collaborate and solicit feedback from
others to improve her practice. She established and maintained positive working relationships with
colleagues, students and parents, developed strong relationships with many local mental health
agencies, and readily volunteered to assist in crisis situations with students and parents.
While Dana is new to her practice, I believe that she is dedicated and eager to learn. She will ask
important questions, solicit feedback, and collaborate with others to ensure that the mental health
needs of students and families are met. She will be a great addition to your organization.
Sincerely,
Tami Erion
Assistant Principal