Clinical Supervisor (And Interim Principal), PEP Hopewell
Tom Porter began his career at PEP as an intern at PEP Willow Creek in 2014. Today, after having earned his license as a clinical psychologist, Porter serves as the clinical supervisor at PEP Hopewell. He is also currently serving as the interim principal. He has held several roles of increasing responsibility, all in one of PEP’s Day Treatment Centers, which provide both mental health services and special education to young people during each school day.
As the clinical supervisor, Porter sees his role as supporting staff who help kids. As he puts it, “I help staff so that they can gain the skills that they need to support students with behavioral and mental health needs. I provide coaching and hands-on support to help everyone stay safe, stay motivated and seek good outcomes, and move in the right direction.” He says that no day is the same, so his responsibilities fluctuate and it’s important for him to stay flexible.
One of Porter’s favorite things about working at PEP is the opportunity to see students grow and make progress. “Our focus is to help students successfully transfer back to their home district and I get to see the progress that each student makes each day. Seeing the successes that kids make day after day, month after month, and year after year is inspiring.”
Porter also talks about the sense of satisfaction he gets from helping students see themselves differently. “I like the fact that we help our students feel accepted, wanted and not rejected. Often, our students have experienced aversive circumstances, and we are able to provide positive regard and hope for our students.” He says it’s critical not to get stuck in a rut. “Many of our kids have had issues in their past with suspensions or expulsions and they need encouragement and motivation to push forward. Every kid has potential and so we ask ourselves how we can support them and make them feel valued.”
In addition to working with students and seeing their progress, Porter is grateful for his colleagues. He says he has support from his administrative team, and he appreciates how they all work together and support one another. He also enjoys working with newer and more inexperienced team members and helping them get comfortable in their role. “I like seeing them grow and become more confident,” he says.
When Porter isn’t at PEP he enjoys hiking, playing video games, reading and trying new restaurants. His favorite dessert is tiramisu.