31 Dec 2024 Five-Oh-Ones to Watch 2025: Tricia Benish
By Carol Rolf
Tricia Benish, PhD, grew up in Conway and graduated from Conway High School in 1995.
“I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, but I was always pretty good in art,” said Benish, who is a licensed psychologist and director of mental health and behavior services for the Greenbrier School District. She headed off to the University of Central Arkansas, where she majored in education with a minor in art education. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in childhood education in 2001, as well as K-12 certification in art education.
“It was the art that led me to the field of mental health,” she said, adding that she taught middle school art in Little Rock for three years. “As an art teacher, you can form different relationships with kids that you might not be able to if you taught math or English. I saw students with mental health issues, and I knew I wanted to do something to help them. I decided to go back to school and major in psychology.’”
She continued her education at UCA, receiving a master’s degree that qualified her as a School Psychology Specialist in 2005 and a doctorate in school psychology in 2009. Additionally, she served as a Fellow in Pediatric Psychology at UAMS from 2009-2010.
Benish oversees school-based mental health services for the Greenbrier School District, which includes seven schools housing 3,673 students.
She also oversees district wellness initiatives, the school counseling program and specialized behavioral support for students. In addition, she supervises school psychology interns and leads staff training in youth mental health first aid, trauma-informed practices and emotional poverty. She also coordinates social-emotional learning services and suicide prevention initiatives.
“I am passionate about empowering young people to overcome obstacles in the schools,” Benish said. “And I am dedicated to working together with other leaders to make a positive difference in the lives of Arkansas students.
“My dad always told me I could do whatever I wanted to do as long as I worked hard enough,” she said, laughing. “And to never stop learning. I work hard and I enjoy what I do. I want to continue to help kids achieve whatever they can. I want to be able to look back and know that I made a difference.”
Benish and her husband, Jason Benish, have been married for 16 years. Three daughters complete their family: Faith, Hailey and Maddie.
“Hailey and Maddie both play volleyball for Greenbrier, so we spend a lot of time going to their games,” Benish said when asked what she does in her spare time. “I also like to cook. Someday I’d like to get back to my art … I love to draw and paint.”
When asked about being featured in this year’s “Five-Oh-Ones to Watch” issue, Benish said she is “honored to be chosen and to represent [her] community this way.
“I am the first in my family to graduate college and earn a PhD, and I’m proud that my kids will have that example,” she said. “I’m proud that the work I do has decreased the stigma surrounding mental health issues in our community, has prepared more of our staff to recognize the signs of mental illness and has made services more available for our students.”
