Counseling
School counselors are highly educated, professionally certified individuals who help students succeed in school and plan their careers. An integral part of the total education system, school counselors help students form healthy goals, mindsets, and behaviors. With the aid of a school counselor, students learn to develop effective collaboration and cooperative skills, to practice perseverance, to develop time management and study skills, and to learn self-motivation and self-direction habits.
School counselors help all students:
- Apply academic achievement strategies
- Manage emotions and apply interpersonal skills
- Plan for postsecondary options
School counselors are trained to provide the following services:
- Individual student academic planning and goal setting
- School counseling classroom lessons based on student success standards
- Short-term counseling to students
- Referrals for long-term support
- Collaboration with families, teachers, and administrators/community for student success
- Advocacy for students at individual education plan meetings and other student-focused meetings
- Data analysis to identify student issues, needs, and challenges
School counselors play an essential role in creating an equitable, inclusive school culture promoting success for all.
- Roles of Elementary School Counselors
- Roles of Middle School Counselors
- Roles of High School Counselors
* Information has been obtained from the American School Counselor Association.
Counseling Confidentiality Statement
School counselors recognize their primary obligation for confidentiality is to the student but balance that obligation with an understanding of the family or guardians’ legal and inherent rights to be the guiding voice in their children’s lives (ASCA Code of Ethics).
The role of the school counselor in regards to confidentiality is:
- To support the students right to privacy and protect confidential information received from students, the family, guardian and staff members
- To explain the meaning and limits of confidentiality to students in developmentally appropriate terms
- To provide appropriate disclosure and informed consent regarding the counseling relationship and confidentiality
- To inform students and the family of the limits to confidentiality when: Student poses a danger to self or others, Court ordered disclosure, Consultation with other professionals in support of the student i.e. colleagues, supervisors, treatment teams, and other support personnel
- To keep personal notes separate from educational records and not disclose their contents except when privacy exceptions exist
- To seek guidance from supervisors and appropriate legal advice when their records are subpoenaed
- To assert their belief that information shared by students is “confidential” and should not be revealed without the student’s consent
- To adhere to all laws protecting student records, health information, and special services (i.e., HIPAA, FERPA, IDEA)