Role of the School Counsellor

In order to provide a comprehensive school counseling program (CSCP) that meets the unique needs of Ocean Elementary School, the school counselor must understand the needs of the school. Therefore, conducting a needs assessment can help a new school counselor to evaluate the CSCP in order to plan, implement, and improve the effectiveness of the program (Astramovich & Coker, 2007). Additionally, utilizing the accountability bridge counseling program evaluation model, a continuous evaluation cycle helps to improve services based on stakeholder feedback, the needs of those served, and outcomes (Astramovich & Coker, 2007). Within this model, a needs assessment must be conducted in order to plan and develop services that address the needs of the students (Astramovich & Coker, 2007). Thus, by utilizing assessment questionnaires, the school counselor can gather information from the diverse population of students, parents, teachers, and administrator to determine how the CSCP can best support all students’ needs (American School Counselor Association [ASCA], 2012). Additionally, the use of other data, such as observations, standardized test scores, absentee rates, and student referrals can support the feedback received on the questionnaires. Based on the data, the school counselor can evaluate the school counseling program in order to improve the program in the domain areas of academic, social/emotional, and career development. Thus, within the accountability bridge counseling

It is my goal to become a school counselor in a local high school. As a school counselor, it is also important to try and understand the different experiences that children go through in order to get through to them. After studying the different counseling theories, I have discovered that each theory is valid and there are ideas and techniques that I would use out of each of them. However, there are some theories more than others that I would use to guide me daily as a school counselor. Modern day counseling is equipped with a wide variety of therapies, techniques and approaches. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast three approaches of therapy. Also in this essay the views of the person and the Therapeutic process will be

School Psychology is a general practice and health service provider specialty of professional psychology that is deals with the practice of psychology with children, youth, families; learners of all ages; and the schooling process. The basic education and training of school psychologists prepares them to provide a large range of diagnosis, assessment, intervention, prevention, health promotion, and program development and evaluation services with a special focus on the developmental processes of children and youth within the context of schools, families, and other systems (Ehly, 1986).

Following the interview conducted with a school psychologist, I was able to obtain a sense of Mrs. Montgomery’s basis for her practice, including her target clients, assumptions and values, goals and various roles of consultation, counseling, intervention and program evaluation (Sandoval, 1986). Mrs. Montgomery may be characterized as a school psychologist who places particular emphasis on the need to improve the student and systems’ capability.

The Comprehensive School Counseling Program Notebook which follows the ASCA National Model third edition was created in School Counseling Programs. This notebook is divided into four components as directed by the comprehensive school counseling program: foundation, delivery, management, and accountability. The Foundation section includes my core beliefs, my vision, my mission, rationale, description, and goals of the program at Mountain Home Junior School. Delivery, Management, and Accountability (AR 1.2).

School counselor is a continuous learning profession; whether it is the profession itself, or society that continues to change, or government prioritizing different matters within the school systems. The key to be a successful school counselor within the school is through research. Finding out what’s different about this year’s population, students interest, what is the most effective way to provide information to students. These are just a few reasons of why research is valuable and important to conduct throughout the course of one’s school counseling profession. There are different types of research one could utilize, and with all the research found it is important that a counselor has the necessary skills

The role of a school counselor is an intriguing one because they do not work with a specific type of client. While they will always be working with young children or teenagers, the problems their clients come to them with can be so different from client to client. One session might be dealing with questions about career choices. Another might be about dealing with bullying. Some days a school counselor may even have to be there for a child who was a victim of sexual or physical abuse. It is because of this wide range of demands that a school counselor should be well-versed in many types of counseling theories.

School counselors collaborate with other school personnel such as teachers who will help implement guidance lessons in the classroom. As a school counselor it is important to keep the teachers motivated to help implement these programs. Resource teachers typically work the special education students, collaborating with resource teachers ensures that all students are included in the comprehensive program. The resource teacher can help provide alternative to working with students in an inclusive manner. The principles and assistance principles of the school typically serve on the advisory committee, they provide resources to the program, and help communicate the important of the counseling program. School psychologist are there to assist with mental health services, doing assessments, and working with the school counselor during crisis situations. School nurses provide health services to the students. They monitor student medications and note changes in students behavior or effectiveness of the medication. Secretaries are equally important in the collaborative model. Secretaries are typically the first person a parent will come in contact with when entering the school. They are the ones that create that first impression (Erford, 2015). Community agencies can provide additional support to students outside of

A school counselor’s role is vital in many schools across America. Many students see their counselor, to work on any emotional stressors, academic changes and challenges. This may include, interventions, group therapy and changes in class schedule, but sometimes with all the implementations given, students do not succeed in school. Perhaps one needs to take a closer look at the programs being implemented and its success rate. In addition, a counselor should guide itself using the ASCA (American School Counselor Association) to provide evidence based practices in schools.

Advocacy is one of the major roles for professional school counselors. The concept of advocacy is the tradition of professional counselors, but the role of advocacy in school counseling was not valued until the recent times. The purpose of this paper is to give a reflection about the article on school counseling in order to show and describe the advocacy competencies of school counselors. The article was written by Jerry Trusty and Duane Brown. The article was set to provide a structure that helps to conceptualize advocacy in order to develop advocacy competencies.

School counseling programs are designed to serve the school as a whole. They serve the students as counselors, act as consultants to teachers, parents and administrators and coordinate activities to implement the developmental guidance program. However, in order to have an effective program they need to instill the qualities of Lencioni’s model into their interaction with the individuals they serve.

School counselors use data to, “identify school counseling program goals; monitor student progress to close the achievement gap; assess and evaluate programs; demonstrate school counseling program effectiveness (Young, 2013).” The purpose of assessments are to identify and plan school counseling programs that align with the mission of schools. School counselors assist students individually to help with academic, personal/social or career concerns. One helps student establish goals as well as develop plans. School counselors conduct informal assessments by interviewing students to obtain information about their current problem or situation.

With the diversifying population in America’s schools, a profession school counselor should be culturally competent to meet the needs of all students. “The transformed professional school counselor is culturally competent, respectful of human diversity, and a school leader in ensuring that oppressive systemic barriers to academic, career, college readiness, and personal/social development are removed (Erford, 2015, p. 173).” A school counselor needs to have a deep understanding of a variety of cultures to meet the personal, emotional, developmental needs of a student using individual and group interventions while being aware of their cultural and spiritual needs.

Despite living in a world where immediate solutions or answers to problems is the expected, in my role of Pupil Support Worker at a local Secondary school, it is very apparent that one solution most certainly does not fix all. Someone once said, “You have to change by yourself, but you don’t have to do it alone”. It takes time to build a relationship with a young person, and even more time until they have come to their solution. For this to work effectively, I have to engage with my clients using counselling skills, without being a qualified counsellor. This essay will look at the above question and answer what I deem to be essential in a helping relationship.

School counseling is a profession that may look simple from the outside, but in reality, it is a complex profession that has evolved to become a vital resource for students to have throughout their education. I strongly feel that this is a profession that empowers individuals to make a difference in students’ lives and I am very eager to continue learning and watching myself grow to ultimately become a school counselor.