The Graham ISD Counselor

Graham ISD counselors accept responsibility to help all students through a systematically delivered comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling program. At the same time, they respect each student, strive to understand each student’s background and the factors that are influencing his/her present circumstances, and maintain optimism about each student’s future.

Graham ISD counselors approach students, parents, teachers, and others with warmth and understanding, an accepting and optimistic attitude about the potentialities of people, and the belief that people can change in positive ways. They are committed to personal change and growth, not only in others, but also in themselves. They have the ability to relate to and effectively communicate with people of all ages and cultural backgrounds. Counselors have a high degree of self-awareness of their own values, knowledge, skills, and limitations, and know not to act beyond the bounds of their professional qualifications.

When counselors who demonstrate these personal characteristics and competencies are selected for employment, the probability for having an effective guidance and counseling program is increased.

Roles and Responsibilities of the Graham ISD Counselor

School administrators, faculty, parents, and community members should expect Graham ISD school counselors to competently carry out ten basic responsibilities in a professional and accountable manner. These responsibilities are set forth in state statute (TEC 33.003-33.007) as well as professional school counseling research, literature, and evidence-based practice.

Program Management

Graham ISD counselors manage the guidance and counseling program on their assigned campus. Counselors will work with faculty, staff, students, parents, and community members to plan, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive guidance program. Counseling program services are delivered through the four components outlined here. Counselors must be able to use a planning process to define needs and priorities and to determine appropriate objectives.

Guidance

School counselors provide a proactive, comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling program to all students, from prekindergarten through graduation, within the school in which they are employed. The developmental approach focuses on the “normal” processes of growing up in a complex culture. All students need guidance for maximizing personal/social development, academic development and career development; thus guidance is provided to groups of students.

TEC Sec 33.006 (b)(6) Deliver classroom guidance activities

Counseling

Counselors use appropriate theories and techniques of counseling to make counseling interventions accessible to all students. School counselors specifically apply these competencies to students developmental needs, personal concerns, or challenges affect their continued educational, career, personal, or social development.

Consultation

Counselors, functioning as consultants, provide professional expertise to assist faculty, staff, administrators, parents, and other community members to understand both individual behavior and human relationships. In addition, counselors interpret relevant information to those persons concerning the development and needs of students.

TEC Sec. 33.006 (b)(2) Consultation, referrals with parents and guardians; TEC Sec. 33.006 (b)(3) Consultation with staff, parents and community

Coordination

Counselors, as coordinators, bring together people and resources in the school, the community and the district for the fullest personal/social, academic, and career development of the students. School counselors work with students’ parents/guardians and school personnel to coordinate referrals to other resources as appropriate.

TEC (b)(4) Coordinate people, resources in the school, home, community

Student Assessment

Counselors collaborate with other school and district staff to use testing and appraisal programs that help students identify their abilities, aptitudes, achievements, and interests. In addition to test data, other sources of appraisal information include interviews, biographical summaries, academic records, anecdotal records, personal data forms, and records of past experiences.

Counselors have knowledge of the principles, practices, and limitations of test data, and are ethically bound to treat assessment data as confidential, so that only those with a need to know have access to the information.

Leadership

School counselors apply leadership competencies in all four components of the school counseling program including the implementation of the school’s comprehensive developmental school counseling program, the school’s responsiveness to the personal and social needs of diverse students, and the school’s enhancement of learning environments that address the diverse needs of students.

Advocacy

School counselors are student advocates who promote a school environment that acknowledges and respects diversity. They advocate for individual and specific groups of students and for school policies, programs and services that are equitable and enhance a positive school environment. School counselors work for the elimination of factors that may impede student achievement and school success. School counselors advocate for the profession by promoting the comprehensive developmental school counseling program and school counselors’ ethical and professional standards within the school and community. School counselors advocate for appropriate and meaningful school counselor roles as educational leaders in alignment with professional training.

Professional Behavior

School counselors accept responsibility for continuous self-directed professional learning to improve competence in job-related performance standards. School counselors establish and maintain professional relationships with administrators, teachers, other school staff, parents, and community members. The accept accountability for the use of time in delivering a full complement of services based on assessed needs in all four components of a comprehensive school counseling program.

Professional Standards

School counselors adhere to professional standards in all components of a comprehensive developmental school counseling program. They adhere to federal, state, district, and campus legal standards, policies, regulations, and procedures. School counselors promote and follow school counseling ethical standards and demonstrate professional, responsible work habits.