What does the School Social Worker/Adjustment Counselor do?

The School Social Worker/Adjustment Counselor provides support to address the social, emotional, and/or behavioral needs of all students.  Counseling is part of general education; therefore all students have access to the support services, once a school-based need is determined.  Support services come in a variety of forms, including  but not limited to: 

Students are referred to the School Social Worker/Adjustment Counselor through the Child Support Team (CST).  The School Social Worker/Adjustment Counselor meets with the classroom teacher and other relevant staff to determine if and what intervention is needed to support a student's behavior or skill development.  In many instances, intervention can occur in the child's classroom without the need for a pull out service.  If a pull out serviced is deemed necessary, the School Social Worker/Adjustment Counselor partners closely with the classroom teacher to schedule the service at the least invasive time.  A child will never miss recess or specials for counseling services.  The appropriate service is then put in place, progress is monitored, and once the child has demonstrated mastery of the skill(s) determined at referral or improvement in behavior, counseling services conclude.  

*Please note, school-based counseling is NOT a substitute for therapy.   

School-based counseling is a short-term intervention that targets specific skills with regards to adjusting and adapting to the demands of the school day (academic, social, or otherwise).   Processing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as tragedy, grief, loss, changing family dynamics such as separation, divorce, and remarriage, or a traumatic event are treated in an outpatient therapy setting, not at school.  The reason for this is to prioritize student wellbeing - research supports that asking a student to process and work through adverse childhood experiences in the school setting is more harmful than it is helpful.  When a student is triggered by their ACE(s) at school, they are more likely to be distracted and withdrawn, hindering both their academic and social progress and ultimately creating more barriers to their success.  If you are in need of outpatient therapy for your child, the School Social Worker/Adjustment Counselor can assist you in finding this service (please see "Family Resources" tab), but therapy is not a service provided at school.   With permission in the form of a signed release, the School Social Worker/Adjustment Counselor can partner with a therapist to ensure school-based staff have relevant background information about a student(s), to foster consistency between home and school and to ensure that strategies put in place by the outside therapist can be accessed here at school.  

How do I know if my child(ren) needs support?

Students are referred for counseling services in most instances by school staff.  If a caregiver has concerns about their child(ren) at school, they are welcome to reach out to the child's classroom teacher and the School Social Worker/Adjustment Counselor.   

A child will never receive a short-term individual counseling intervention or short-term group counseling intervention without caregiver permission.  

What if my child(ren) is struggling at home, but not at school?

If your child is not struggling at school, an intervention at school is likely not an appropriate support; however, the School Social Worker/Adjustment Counselor is available for caregiver consultation to brainstorm strategies to be implemented at home and can help refer you and your family to appropriate outside services if necessary.  

So, what does the School Psychologist do? 

The School Psychologist evaluates students to determine if they have a disability that deems them eligible for special education services, which is known as an Individualized Education Program (IEP).  IEPs are developed for students who have been determined by a Team evaluation to have an educational disability, and as a result are unable to progress effectively in the general education program without specially designed instruction, or are unable to access the general curriculum without a related service.  The School Psychologist provides counseling services to students who have a social emotional goal on their IEP.