Brownwood Independent School District

Comprehensive Counseling, Mental Health and Behavioral Team

Mission

The mission of the Brownwood ISD Comprehensive Counseling,  Mental and Behavioral Health Team is to empower every student to reach their full potential in achieving academic preparedness, personal and social growth, strong moral character, productivity, and career readiness.  Brownwood ISD Counselors establish collaborative relationships with students, parents, district personnel, and community members in order to facilitate the optimal environment for whole child development and to advocate on behalf of our diverse student population.

Definition

The Brownwood ISD Comprehensive Counseling,  Mental and Behavioral Health  program is an integral part of our student’s overall academic foundation. Our school counselors, mental health counselor, and behavior specialist work together to coordinate a data-driven, multi-tiered approach to plan and deliver developmentally appropriate services for students in collaboration with parents and our community.  Through classroom guidance lessons, individual, and group counseling, consultation, individual planning, and crisis management, the counseling program provides a proactive model to enhance academic success, personal and social growth, and career readiness.

Rationale

The rationale behind Brownwood ISD’s Comprehensive Counseling, Mental, and Behavioral Health Program is to be responsive and proactive to the challenges that students, families, educators, and the community face.  As today’s society becomes increasingly complex, students are confronted with more personal and social challenges than ever before.  Some of these challenges include academic stressors, health and pandemic related concerns, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, mental health issues, harassment, social media misuse, gang involvement, racial tension and turmoil, and violence on school campuses.  The emphasis of reaching all students, regardless of circumstances or background, and empowering each student to reach one’s full potential requires an intentionality of instruction.  Through structured classroom guidance, individual and group counseling as appropriate, and positive behavior interventions and supports, students will learn to develop and apply skills and strategies needed in life experiences and transitions, while in school and beyond graduation.

Brownwood ISD counselors are highly qualified service providers, skilled in collaboration and delivering proactive and responsive interventions that address the challenges of students, parents, and educational stakeholders.  Brownwood ISD counselors develop and implement a comprehensive school counseling program based on the Texas Model for School Counseling, 5th Ed. authorized by the Texas Education Agency, and in collaboration with our behavioral and academic RTI district programs, licensed counselors, and community resources.

Suppositions

Suppositions for students:

• Students have individual needs in areas of academics, personal, social, emotional, and career development. All areas should be considered to focus on the whole child.

• All students have the ability to learn.

• All students benefit from assistance in reaching their full potential.

• All students have access to the services of the mental and behavioral health program and are served in a tiered program with relation to their individual needs.

• Parents and students have distinct and diverse cultures that need to be considered.

• Students have the responsibility to engage in the educational opportunities provided to them.

Suppositions for Parents/Guardians:

• Parents/Guardians play a vital role in the educational success and personal development of their students.

• Parents/Guardians support of educational opportunities provided to their students is invaluable.

• Parents/Guardians working together with school personnel to advance the education of their students plays a key role in the success of our students.

Suppositions for Staff:

• School Counselors are vital to public schools.

• All mental and behavioral staff, including school counselors, must maintain ethical standards.

• The mental and behavioral health team, including the school counselors are highly qualified professionals with unique training to meet the needs of students in the areas of academic, career, personal, and social development.

• Students are the priority of the school counselor's time and focus.

• The school counselor’s time is spent in the most efficient and effective way through the implementation of a comprehensive counseling program and concentrated efforts are based on data.

• School administrators understand the counseling program and its priorities, and they create procedures to support these priorities.

• Staff members’ roles related to the counseling program are clearly defined.

• Teachers, administrators, school counselors, and mental and behavioral support staff work collaboratively to integrate the academic and counseling curriculum.

Suppositions about the program:

• The counseling program is in compliance with TEC Chapter 32, and based upon the Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs, 5th Ed.

• The Mental/Behavioral Health program is a collaborative effort of all campus staff to ensure the optimal development of each student in the areas of academic success, personal and social development, and postsecondary readiness.

• A comprehensive counseling program is an essential element of students’ overall educational experiences.

• Program goals are based on district and campus data and individual campus needs.

• The program includes accountability measures designed to evaluate the effectiveness of services and interventions, and make improvements accordingly.

• Service delivery is based upon evidence-based practices.

• Guidance curriculum follows a scope and sequence designed to meet the developmental needs of students in the career, academic, and personal and social domains.

• The scope and sequence is vertically and horizontally aligned (in grades PK-3) and consistently implemented across the district.

• An appropriate counselor to student ratio is maintained in order to effectively deliver the counseling program.

• Time and opportunity for counseling program planning, implementation, and evaluation are provided.  

• Appropriate resources and training are available to effectively implement the program.

• Counselors and Mental and Behavioral support staff regularly advocate and educate staff and teachers regarding mental and behavioral needs of the whole child.

• Students transferred from one campus to another will be served collaboratively to ensure smooth transition and continued progress.

• Counseling services will be delivered in a multi-tiered system to meet the diverse needs of students, and services will be provided accordingly.

• The mental and behavioral health team maintains collaborative efforts and awareness of local resources to meet the additional needs of students and their families.