MHMS School Counseling Mission Statement:
The mission of the MHMS School Counseling Program is to provide comprehensive school counseling services to maximize academic achievement, college and career readiness and socio-emotional learning for all students.
What is a School Counselor?
School counselors provide support for all students by promoting holistic health, well-being, and success. School counselors are trained and highly qualified as counselors and educators. They work to meet the academic, personal, social, career, and emotional needs of students. They work through a comprehensive counseling program that includes individual counseling, group counseling, and classroom guidance. They serve as community liaisons and as advocates in their schools. School counselors work closely with students, teachers, administration, parents, and community members.
What services do School Counselors offer at MHMS?
Individual Counseling: Students can request an appointment by filling out a request form found on this website. Our counselors will use a variety of solution focused, reality and cognitive behavioral therapy techniques to help guide your students through their middle school years. School counseling is meant to be brief and if we believe a student would benefit from counseling outside of a school setting, we will contact their parent or guardian.
Group Counseling: Group counseling is offered throughout the year and is based on student need. Groups are typically between 5 an 8 students and last anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks.
Classroom Guidance: School counselors will periodically go into classrooms to provide classroom guidance to all students on a variety of topics. These topics are again, based on student need.
School-Wide Initiatives: The counseling department plans and implements school-wide initiatives throughout the year. These initiatives aim to bring our Mint Hill Middle community together and increase understanding surrounding a certain topic (Kindness Campaign, Red Ribbon Week, College and Career Week).
Crisis Response: School counselors are trained in crisis response. Areas of support include but are not limited to suicide assessments, homelessness, food/clothing assistance and child abuse and neglect.
Community Resources: School counselors can help you and your family connect with a variety of resources in the community.
Need another reason to utilize your school counselor throughout middle school years? Check out this article (Links to an external site.) from the American School Counselor Association (ASCA).
Confidentiality Agreement
As a counselor, confidentiality is a driving force in our profession. Confidentiality means that everything a students tells a counselor stays private unless it meets one of the exceptions. There are three cases in which we are obligated to break confidentiality:
1) We suspect that a student has intent to do harm to self or others
2) We suspect child abuse or neglect
3) We are court ordered to disclose information
This confidentiality clause ensures that students can trust their counselor and that the counselor is abiding by the professional ethics code of ASCA and ACA.
