School counselors work collaboratively with caretakers and school staff to meet the needs of students in three areas: social emotional, academic, and career readiness/exploration. 

The primary focus of a school counselor is to help students be ready to learn and achieve success in the classroom. Elementary school counselors provide both prevention and intervention services to help students develop appropriate tools for communicating, making decisions, developing friendships, and strengthening coping skills. Services are delivered to all students either through classroom lessons, small group intervention, or one-on-one support.

School counselors partner with teachers and other staff to review student progress and identify strategies to help students to be successful in school. School counselors meet with students to provide support in different areas such as study skills, homework completion, and organizational strategies. These skills are taught through classroom lessons, small group intervention, or one-on-one support. 

There are many reasons your student might visit with a school counselor. Most often it is because there are concerns that their academic growth is inhibited by a behavioral or social emotional issue. Other reasons to see the school counselor include restorative conversations to resolve social issues, family changes, crisis intervention, or anxiety or depression support.

No.  

While meetings with a school counselor may be experienced by the youth as therapeutic, school counselors do not provide traditional therapy and do not delve into the root causes of behavior like a therapist would.  Caretakers and teachers should consider meetings with the school counselor as support rather than what a student could receive in traditional outpatient/clinical settings. Meetings are solution-focused, intended to help build skills, and a way to provide additional emotional support to students on a short-term/triage basis for a problem that may be affecting their achievement and focus in school.

Confidentiality is a very important aspect of counseling; this is how the school counselor builds trust with the student. What the student says during counseling is to remain between the counselor and the student unless: 

1.  The student is being hurt by someone

2.  The student is threatening to harm themself

3.  The student is threatening to harm someone else

4.  The student gives me permission to disclose

When a breach in confidentiality is necessary, the school counselor will make a report to caretakers, support staff, or appropriate agencies, depending on the situation. 

Note: school counselors and other school staff members are mandated reporters. Mandated reporters are required by law to report to DHS any time a student is suspected of being in danger.

School counselors recognize their primary obligation regarding confidentiality is to the student but balance that obligation with an understanding of the family or guardians’ legal and inherent rights to be the guiding voice in their children’s lives.

School counselors can collaborate with outside service providers if desired by caretakers. The school counselor will provide you with a Release of Information form that provides authorization to speak with the outside service provider and share confidential information. In this case, your student’s information remains confidential and is not discussed outside of the two authorized parties.

No.

School counselors do not make mental health diagnoses. They do, however, use direct observation, input from caretakers, the student, teachers, and other staff to create a portrait of the student in the school environment. This information is used by the school counselor in conjunction with the teachers to determine strategies to help the student be more successful in the school setting.

Absolutely. School counselors are concerned for students as individuals and for their preparedness to learn and be successful in the school setting. Grief and trauma can present roadblocks to the brain's readiness to learn. School counselors work with students to process grief and provide resources for families should the nature of the grief need further action.

• Teacher referral

• Caretaker referral

• Administration referral

• Counselor observation

Caretakers are contacted before group or individual services are provided on a recurring basis and have the option to opt out.

Meetings are held on a weekly basis for 6 to 8 weeks or as needed. Each one-on-one meeting is approximately 15-20 minutes long and groups are approximately 30-40 minutes long. Students are pulled from their classrooms during their grade-level WIN (What I Need) time which is specifically designed so that students do not miss instructional time with their classroom teachers.

Colorado Crisis Services offers phone (1-844-493-8255) or text (text TALK to 38255) support. They also have walk-in crisis clinics located in Littleton at 6509 S. Santa Fe Drive Littleton, 80120 or in Colorado Springs at 115 S Parkside Drive Colorado Springs, 80910. Find more information here

AllHealth Network partners with local law enforcement to provide Crisis Response Team (CRT) services.  They offer mental health clinicians who ride along (“co-respond”) with area police departments to help during a crisis.  If you or a loved one has a mental health emergency, ask if a CRT-trained officer is available when you call 911

Our district has many resources for suicide prevention, including recognizing the warning signs, what you should do, and resources for support. You can find them at this link

If you are concerned about someone or something else, you can anonymously report anything that concerns or threatens you, your friends, your family, or your community through the Safe2Tell website or by calling them at 1-877-542-7233

Please feel free to reach out to our school counselor, Jessica Weiss (Ms. Weiss) with any additional questions you may have

email: jweiss2@dcsdk12.org

phone: (303) 387-8937