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The School Counselor's Role
School counselors focus their efforts on designing and implementing school counseling programs that promote academic, career and social/emotional success for all students. School counselors acknowledge they may be the only counseling professional available to students and their families. Thus, school counselors:
Deliver instruction that proactively enhances awareness of mental health; promotes positive, healthy behaviors; and seeks to remove the stigma associated with mental health issues
Provide students with appraisal and advisement addressing their academic, career and social/emotional needs
Recognize mental health warning signs including
changes in school performance and attendance
mood changes
complaints of illness before school
increased disciplinary problems at school
problems at home or with the family situation (e.g., stress, trauma, divorce, substance abuse, exposure to poverty conditions, domestic violence)
communication from teachers about problems at school
dealing with existing mental health concerns
Provide short-term counseling and crisis intervention focused on mental health or situational concerns such as grief or difficult transitions
Provide referrals to school and community resources that treat mental health issues (suicidal ideation, violence, abuse and depression) with the intent of removing barriers to learning and helping the student return to the classroom
Educate teachers, administrators, families and community stakeholders about the mental health concerns of students, including recognition of the role environmental factors have in causing or exacerbating mental health issues, and provide resources and information
Advocate, collaborate and coordinate with school and community stakeholders to meet the needs of the whole child and to ensure students and their families have access to mental health services
Recognize and address barriers to accessing mental health services and the associated stigma, including cultural beliefs and linguistic impediments
Adhere to appropriate guidelines regarding confidentiality, the distinction between public and private information and consultation
Help identify and address students’ mental health issues while working within the:
ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors
ASCA Professional Standards & Competencies for School Counselors
National, state and local legislation, which guides school counselors’ informed decision-making and standardizes professional practice to protect both the student and school counselor
Seek to continually update their professional knowledge regarding the students’ social/emotional needs, including best practices in universal screening for mental health risk
Advocate for ethical use of valid and reliable universal screening instruments with concerns for cultural sensitivity and bias if state legislation or school board policy requires universal screening programs for mental health risk factors (ASCA, 2022)