The Role of the School Counselor

Who are School Counselors?

They are certified/licensed educators who are uniquely qualified to address all students' academic, social/emotional and career development needs to promote student success by designing, implementing, evaluating and enhancing a comprehensive school counseling program

​​videos.schoolcounselor.org/the-power-of-school-counselors

The American School Counseling Association (ASCA) National Model explains that school counselors provide services to students, parents, school staff and the community in the following areas:

Direct Student Services: Direct services are in-person interactions between school counselors and students and include the following:

School counseling core curriculum: This curriculum consists of structured lessons designed to help students attain the desired competencies and to provide all students with the knowledge, attitudes and skills appropriate for their developmental level. The school counseling core curriculum is delivered throughout the school’s overall curriculum and is systematically presented by school counselors in collaboration with other professional educators in K-12 classroom and group activities.

Individual student planning: School counselors coordinate ongoing systemic activities designed to assist students in establishing personal goals and developing future plans.

Responsive services: Responsive services are activities designed to meet students’ immediate needs and concerns. Responsive services may include counseling in individual or small-group settings or crisis response.

Indirect Student Services: Indirect services are provided on behalf of students as a result of the school counselors’ interactions with others including referrals for additional assistance, consultation and collaboration with parents, teachers, other educators and community organizations.