The MPS Elementary School Counselors have created a district-wide comprehensive School Counseling Program using Milford Public School's high-quality instruction standards and the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) standards.

The primary objective of Elementary School Counselors is to assist students in reaching their potential to become effective learners. Their goal is to compliment the learning environment in the classroom by using a student-centered, preventative, and developmental approach. School Counselors address students' needs and help to develop their skills, allowing students to be more available for learning.

Click through the frequently asked questions below for more information.

What does a School Counselor do?

At the elementary level, School Counselors facilitate monthly classroom lessons focusing on social-emotional lessons and small group or individual counseling ranging from 6-8 weeks. The School Counselor is also available to all students for check-ins or immediate support regarding a problem.

Classroom Lessons

All students will see the School Counselor in their classrooms at least once a month. Topics include growth mindset, inclusivity, kindness, conflict resolution, I-statements, identifying emotions, coping strategies, self-esteem, listening and following directions, focusing, and more!

Group Counseling

Your child may be recommended to participate in a short-term group. A student may see the School Counselor for group counseling (typically 6-8 weeks). This can be initiated through parent or staff intakes, through SAT, counselor observations, etc. Your student may also be asked to be a peer model in a group. This is a great opportunity for your student to be a leader!

Group Counseling does NOT indicate a problem. The purpose of group counseling is to offer more support and skills to students.

Who does the School Counselor see?

The School Counselor is available for all students throughout the school year. Students receive monthly social-emotional learning lessons when their school counselor visits their classroom. Topics are based on three domains: academic, SEL, and career readiness. Examples include growth mindset, inclusivity, kindness, conflict resolution, I-statements, identifying emotions, coping strategies, self-esteem, listening and following directions, executive functioning, and more! There are also opportunities for the School Counselor to see your child in a group or individual setting for short-term counseling, parent permission pending.

Individual Counseling

A student may see the School Counselor for individual counseling for a short amount of time. This can range from a single session to meeting weekly for 6-8 weeks. This would occur in a situation where a student may need immediate, 1:1 support. This can be initiated through parent or staff intakes, through SAT, counselor observations, etc.

A member of the mental health support staff (School Counselor, Psychologist, Social Worker, etc.) may meet with the student during this time. A mental health support staff member will reach out to you if they have seen your student for a quick check-in or have helped them solve a problem.

The School Counselor will always obtain parent permission for a short-term (6-8 weeks) individual counseling intervention.

Parent Intake Form

How do we select students that participate in small groups and short-term counseling?

School Counselors determine students who may need additional support through parent requests (through our Parent Intake Form), teacher recommendations, and observations in the classroom. School Counselors then determine if short-term counseling would be an appropriate intervention. In addition, School Counselors may invite a student to a group as a peer model. This opportunity gives those students the experience of being in a leadership role.

Is School Counseling confidential?

Like other forms of counseling, School Counseling sessions are considered to be confidential. Confidentiality can be broken if a there is a safety concern. The School Counselor will inform students of the limits of confidentiality. According to ASCA (American School Counseling Association) confidentiality related to each student’s unique situation should be addressed on a case-by-case basis, using a student-centered approach. Counseling will include student and parent/ guardian engagement (as appropriate), as well as school personnel with a legitimate educational interest per FERPA. Parents can check in with their students' School Counselor at any time to discuss their child's progress.

What happens if my child still needs additional support after a group or individual intervention has ended?

In the event that your child still needs additional support following the completion of individual or small-group counseling, they may be invited to participate in another short-term group or individual intervention. The School Counselor can help determine this need based on observational data, intervention data, and teacher feedback. Even though School Counseling interventions aim to be short-term, we continue to work with students based on their needs for support. If you have a concern regarding your child's progress please reach out to your students counselor. You may also fill out the Parent Intake form at any time. This is a document that helps School Counselors gather additional information about the student to help design a plan to best serve them.

What is the Parent Intake form?

The parent intake form is a Google form that guardians can fill out if they are having concerns for their students social emotional health. Parents can also fill out the intake form if they feel as though a behavior or emotions is preventing them from being their best selves in school.

Once the google form is completed it begins the schools internal intake screening process. This may include interviewing the classroom teacher and parents, classroom observations, time on task data etc. A member of your schools mental health team (School Counselor, Social Worker, School Psychologist) will reach out regarding next steps.

It is important to note that filling out an intake form does not mean that your student will automatically receive counseling services. The staff member may suggest additional strategies such as calming tools to be used in the classroom, think sheets, take-home SEL resources, lunch bunch/small group, short-term individual counseling.

Can any student see the counselor if they are experiencing an issue?

Yes! Students can request to see the School Counselor if they are having a challenging day, experiencing conflict with a friend, or are having a tough time making it through their school day, etc. School Counselors are a resource available to ALL students in Milford Public Schools.

What is ASCA?

The American School Counseling Association (ASCA) is a professional organization that provides a framework that guides school counselors' work. The MPS Elementary School Counselors base our programming on the ASCA standards in their lessons, groups, school-wide events, etc. The ASCA standards focus on social/emotional, career, and academic domains.

Throughout the school year, all students will receive lessons that are based on these domains. For example, some lessons may be about executive functioning or following directions (the academic portion), coping skills or conflict resolution (the social/emotional portion), or career and post-secondary.

In addition to ASCA, the state of Connecticut also has an association, CSCA.