SCHOOL COUNSELING SERVICES
School counselors are vital members of the education team found in each of the buildings of the Ontario School District. Through the implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program, school counselors assist the academic achievement, career, and social-emotional development of every student in the Ontario School District. School counselors provide short-term individual counseling, crisis counseling, group counseling, and social-emotional lessons. School counselors serve as 504 case managers.
They also serve as advocates for students on a variety of teams and committees. School counselors and social workers help connect students and their families to a variety of community resources.
Each school counselor or school social worker is licensed through the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission in the State of Oregon. The minimum education requirement for this license is a master’s degree in school counseling or social work. While some may hold a restricted license, any staff working towards their master's degree is supported throughout their program by a licensed counselor.
Each elementary is staffed with school counselors to help your student be academically successful.
At Ontario Middle School, Stacey Parish - the school counselor, and Danielle Williams - the school social worker, are available to support student needs.
At Ontario High School, the two core (academic) school counselors, Olivia Edmunson and John Kilzer, are assigned to a portion of the alphabet while Susan Hochstrat, the College & Career Pathways Coordinator, coordinates between the school, colleges, and the technical community by evaluating college credit and CTE programs.
The district special education is served by a full-time counselor - Mitchel Seals, who provides counseling services to special education students throughout the district.
The Ontario School District collaborates with Community Behavioral Health agencies to support the Mental Health of students. These services are provided within the school setting at the elementary, middle, and high schools. Drug and alcohol services are also available to students through Altruistic Recovery and Lifeways Inc.
Prevention programs and curricula such as Toolbox, Second Steps, Character Traits, Sources of Strength, and Tigers Matter are provided throughout the school year with a focus on supporting students' emotional and mental health.
Jose Marquez, the Mental Health Supervisor, coordinates the district’s school counseling program.
COUNSELING SERVICES IN THE ONTARIO SCHOOL DISTRICT
District Mental Health Supervisor: Jose Marquez
Vision/Mission/Philosophy
The Ontario School District has aligned the counseling program to the American School Counseling Associations (ASCA) National Model. The mission and vision statements are aligned with the Oregon’s Department of Education Framework for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs.
Mission
The OSD Comprehensive School Counseling Program is an integral component of the district’s overall educational program. Professional school counselors will provide developmental and systematic support through a coordinated CSCP to ensure all students receive academic, career, social/emotional development, achievement, and support participation in the broader community. The CSCP will be proactive and preventative and will assist students to acquire critical skills for lifelong learning and success. The goal is that each student will leave the kindergarten through twelve-grade system with skills and knowledge to live, learn, work, and contribute in both local and global communities.
Vision
The Professional School counselors at the Ontario School District (OSD) are dedicated to empowering every student reach their maximum potential by using a comprehensive school counseling program. This is accomplished through strategic partnerships with parents/guardians, staff, and community members to enable all students become successful, productive citizens and lifelong learners in a diverse and changing world in both local and global communities.
Philosophy
As professional school counselors of the Ontario School District, counselors believe:
· All students are unique and should be treated with dignity and respect
· Learning is a lifelong process and every student can succeed
· Education is a responsibility shared by students, parents, staff and community
· Students are valued, counselors will promote the growth and success of all students without bias to cultural, religious, socioeconomic, gender, sexual orientation, special needs or academic differences
· The diverse needs of all students must be addressed through the school counseling program
· CSCP provides important benefits to individual students by addressing their intellectual, emotional, social, physical, and psychological needs
· The CSCP will use data to drive program development and evaluation
· OSD counselors will personify the highest level of ethical behavior and follow the guidelines set forth by ASCA.