Referrals

Referral Process

Ways to refer:

• A child may refer themselves.

• A teacher may refer a student.

• A parent may refer his/her child.

• A staff person at school can refer a student.

For a parent/ counselor meeting:

• Call the school counselor to set up an appointment

• Send a note or an email to the counselor requesting contact

Reasons for a referral:

• You have concerns with your student or child's attitude toward school.

• You have concerns with your student or child's academic growth.

• You have concerns with your student or child's relationships with peers at school.

• You have concerns with your student or child's personal development.

• You have concerns with your studenet or child's reactions to changes within the family that may be effecting his/her learning at school.

Why should it be done:

• Provides students with more one on one help, support, and intervention

• Increases specificity of interventions and supports and tailors them to the student

• Increases privacy for the student

• Removes the student from the situation or circumstance to discuss solutions to it

• Reduces anxiety and pressure on student

• Provides the student with the full attention of an adult

• Allows student to feel secure

• Allows an adult to give a student undivided attention

• Allows the classroom teacher up to continue teaching the rest of the class without having to stop to, speak, or counsel a student in the hall or away from the class

When should it be done:

• When students are over emotional and cannot calm down in an appropriate and brief amount of time

• When a student’s needs are greater than those the teacher can provide for in the classroom setting

• When a student requires more support and attention to address or solve a problem, issues, etc

• When students need more specific and individualized help, solutions, and plans to address issues

• When a student needs more privacy than a teacher can provide in the classroom

• When a student is in a crisis situation (a harm to them-self or someone else is harming them)--a staff member will remain with the student until the student is safe with the school counselor or school social worker

How should it be done:

• Counselor referrals may be planned or spontaneous

• For planned referrals, have the student set up a day or days and times to meet with the counselor ahead of time and provide the student with reminders

• For spontaneous referrals where an incident happens and the student unexpectedly requires counselor support, send the student down to the counselor with a note briefly explaining what happened, or send the student down and call and explain to the counselor the issue.

  • You may walk the student down or send another student to walk down with the student to the counselor

  • The counselor may also come to the room to retrieve the student