stUDENT SERVICES FAQ

What counseling services do school counselors provide for students?

School counselors provide short-term counseling on an as-needed basis. School counselors mainly assist students with peer, academic, or behavioral issues. If you feel that your child would benefit from meeting with a student services member, please contact your child's school counselor. If you are concerned that your child needs regular ongoing counseling (> 3 sessions), we can provide the contact information for different community counseling resources.

what is the difference between a school counselor, school psychologist, school social worker ANd Mental health Providers?

School Counselor
- - School counselors focus on delivering a comprehensive program that focuses on improving student success for all students. A role of a school counselor includes providing individual or small group counseling that is short-term, classroom instruction that focuses on social-emotional learning and academic and career planning, providing resources for long-term counseling, advocating for students when needed, analyzing data to identify student needs, as well as collaborating with students, families, and educational stakeholders to promote student success. At Asa Clark Middle School, there are two school counselors. Mrs. Rembert is the primary contact for students with the last name A-L, and Mrs. Prather is the primary contact for students with the last name M-Z.

School Psychologist
- - School psychologists are available to assist in educational planning for all students. School psychologists can be involved in academic/behavioral assessment, individual or small group counseling, evaluations for 504/IEP eligibility, Response to Intervention (RtI) teams, problem-solving teams, etc.

School Social Worker
- - A school social worker’s role includes assessment, crisis intervention, individual and group counseling, home visits, consultation, program development, and coordination of school and community services. The school social worker functions as a link between home, school and community in order to address barriers that interfere with student achievement and well-being. Mrs. Davison serves students and staff K-12 in Pewaukee School District.

School Based Mental Health Providers
- - Pewaukee School District is fortunate to collaborate with many of the area's support agencies. One way that the district does this is by partnering with clinical mental health agencies who provide outpatient therapy services onsite in the schools. These services are billed through insurance, just like when a student goes to a provider's main office for therapy sessions. Delivering services onsite at school creates easier access for students, and facilitates communication (where desired by students and parents) between mental health providers, school, and families. School based delivery of services also allows for greater ease of scheduling of appointments, and typically allows for a much shorter wait for services to begin during an intake process. School and community based mental health providers are different from school counselors as they provide ongoing services that are often more intensive and individualized.

As a parent, what do i do if my child is struggling in class? at what point do i get involved?

We welcome parent involvement at all times, and look forward to collaborating with you to best meet your child's needs. If you have concerns about your child's learning or experiences in a class, please start by scheduling a time to meet or speak with your child's teacher. If concerns continue to exist after communicating directly with the teacher, please feel free to contact your child's school counselor for support.

My child wants to change their schedule. how do i arrange this?

Once students submit their course selection form, all course requests are considered to be final and may not be changed at a later date. We base all of our staffing and scheduling decisions on the course requests that are made during the course selection process. If you do feel that this something you would like to explore further, please contact your child's school counselor with your request. All requests are then reviewed by administration.

how do i best prepare my child for entering middle school or starting high school?

First of all - encourage frank, open communication with your children. Often times young adults will discuss their concerns with their peers. While this isn't a bad thing, it isn't the best way to get answers, as peers may not have the answers either. If you have questions or concerns, please contact your school counselor. Sometimes just getting some basic answers helps alleviate anxiety.
Second, please encourage self-advocacy skills. This is a critical skill that young adults develop, and this starts in 6th-7th grade. Talk to your child about having a "point-person" at school - a familiar face that your child can go to with questions or concerns. This person may be a teacher, the school counselor, or another trusted adult at school. When faced with multiple new teachers and staff, students may not know who to approach with a question. Identifying and focusing on one individual can reduce anxiety for your child.
Third - focus on the positive. Adolescence is a "roller-coaster ride" of emotions and changes for students. Focusing on the aspects of school that they enjoy, and the new experiences that they are excited to have are great ways to foster a positive, engaged learner!

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