How Do School Counselors Support Military Students and Families?

ASCA Position: School counselors recognize military-connected students’ unique and diverse needs. To support military-connected students, school counselors design and implement school counseling programs that promote an inclusive school climate, include activities and services supporting their distinct challenges and build school-family-community partnerships that create a sense of connectedness and belonging.  

The Rationale: There are approximately four million military-connected students in the United States (Military Child Education Coalition, 2013; Elias, 2016). This number includes students who have parents/guardians who are either active duty, Reserves, National Guard or prior service members. Furthermore, 80% of all military-connected students attend public schools (Elias, 2016). Due to the transient nature of military service, many military families experience frequent changes and  transitions, including parental deployment, relocation, familial separation and adjustment to civilian life (Cole, 2016; Ward, 2018). While such transitions can cultivate resilience, strength, and cultural awareness among military-connected students (Cole & Cowan, 2021), they can also produce stress and adversely affect their academic achievement, career readiness, and social/emotional development. When school counselors are aware of the military culture and military-connected students’ specific needs, they can facilitate a comprehensive school counseling program that fosters an inclusive learning environment and aids in all students’ success (Quintana & Cole, 2021; Ward, 2018)

The School Counselor's Role: 

School counselors are uniquely positioned to support military-connected students’ academic, career, and social/emotional development (Quintana & Cole, 2021). School counselors provide instruction, appraisal and advisement, and counseling to directly support success for military-connected students. Through indirect student services, school counselors collaborate with students, their families, and school and community partners to increase educational success and access (ASCA, 2019). More specifically, school counselors: 

• Recognize and identify distinct challenges faced by military-connected students and help mitigate their impact on students’ academic, career and social/emotional development (Cole, 2016; Ruff & Keim, 2014; Ward, 2018)

• Understand the intersections of students’ identities, including military culture (e.g., language, customs, etc.), and the need for culturally responsive and sustaining practices when working with military-connected students and their families (ASCA, 2022; Cole, 2014)

• Promote an inclusive school climate that includes school-family-community partnerships, connectedness and a sense of belonging for military-connected students (James, 2017; Quintana & Cole, 2021)

• Identify and provide resources for military-connected students and families, especially during unique periods such as relocations, deployments and military separation (Cole, 2016; Ward, 2018)

• Provide goal-focused, evidenced-based, short-term group and individual counseling services to address military-connected students’ social/emotional needs (ASCA, 2020; Ward, 2018)

• Support the postsecondary readiness needs of military-connected students through various college- and career-focused activities (e.g., postsecondary action plans, SAT/ACT preparation, career inventories, financial aid planning, identification of gaps in college/career access, college/career advisement, etc.) (College Board, 2010; Quintana & Cole, 2021)

• Use data-informed approaches to identify academic needs and support remediation efforts for military-connected students experiencing learning loss/gaps due to transitional experiences (ASCA, 2019)

• Collaborate with military families when referring students to appropriate support services and community organizations (ASCA, 2019; Ward, 2018)

• Advocate for school policies that increase awareness, knowledge, support, and success when working with military-connected students (e.g., Military Student Identifier, Military Interstate Compact, etc.; James, 2017; Quintana & Cole, 2021)

• Consult and collaborate with installation and community partners (e.g., school liaison officer, Exceptional Family Member Program, Family Advocacy Program, etc.) to promote military-connected students’ educational success (Quintana, 2021)

• Engage in and promote professional development opportunities to support military-connected students and advocate for their diverse, unique needs in schools (Quintana & Cole, 2021)

Summary

School counselors have an integral role in ensuring military-connected students feel a sense of belonging and connectedness. Effectively meeting military-connected students’ needs, school counselors engage in collaborative efforts to establish a comprehensive school counseling program that is an inclusive and culturally responsive and fosters military-connected students’ academic, career, and social/emotional development.