What services are available through the counseling department?

Individual Student Planning

Individual Student Planning: The individual student planning component consists of activities that focus on assisting each student with developing, analyzing, and evaluating educational, career, and personal goals/plans. Individual student planning emphasizes test interpretation, while academic counseling includes postsecondary education, career/technical education, and career planning.

Examples of individual student planning delivery options within this component may include, but are not restricted to:

  • Individual or Small-Group Appraisal: Counselors help students assess and interpret individual abilities, interests, skills, and achievements. The utilization of appropriate assessment information becomes an important aspect of individual development of immediate and long-range plans.

  • Individual or Small-Group Advisement: Counselors help students acquire self-appraisal skills; personal and social development skills; and educational, career, and labor market information. This information assists students in planning for personal, academic, and career aspirations. Counselors recognize the critical need to enlist teachers and parents or guardians in helping students make academic and career choices.

  • Placement and Follow-Up: Counselors advise students in making transitions by providing information and by assisting in the access of resources.

Topics for individual student planning activities may include, but are not limited to:

  • Career Awareness and Exploration

  • Career/Technical Education Programs

  • Student Advisory Programs

  • Career Shadowing

  • Postsecondary Application Process

  • Four-Year Educational Plan

  • Honors and Awards Program

  • Financial Aid/Scholarship Advising

  • Role Playing

  • Student Portfolios

Additionally, Paul W. Bryant High School counselors may coordinate, facilitate, and/or conduct the following activities:

  • Individual advisement

  • Career portfolios

  • Program planning (parents and students)

  • Career interest inventories

  • Educational and career plans (including a Transcript reviews, four/six year plan that covers graduation, interpreting test results)

  • Assist with college selection and admission

  • Provide requested student information

  • Financial aid workshops

  • Career fairs

  • Educational placement of students

  • Acquiring scholarship information appropriate agencies on a continuous basis

  • Personal and social issues that affect school performance and future plans

Responsive Services

Responsive services include counseling or referral activities that meet the immediate needs and concerns of students. Responsive services include personal counseling, crisis counseling, problem solving, agency referral, and consultation.

Examples of responsive services delivery options within this component may include, but are not restricted to:

  • Consultation: School counselors serve as student advocates by consulting with students, parents or guardians, educators, and community agencies regarding strategies to help students and families. Advocacy may include participation in student study teams and student management teams.

  • Personal Counseling: Counseling is provided in small-group or individual settings for students experiencing difficulties dealing with relationships, personal concerns, or developmentally appropriate tasks. Personal counseling assists students in identifying problems, causes, alternatives, and consequences leading to informed decision-making.

  • Crisis Counseling: Counseling and support services are provided to students and families facing emotional crises as outlined in the school crisis management plan. Crisis counseling is normally short term and temporary, using appropriate referral sources if necessary.

  • Peer Facilitation: Counselors may train students as peer mediators, conflict managers, tutors, and mentors. Programs should adhere to the ethics standards and practices established by the National Peer Helpers Association.

  • Referrals: Counselors use referral sources to enhance the services provided through the school counseling and guidance program. These referral sources may include, but are not restricted to:

    • Mental Health Agencies

    • Employment and Training Programs

    • Vocational Rehabilitation

    • Juvenile Services

    • Social Services

    • Grief Counseling

    • Deployment

Paul W. Bryant High School’s counselors strive to include activities that meet the immediate needs and concerns of individual students whether those concerns involve individual or group counseling, information dissemination, crisis intervention, peer mediation, consultation or referral.

When cases are identified that require outside, emergency, long-term, and/or intensive treatment, the counselors work closely with the school nurses, social workers, school resource officers, the juvenile court system, local hospice, local mental health providers, and the Department of Human Resources.

Local agencies used for student referral include the following:

  • Indian Rivers Behavioral Health (205) 391-3131

  • Department of Human Resources (205) 562-6100

  • Family Counseling Services (205) 752-2504

  • Betty Shirley Clinic (205) 348-1265

  • Bradford Health Services (205) 750-0227

  • Bridge, Inc. (205) 344-6483