System support is essential to the total school counseling program. System support can be categorized in two areas: program management activities and support services. Program management activities establish, maintain, and enhance the total school counseling program. Through this indirect service component, school counselors plan, organize, implement, manage, and evaluate their school counseling programs to increase the efficiency and efficacy of direct services that are provided.

Without system support, the three direct service delivery components might be a collection of disorganized and ineffective services. Support services include indirect services to students through school counselor relationships with other adults as well as campus, district, and community programs and services that can be beneficial to students. Through school counselors’ coordinated and consultative efforts, the strengths and resources of these individuals and entities is harnessed on behalf of students’ educational, career, personal, and social development.