This section serves to answer important questions about college counsellors' roles and scope of responsibilities.
First and foremost, your responsibility is to support them in successfully submitting their university applications.
You are likely an integral part of support network especially in the final years of the high school.
Meeting your student's social emotional needs may likely help you to be more effective with your primary goal.
This clearly first depends on the context and your immediate job description.
Beyond that, I think reflecting on these three things can help you answer that question: Willingness, capacity, boundaries.
Willingness: How willing are you to support the student's social emotional needs?
Capacity: How much bandwidth can you realistically and effectively allocate for students' social emotional needs?
Boundaries: To what degree is it appropriate and comfortable for you to do so?
NACAC's Guide to Ethical Practice in College Admission does not highlight issues related to social emotional support.
ASCA (American School Counselor Association)'s Ethical Standards does. Attend to A. 3, 4, 5, 6.
These resources are compiled to provide a toolkit for you to support students as a college counsellor.
As with other tools, activities, and knowledge that form your repertoire to help students reach their university application goals, these resources can be a part of that.
These resources can also be used by any staff members in school who take on a pastoral care role in supporting students.
These resources do NOT qualify anyone to take on the role of social emotional counsellor.
However, it can help you address certain social emotional needs as they arise during the university application journey.
If you feel that the student is in crisis or the problem exceeds your level of comfort and expertise, refer students to the social emotional counsellor and/or follow the safeguarding procedures at your school.
Reflect on the appropriate boundaries that feel right for you. (mental health for counsellors has readings on this)
This article lists the possible conditions when you should refer a student to counselling services.
You don’t know how to help the student
You feel that the student’s circumstances are overwhelming
You feel unable to provide all the support the student needs
You feel you have reached your limit or exhausted your ideas on how to help
The student’s struggles leave you feeling helpless and anxious
You feel angry towards or intimidated by the student
You are spending inordinate amounts of time on the student’s problems
DISCLAIMER IN A NUTSHELL:
Unless you are trained to be one, you are not a therapist nor the social emotional counsellor, nor do the tools in this website confer anyone with appropriate training.
The content on this website are simply resources for college counsellors to use in their practice.
Be there for your students but don't hesitate to refer them to mental health professionals if you do not feel like you are equipped to address the need at hand.