Roles & Services

The School Counselor's Role

The middle school counselors are trained and licensed professionals whose primary focus is to assist students in reaching their full potential in academic success, social development, and career planning in the middle school setting and beyond. This is achieved through three major functions of the American School Counseling National Model: development and management of a comprehensive counseling program, delivery of the program, and program accountability. A school counselor's duty is to work with all stakeholders such as parents, teachers, and administration in order to implement a data-driven, developmental counseling program. Additionally, in order to manage time and ensure that counseling interventions are effective and relevant, school counselors focus on working with students directly to provide counseling services.

The School Counselor provides the following services:

• Individual Academic Student Planning
• Crisis Response Services
• Personal - Social Skills
• Classroom Counseling, Small Group, & Individual Counseling
• College & Career Exploration
• Student Advocacy

The School Psychologist's Role

School psychologists are specially trained and licensed to provide a wide variety of services that help students succeed academically, socially and emotionally. In collaboration with educators, parents/guardians and other mental health professionals, school psychologists strive not only to create safe, healthy and supportive learning environments for all students, but also to strengthen connections between home and school. Utilizing leadership, advocacy and collaboration, school psychologists promote overall academic success by providing services that enhance the student, school, home and community partnerships and alleviate barriers to learning.

(In WCPSS, most school psychologists serve two schools )

The School Social Worker's Role

School Social Workers are trained and licensed professionals that provide a link between the home, school and community through support services that positively impact the development of the whole child. School Social Workers receive referrals from the community, parents, school staff and students when students display poor attendance, failing grades, effects of family crisis and/or emotional and behavioral concerns. School Social Workers work to support parents by helping parents understand their child’s developmental and educational needs; providing access to school and community resources; helping navigate special education services; obtaining mental health services; and providing services for homeless families and students placed in foster care.