Counseling Referral Process
Ways to refer:
A child may refer themselves.
A teacher may refer a student.
A parent may refer his/her child.
A staff person on campus can refer a student.
For a parent/counselor meeting:
Call the school counselor to set up an appointment.
Send a note or an email to the counselor requesting contact.
Reasons for a referral:
You have concerns with your child's attitude toward school.
You have concerns with your child's academic growth.
You have concerns with your child's relationships with peers at school.
You have concerns with your child's personal development.
You have concerns with your child's reactions to changes within the family that may be effecting his/her learning at school.
Why it should be done:
Provides students with more one-on-one help, support, and intervention.
Increases specificity of interventions and supports and tailors them to the student.
Increases privacy for the student.
Removes the student from the situation or circumstance to discuss solutions to it.
Reduces anxiety and pressure on the student.
Provides the student with the full attention of an adult.
Makes the student feel secure.
Allows an adult to give the student undivided attention.
Frees the teacher up to continue teaching the rest of the class without having to stop to speak or counsel a student in the hall or away from the class.
When it should be done:
When the students is overly emotional and cannot calm down in an appropriate and brief amount of time.
When the student’s needs are greater than those the teacher can provide in the classroom setting.
When the student requires more support and attention to address or solve a problem, issue, etc.
When the student needs more specific and individualized help, solutions, and plans to address issues.
When the student needs more privacy than a teacher can provide in the classroom.
How it should be done:
Counselor referrals may be planned or spontaneous.
For planned referrals, have the student set up a day (or days) and times to meet with the counselor ahead of time and provide the student with reminders.
For spontaneous referrals where an incident happens and the student unexpectedly requires counselor support, contact the counselor with a brief overview of what happened and either send the student down to the counselor or request the counselor to come to the room to retrieve the student.