• When To Visit the School Counselor:

    A parent can contact me for the following reasons:

    • Crisis situations
    • Family transitions
    • Divorce, remarriage, change in familyBirth, adoption, or fostering a new sibling
    • Death of a family member, friend, or pet
    • Transition to a new school
    • Academic achievement
    • Behavioral concerns
    • Parenting help
    • Outside counseling or community resources
    • ANYTIME you feel I can help! :)
    What is the school counselor's role? 
    According to the American School Counselor Association, today's school counselors are vital members of the education team. They help all students in the areas of academic achievement, social development and career development, ensuring today's students become the productive, well-adjusted adults of tomorrow. 

    Counselors work with children both individually, in small groups, and in the classroom setting. I will provide guidance lessons  in the library.  I will send home a newsletter periodically letting you know the topics of the lessons and how you can help extend the lesson at home. 

    Groups are created through teacher and parent referrals/requests. Parent permission is required  for any student to attend a group. Each group lasts six weeks, meeting once a week. Parents will be notified when the group begins and when the group ends. If a teacher or parent wants a student to attend an additional group, then a new permission slip is required.

    School Counselors & Confidentiality​
    The meaning and limits of confidentiality are defined in developmentally appropriate terms to students. School Counselors recognize that while the primary obligation for confidentiality is to the student, there must be an understanding that balances this confidentiality with the legal and inherent rights of parents/guardians to be the guiding voice in their children’s lives.
     
    While it is important that a student’s conversations with a school counselor be kept confidential, confidentiality does have its limitations. According to the American School Counselor Association’s Ethical Standards for School Counselors, counselors must “keep information confidential unless legal requirements demand that confidential information be revealed or a breach is required to prevent serious and foreseeable harm to the student or others” (American School Counselor Association [ASCA], 2010).
     
    The most frequent type of breaches include a student verbalizing the following:

    1. Verbal, Physical or Sexual Abuse
    2. Neglect
    3. A desire to harm him/herself
    4. A desire to harm someone else
    5. An unreported sexual assault

    References
    American School Counselor Association. Ethical Standards for School Counselors. American School Counselor Association, n.d. Web. 19 March 2013.
    American School Counselor Association (2005). The ASCA National Model: A Framework for school counseling programs, Second Edition. Alexandria, VA: Author.