Counselor Interview

The COunselors PRimary Role

The role can look different depending on the crisis. For example, if the crisis revolves around the immediate safety of the students and the building, as in an active or potential shooter situation, the primary responsibility for those situations rest with the administrators. However, they can play a large role in being a part of the communication chain on a safety team, including having their own police alert button in the counseling office. Their main focus though, is on deescalation and prevention.

HOW THE ASCA SCHOOL COUNSELOR COMPETENCIES

Keeping with the ASCA model. The school counselors there view themselves as just one part of a continuum of care that a student may need. They handle academic and personal/social situations that may interfere with a student's ability to be successful in school, but individual and group counseling is short-term and responsive to specific needs. If a student needs more intensive care, they do refer. Generally, parents are contacted and a referral list is sent to the parents.

What is a TYPICAL Day

Theresa said there is not a typical day, but her scheduled day is set up as follows. she has a schedule of students that she meets with and that she will have on her schedule, some are social/Emotional Needs, some have academic needs, and some are a quick check in.

How this person handles emergency crisis situations as they arise while still meeting his or her daily responsibilities

Despite the wide net they cast for Tier One and Tier Two mental health needs, there are still crises that arise and interrupt the daily schedule. The nice thing about having a team of counselors is the person the least busy can meet the immediate need. They still am mindful of keeping holes in their daily schedule though, so that if they are called to respond to a crisis, they can catch up on my work without having to spend too much time working on weekends. They also try to make sure that at least one counselor is in the office at all times, though it's not always perfect.

Teresa had a foster care student recently who was reported by another student for cutting. It was clear when Teresa assessed her though, that she didn't present as a typical cutter, but that this was a practice run for suicide. Teresa spent all afternoon with her in the office until the caseworker arrived to take the student to crisis. Since the students return, she has still needed to spend a few afternoons in Teresa's office. Sometimes Teresa has to triage appointments, but suicide risks always take the top spot.

The aftercare plan for a student transitioning back from treatment or placement

For students who are returning from a mental health or substance abuse placements aftercare plan is frequently developed in conjunction with the school psychologist who will take a look at any paperwork they may have received from the site. Relationship is key in the treatment of trauma, so the primary contact person in terms of who will handle individual counseling and contact with the family and staff just depends on who has the best relationship with the student.

If a family needs assistance in making the contact for the referred service, they assist with that as well. They have several counselors from different outside agencies that go there weekly, since poverty and transportation is often an issue with their students in need. Even then they still contact the family to do the referral and let them know the student can be seen there at school. Their focus is always on Tier One prevention though (classroom lessons on mental health and school-wide social-emotional character ed curriculum).

Academically, they already send school work to the student in care if he or she is going to miss more than three days and the individual teachers set their own policies on how to catch a student up. There's time in the schedule (early morning activity period and after school with busing) for students to do that make up work. This enables students to spend extra time in the counseling office, if needed, when they return.

What are essential SKills for a School counselor

She said the best skill she has learned to use is being flexacaring. This is something that she has learned is the most important thing she can do for the students she works with. What is on her schedule is never her day, and being flexible and carking gives her the ablitiy to put her students needs first.

After Thought Questions

• What do you do with students who get bumped from their appointments in a crisis?
• What about the students who seem to always be in crisis?
• How do you handle self care?

Since I work in the Role As a Pk-12 Counselor now I can see the similarities in the roles. I I do have many differences in my current position as well, since I work primarily in the Guidance End of the things as well. There are other counselors in my building who handle the Crisis and Social and Emotional Counselling.I do see a common thread of the ASCA model of the students needs come first. We need to make sure that they are being dealt with in a professional manner that puts their social/emtional and academic needs above other tasks we may be assigned.