Counseling
The role of the professional school counselor
American School Counselor's Association (ASCA)
Paradise Honors Elementary School is committed to providing excellence in education. One way this is done is through the comprehensive school guidance program. The ASCA model offers school counselors national guidelines, standards and ethical practices to eliminate obstacles that impact student success. PHES’s guidance program is actively committed to eliminating emotional, physical, social and economic barriers that can inhibit student success. ASCA National Standards identify and prioritize the specific attitudes, knowledge and skills that students should be able to demonstrate as a result of participating in a comprehensive school counseling program. PHES’s guidance program has adopted this model to change the way school counseling programs are designed and delivered to be effective towards a greater population of students.Arizona Model for School Counseling
The Arizona Model: A Foundation for School Counseling is based on the ASCA national model. It provides a framework for implementation of a comprehensive and accountable school counseling program. PHES’s adoption of this guidance program ensures that students’ needs in academic, career, and personal/social areas are addressed.
What Do School Counselors Do?
Professional School Counselors provide culturally competent services to students, parents/guardians, school staff and the community. Professional School Counselors follow K-12 national and state standards to assist students with guidance in academic, personal/social, and emotional areas. The emphasis is on academic success for all students so they can achieve success, gain confidence and enable them to be caring and knowledgeable members of the community.
Here are some of the ways PHES’s guidance program reaches out to students to help them be successful:- Teach classroom guidance lessons on a variety of topics as needed. (ex: individual differences, peer relationships, substance abuse awareness and prevention, career awareness, bullying, character education, decision making, self esteem, friendship and community building, etc.) Counsel students individually as needed and maintain confidentiality. (ex: family changes, stress, behavior, peer relationships, etc.) .
- Counsel small groups of students with similar concerns. (ex: friendship, social skills, assertiveness, conflict resolution, coping skills, etc.)
- Consult with teachers and assist them in meeting students individual needs.
- Provide information on community resources for families and students.
- Assist in coordinating school-wide character and bullying programs through lessons, assemblies and staff collaboration.
