Personal Counseling

Counseling activities are designed to assist the Students, their Families, and their Educational Staff with the opportunity to provide the most interference-free educational environment possible. Almost all students will experience life circumstances including physical, emotional, familial, social, or environmental issues, which can impact their ability to maximize their capabilities and talents in the school setting. As such, participation in counseling need not be considered a weakness or indication of deficiency.

As a member of the Guidance Department, a Personal Counselor is available to offer behavioral health counseling to help your child in his academic and personal growth, with emphasis on mental health and substance abuse issues.

Counseling sessions are not to be used an as excuse not to meet instructional timelines or as a means to avoid instructional periods or activities. Every effort is made to coordinate non-emergency sessions with Instructional Faculty Members. The educational needs and classroom mandates (e.g. tests) of the students will take priority.

Students may seek services at any time on their own by submitting the Student Request Form, or may be referred by a Parent, Faculty, Staff or Administrator by submitting a Student Referral Form to the Guidance Counselors office.

In the event additional programs/service providers are required or considered to be of benefit, referral assistance is available. It will be necessary for a parent/guardian to sign an Authorization for Release of Information form at that time. Similarly, if a student has participated in an assessment or treatment elsewhere and it is wished for the Personal Counselor to review any records related to such, written permission to request those materials will be necessary.

Parental involvement is welcomed and encouraged.

Services

To assist with problem identification and clarification, the following counseling activities will be offered. In the event additional programs/service providers are required or considered to be of benefit, referral services will also be extended.

1. Individual Counseling
Face-to-face counseling session with an individual student.

2. Family Counseling
Face-to-face counseling session with the individual student and at least one additional member of his family. Student will have prior knowledge that such a session has been scheduled.

3. Group Counseling
Counseling session in which more than one student with similar needs/concerns are seen (examples: grief and loss, divorced parents, or anger management).

4. Collateral Counseling
Face-to-face counseling session in which the student is not in attendance, but the nature of the discussion with the attending person/s (may be a parent or sibling) will be of benefit to the student. Student will have prior knowledge that such a session has been scheduled.

5. Consultation
Discussion with a Faculty/Staff member for the expressed purpose of clarifying a student’s needs, verifying a student’s attendance and participation, discussing the progress of a student, or other suggestions to support and enhance the work of the student.

6. Telephone call
Discussion received from a Parent/Guardian to the Counselor with purpose of enhancing counseling services for a student. Any such telephone call to be initiated by the Counselor will first be shared with the Student.

Confidentiality

Any and all communications between the Students and the Counselor are handled as CONFIDENTIAL. That is, what is discussed in private remains privileged and will be held in strict confidence.

At all times, documentation of these activities will be kept in the Counselor's office under locked conditions.

There are rare circumstances that present exceptions to privileged communications. These include any threat of or plan to cause injury to self or another, or cases in which a juvenile (person under the age of 18 years) is being physically, sexually, or emotionally abused. In the event another person needs to be informed, I will discuss with the individual Student the name and role of the person to whom the information needs to be shared, what exact information needs to be shared, and the reasons for doing so. I will make every effort to be in the presence of the Student during these discussions with the other person(s).