January 14, 14
Counselling as a Profession – School Counselling
- client-centered
Main activities and roles of Counsellors and Guidance Workers
Clinical (individual, group, family/couples)
Intake and assessment
Therapy/guidance
Writing session reports (ease notes)
To have reminders of what treatments you have implemented thus far and what treatment you have in plan
Follow-up
Referral
File matches w/ clients – communicate with other professionals (eg. Physicians) about this client (saving time for them to ask same q’s to the client)
Only allowed w/ the client’s approval
Release of information form
“Communication btwn myself and this physician can only occur w/ ur approval”
Supervision of counselling trainees
Ph.D graduates are allowed to do accredited supervision of doctoral degrees related programs
Teaching and research (see also: specialization; scientist-practitioner model)
Professional development
All of the memberships in prof associations do come with a number of attached things:
Show what you have done (Read, researched) in the meanwhile in order to keep up w/ the latest development
In teaching – advantageous position:
What they do everyday = research new articles, new findings.
People not in educational capacity – less advantageous
Liaising and consulting (see also: case conference and the multidisciplinary approach; out-reach)
Psycho-educational (eg. Workshops, training seminars)
Program development, consultation, and administration.
School Counsellor’s Rules
According to the BC School Counsellors’ Association (www.bctf.bc.ca/pass/BCSCA/index.html)
“The focus of school counselling is enhancing the students’ development, assisting with the development of an enabling school culture and empowering students toward positive change”
The counsellor working in an educational setting:
Promotes personal and social development appropriate to developmental stages
Counsels students, their families, and community to foster growth in the students’ self esteem, individ responsibility, and in skills such as decision making and social skills
Ameliorates factors which may precipitate problems for students
Enhances students’ educational achievement thru goal setting, assisting w/ the development of Individual Educational Plans and activities, such as promotion of effective work and study habits
Provides appropriate interventions to assist students w/ school related problems and issues
Facilitates the goals of career edu by assisting students & their families to explore and clarify the students’ career options, thru developmental activities that stress decision making, personal planning and career awareness.
Assessment Strategies for School Counselling
Range of Assessment
- past (determining factors)
- present (severity of concern; developmental factors)
- future (goal setting, intervention outcome)
Strategies
- individual interview assessment
- multidisciplinary team teachers, counsellores, and other mental health service providers)
- involving the family
- considering cultural differences and S.E.S
- environment assessment (family, school, surveys)
Prevention: Cheaper method
Primary Prevention
Prevent problem before occurring
Secondary Prevention
Treating used to reduce its impact or hope for a cure of the condition
Tertiary Prevention
Problem has becoming chronic and has become untreatable
Ameliorate level of suffering, teach patients ways of coping w/ conditions that will never go away
* Higher the education, higher the health level – connection w/ prevention (knowledge = prevention)
Class Discussion
1. According to Paisley & Borders (1995), currently there is a lot of confusion, controversy, and debate about the school counsellor’s role. In your opinion,
a. To what extent should school counsellors be in the classroom?
b. What percentage of a school counsellor’s time should be devoted to direct services and what percentage to administrative tasks?
i. Provide a rationale for your position/opinions
2. In your
