SECTION 2: Manage

Fundamental Beliefs of School Counseling 

School counseling is comprehensive in scope, preventative in design and developmental in nature. School counseling is based on six premises that reinforce the organization and management of comprehensive school counseling services. 

These premises are as follows: 

1. School counseling characteristics are similar to other Services in education and include the following: 

• ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors for Student Success 
• ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards and Competencies 
• Activities and processes to assist students attain ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors 
• Professionally certified/licensed personnel 
• Access to curriculum, materials and resources (evidence and/or researched based)
• Service assessment and personnel performance appraisal 

2. School counseling is developmental and comprehensive. School counseling services are developmental and conducted on a regular, planned, and systematic basis to assist students in attaining school counseling standards. Although students’ immediate and crisis needs must be met, a major focus of a developmental school counseling Service is to provide all students with experiences to help them grow and succeed. School counseling services are comprehensive and include activities and services such as instruction, appraisal/advisement, counseling, consultation, collaboration, referrals, follow-up and follow-through. 

3. School counseling services assist all students in completing a rigorous and relevant curriculum and earn a diploma that ensures preparation for multiple opportunities after high school. This curriculum emphasizes the acquisition of knowledge, attitudes and skills to be successful in school, career technical education and the workforce in post‐secondary education/training. 

4. School counseling services feature a team approach. Comprehensive school counseling requires collaboration between the school counselor, faculty and administration. It is understood that licensed school counselors are central to the Service. School counselors provide direct services to students and also work in consultative and collaborative relationships with members of the school counseling team, other school staff, the student, parents/guardians, mental health professionals, and the community, including career technical center representatives as may be appropriate. 

5. School counseling services are developed through a systematic process of planning, designing, implementing, evaluating and enhancing. This process assures intentional delivery of services designed to address established priorities. It is recommended that school districts utilize professional development time towards the development and assessment of comprehensive school counseling services at all schools throughout the district. For example, school counselors are members of each school’s Educational Support Team (EST). EST is a collaborative problem-solving effort to determine whether additional support is needed for a student to make appropriate progress, and to monitor that progress. This may include academics, attendance, behavior, or enrichment activities. The team can offer suggestions for student support that may not have been considered in previous planning efforts. 

6. School counseling Services have established leadership. Leadership ensures accountability for the Service and for the quality of the performance of Service staff.