Counseling Services

Sunnyside Elementary will provide counseling services to all students, kindergarten through fifth grade. Counseling services will take place in multiple ways. Upon the request of parents, students or school personnel, individual and group counseling will be available. Individual counseling gives students an opportunity to express their concerns in a safe environment, while group counseling is designed so that students may gather together in a confidential setting to interact and connect with peers. Group counseling also allows students to work through an issue that is preventing them from doing their best in school. Guidance Lessons are other forms of counseling where the school counselor has an opportunity to engage with students in their classroom setting. Topics for counseling will include: bullying, character education, teambuilding, goal-setting and others. Techniques for counseling will include: role-playing, hands-on activities, discussions, and journaling.

Consultation Services
Sunnyside Elementary will provide collaborative consultation services to all parents and staff. Applying Doughertys Generic Consultation Model, school counselors will be able to effectively guide consultees on issues such as: classroom or behavior management. After the consultation period, school counselors will follow-up with consultees and will provide further suggestions if needed. Clients will be made aware of consultation services through a brochure which will be located in the main office.

Referral Services
Sunnyside Elementary will provide referral services to all students, kindergarten through fifth grade. After multiple forms of intervention, a school personnel or parent may request referral services for their student. According to the American School Counseling Association Ethical Standards for School Counselors, Section A.5.a, the professional school counselor makes referrals when necessary or appropriate to outside resources. Appropriate referrals may necessitate informing both parents/guardians and students of applicable resources and making proper plans for transitions with minimal interruption of services. Students retain the right to discontinue the counseling relationship at any time. In like manner, according to the handbook, Navigating the Course: Finding Your Way Through Indianas Special Education Rules 2009 , Article 7, section II, to be eligible for special education and related services, the case conference committee (CCC) must determine, based on the evaluation results and other information, that the child is a student with a disability. A student with a disability is a child who has been evaluated in accordance with Article 7 and been determined eligible for special education and

related services by a CCC. Before a student can be evaluated, the school must have written consent from the parent.

Crisis Response Role

The Professional School Counselor (PSC) at Sunnyside Elementary School serves as a leader in the school and will take on leadership role to ensure the safety of all students. Students have a right to be safe in their school. The PSC plays a major role in preventing the violence in the school. The Comprehensive School Counseling Program (CSCP) will assist counselors in providing prevention and intervention for violence in the school. The PSC plays a leadership role in the development and implementation of a Crisis Management Plan. The School Counselor will also lead Professional Development in Crisis Response to the school staff. The PSC will also educate students on violence prevention in the guidance curriculum.

Students Assistance Team Role

Sunnyside Elementary School has a Student Assistance Team whose role is to ensure that students are provided the opportunity to succeed in the general education environment. Students are to be referred for special education evaluation only when interventions and modifications have been unsuccessful and data justifies possible separation from the general education program. Sunnysides Student Assistance Team is a school-based prevention and early intervention program for students who are exhibiting behaviors of concern that are interfering with their academic progress. These behaviors may be academic, social or emotional in nature. The Student Assistance Team consists of a School Counselor, Case Manager, Classroom and Resource Teachers, parents, administrator and the student.

Advocacy For System Change

The School Counselor at Sunnyside Elementary School is an agent of change and will be the voice for those students who are marginalized. Often times the marginalized are diverse students that tend to be academically underachieving. The School Counselor will advocate for all students to ensure successful academic, social/personal and career development in the school through its CSCP curriculum. We will teach students how to advocate for themselves and educate through individual and group counseling, public presentations, parent workshops, professional development, the school newsletter and school media announcements.

School Improvement Role

School Counselor will collaborate with administration, teachers, and school staff to establish what the initial school improvement plan is. School counselor will establish their role within the school improvement plan and address what a school counselors job duties entails within the school. From there, school counselor will address areas in career, personal/social/, and academic areas that are in need for improvement based off of previous data.

Role in Closing Achievement Gap

School counselors have a heavy role in closing the achievement gaps within a school. For example, school counselors look to see if historically oppressed populations are having their needs met and reaching their full academic potential based on the schools data. School counselors reduce the negative effects of environmental and instructional barriers that might impact the students learning environment. School counselors close the achievement gap by providing counseling services that include individual and group counseling, career and college counseling, academic lessons, and personal/social lessons based on the students academic levels.

Role as advocate for individual students

School counselors are often seen as advocates for the students within the school. School counselor will address areas within the school that are inadequate (not easily accessible towards all students) and provide information and resources towards students who are historically oppressed or are in need of counseling departments services. School counselors often will be the voice towards historically oppressed students, and address their needs to others. School counselors will work and reach out to staff members within the school, and community members to help different students in need of different services. School counselors will also address student struggles and address their needs in a timely fashion in order for student to reach their full academic potential.

How can School Counselors network with community?

In order for school counselors to even attempt to network with community, it is imperative to let community know about the very existence of school counselorsWe are here! Then, we can move on to the topics such as, Who are school counselors? What do they do? How can they

help our children? This very first step of networking can be achieved by sending out a letter of introduction to community agencies and organizations, such as community mental health centers, community centers, libraries, health centers, or clinics. The purpose of this first step of networking with community is to let them know that we are available to collaborate care with them to optimize services for our children. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or even a dedicated blog can be a great channel for school counselors to network with local community. School counselors may be able to volunteer to hold a free educational session at a local library, or community center to teach neighborhood children coping skills once a month.

How can School Counselors network with personnel?

School Counselors may use school newspapers, schools website to regularly write a column to educate teachers and administration what school counselors do with students (e.g., We worked on test taking skill in preparation of upcoming ISTEP!). Many teachers may not fully understand exactly what school counselors credentials are, what their roles are, what services school counselors offer to students, and how those services may benefit both students and teachers (e.g., better study skills that lead to high academic performance). School counselors can hold a professional development session to work with teachers on what teachers are struggling with in classroom (e.g., how to work with students with ADHD, or Autism?)

How can School Counselors network with other professions?

ASCAs SCENE and ISCAs Counselor Talk are great examples of professional networking channels on line. Nowadays, many professionals share their ideas and resources on line by using Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com), or personal or professional blog (e.g., weebly.com, wordpress.com). There are ups and downs regarding professionals networking online, or via social networks, but as more young professionals choose this relatively easy and convenient route for networking, it will be one of the easiest and the most quick ways to get connected to other professionals in various fields.