Counseling
Middle School Student Services
Our Role
School counselors play a vital role in supporting students within the educational environment. At the middle school, the counseling team consists of a school counselor and a social worker. Together, they work with students, parents, and teachers to help students manage their learning needs, address family issues, and tackle mental health concerns, as well as environmental, social, emotional, and substance abuse challenges.
Utilizing their professional knowledge, social workers empower students to make the most of their abilities, allowing them to focus on their education. In a school setting, this often involves providing crisis intervention, family support, and direct counseling.
Social Workers
School social workers are licensed to provide direct counseling services to students or refer them to community-based professional services as needed. The specific type of support provided is tailored to meet the individual needs of each student. Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW)/Licensed Master Social Workers (LMSW) can conduct bio-psycho-social assessments, provide diagnoses, and offer treatment of mental health, substance abuse, and behavioral or emotional issues.
FAQs
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Students are referred to the counselors through self-referrals, teachers or staff, other students, parents, administrators, or the nurse.
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Some of the subjects that have been discussed with counselors include peer relationships, divorce, loss of a loved one, peer pressure, self-esteem, personal difficulties, choices, drugs and their dangers, personal/family difficulties, expressing and managing feelings [anger, sadness, jealousy, etc.], effective communication, homework,grades, student/parent relationships, student/teacher relationships, courses required for graduation, career exploration, job descriptions, setting goals and other concerns.
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In addition to the services mentioned above, counselors work with students in group settings, such as group counseling and mediation, to effectively reach those with common concerns and issues. Group counseling provides a safe haven for students to share feelings and receive support when facing certain issues such as divorce, etc. Mediation between peers, teachers, etc. is sometimes necessary as a solution for an issue or concern.
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Counselors provide information and resources to parents, teachers, and community members on a variety of issues and assist in facilitating referrals to outside agencies including but not limited to outside therapists/psychiatrists, hospital programs, out of district school programs, and the PINS process. Placement reviews and planning occurs with information gathering that includes teachers, administration, parents, psychologists, school nurse and counselors.