STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
Guidance Services

What is a School Counselor?

Richland One school counselors work in collaboration with other educators to implement a comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling program in elementary, middle, and high schools. School counselors implement the comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling program by functioning in six basic roles:

Program management
Counselors work with faculty, staff, students, parents, and community members to plan, implement, and evaluate a Comprehensive Developmental Guidance Program. Counselors use a planning process to define needs and priorities to determine appropriate objectives. Counselors organize personnel, physical resources, and activities in relation to defined needs, priorities, and objectives. They evaluate the guidance and counseling program to ensure its value and relevance to the total educational program.

Guidance
School counselors provide a proactive, comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling program for all students, preK-12th grade. The developmental approach offers age appropriate services and activities which facilitate personal/social, academic and career development.

Counseling
Counselors provide appropriate theories and techniques of counseling to develop and maintain effective individual and group relationships. They provide counseling in response to individuals and small groups with educational, career, personal, and social needs or concerns.

Consultation and Student Advocacy
Counselors, functioning as consultants, provide professional expertise to assist faculty, staff, administrators, parents, and other community members in understanding both individual behavior and human relationships.

Coordination
Counselors, as coordinators, bring together people and resources in the school, the community, and the district to foster personal/social, academic, and career development of the students.

Assessment
Counselors collaborate with school and district staff to select testing and appraisal programs that help students identify their abilities, aptitudes, achievements, and interests. Their role is to interpret the test data and provide input to the administration.

In addition to the six key roles listed above, school counselors demonstrate their professionalism by adhering to legal, ethic, and professional standards for performance, as well as South Carolina laws and guidelines for confidentiality.

 

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