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Notes on the book:

Counseling in Schools

Chapter 5: Developing a Program

·        The educational reform movement of the 1980s continues to have an impact on state programs and local perspectives about what counselor should be doing in our schools.

·        In planning a comprehensive counseling program it is important to determine what has existed in prior years.

·        Ask the principal and teachers about their perceptions of the counseling program. Counselors might use surveys and interviews with parents and students to provide useful information for examining the counseling program.

·        By including as many people as possible in program planning, counselors are likely to have widespread support for their services.

·        To identify appropriate services for the counseling program, counselors must first have an understanding of the most important critical and developmental needs of students, parents, and teachers.

·        By knowing about health services, psychiatric treatment centers, family counseling clinics, recreational programs, and other resources, counselors create a professional alliances that ultimately benefit students and families of the school.

·        In setting goals, the counselor summarizes data from surveys, interviews, observations and other assessment processes and presents results to the advisory committee.

·        It is important for school counselors to assign responsibilities and market the school-counseling program in order to gain support for the program.

·        Having a schedule helps counselors plan and allot time for selected services, and at the same time, illustrates for everyone the comprehensive nature of the school-counseling program.

·        In schools, group counseling is an essential service, yet it is often difficult to incorporate into the program because of scheduling problems, lack of suitable space, and misunderstanding about what it is.

·        In most instances, counselors take the role of a consultant, bringing to the relationship a level of knowledge about human growth and development, needs of children and adolescents, and approaches for assisting students with behavioral changes.

·        Parent education programs, teacher in-service activities, and working with professionals outside of the school.

·        More recent research indicated the demand for collaboration and coordination is increasing.

·        Program coordination includes scheduling services, clear communication, setting timelines, delegating responsibilities, follow up and time management.

·        School counselors use many different appraisal methods including observations, interviews, review of records, tests, and inventories.