Pate Elementary Counseling & Guidance Program
Pate Elementary’s counseling and guidance program’s goal is to effectively meet the academic, personal/social, and career awareness needs of all students. We believe that students who understand themselves and the world become productive, well-adjusted, contributing members of society.
The counseling and guidance program follows the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) program standards as well the South Carolina Counseling & Guidance Standards. These standards mandate four main components of a comprehensive program: Guidance Curriculum, Individual Student Planning, Responsive Service, and Systems Support. More specifically, the counselor has the following duties:
To conduct guidance learning activities for large classroom settings
To be a resource person for teachers to facilitate the infusions of guidance learning activities into the regular education curricula
To counsel small groups and individual students (Counseling sessions may include self-awareness, self-identity, academic problems, family issues, etc.)
To consult with teachers, staff, and/or parents regarding meeting the developmental needs of students (Ex; Participation in SST meetings, conducting in-service programs for faculty, assistance for families with school related problems
To refer students to appropriate community resources in consultation with their parents
To consult and coordinate with in-district and community agencies
To participate in, coordinate, and conduct activities that contribute to the effective operation of the school
To address emergency concerns
To arrange programs such as the following:
Drug Awareness
Terrific Kids
Career Day
Conflict Resolution
Character Education
Referrals
There are three main types of referrals:
Teacher Referral
Student Referral
Parent Referral
Confidentiality
In accordance with ethical standards established by the American Counseling Association and the American School Counselor’s Association, Mrs. Dunn keeps counseling sessions private. Confidentiality is important not only because it is mandated by ethical code but it allows the counselor to build trust with students. There are, however, limits to confidentiality. Confidentiality will be broken when a student is going to hurt themselves, someone else, or if someone is hurting the student.