Integrated Student Support Professionals:
School Counselors

Role

According to the American School Counselor Association (2003), “ The professional school counselor is a certified/licensed educator trained in school counseling. Professional school counselors address the needs of students through the implementation of a comprehensive, standards-based, developmental school counseling program. They are employed in elementary, middle/junior high, and senior high schools, and in post-secondary settings. Their work is differentiated by attention to age-specific developmental stages of student growth, and the needs, tasks and student interests related to those stages. School counselors work with all students, including those who are considered at-risk and those with special needs. They are specialists in human behavior and relationships who provide assistance to students through four primary interventions: counseling (individual and group), large group guidance, consultation, and coordination.”

Click here to read more about the The Role of the Professional School Counselor .

National Organizations

American Counseling Association
5999 Stevenson Avenue
Alexandria , VA 22304
Telephone: 1-800-347-6647; (703) 823-9800
Web: www.counseling.org/

American School Counselor Association
801 N. Fairfax St., Suite 310
Alexandria , VA 22314
Telephone: 1-800-306-4722; (703) 683-2722
Web: www.schoolcounselor.org/

State Department of Education Resources

Building a Bridge: A Transitional Manual for Students http://www.state.ct.us/sde/deps/special/BuildingABridge.pdf

The Connecticut Agenda http://www.state.ct.us/sde/deps/special/agenda.pdf

Connecticut Comprehensive School Counseling Program http://www.state.ct.us/sde/deps/special/counseling.pdf

Best Practices for School Counseling in Connecticut http://www.state.ct.us/sde/deps/special/BestPractices.pdf

Developing Quality Programs for Pupil Services: A Self-Evaluative Guide http://www.state.ct.us/sde/deps/special/QPPupilSrves.pdf

Guidelines for Developing Policies and Procedures for Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect (2000). http://www.state.ct.us/sde/deps/special/abuse.pdf

For More Information Please Contact

Nancy Aleman, M.A., M.S.
Connecticut State Department of Education
Bureau of Health and Nutrition Services, Child/Family/School Partnerships
165 Capitol Avenue
Third Floor
Hartford, CT 06145-2219
860-713-6937
nancy.aleman@po.state.ct.us

Connecticut Hot Line Numbers

• Birth to Three referrals (800-505-7000). This information and referral service, dedicated solely to concerns about children below age 3 with possible developmental delays or special needs, is the primary intake mechanism for birth to three services.
• Department of Children and Families (DCF) Hotline (800-842-2288). Call this 24-hour service to report suspected child abuse or neglect. If uncertain about whether to make a report, you can call administrative offices at 860-344-2599 to consult with a supervisor.
• INFOLINE (800-203-1234). This one-stop referral and information service can address every conceivable human services need. It doubles as a suicide prevention hotline and provides speakers on this topic.

Resources on the Web

American Psychological Association: www.apa.org

Character Development Foundation www.charactered.org

Connecticut State Department of Education: www.state.ct.us/sde/commish/schoolclimate.htm

Educators for Social Responsibility/Resolving Conflicts Creatively Program: http://esrnational.org/

National Parent Teacher Association: www.pta.org

National School Board Association: www.nsba.org/schoolhealth/

Safe and Sound: An Educational Leader’s Guide to Evidence-Based Social and Emotional Learning Programs (2002). The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) http://www.casel.org/safeandsound.htm

Youth Violence: A Report of the Surgeon General :http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/youthviolence/