Organization of Guidance and Counselling Services

Organization of Guidance and Counselling Services at Educational Institutions

Meaning of Guidance Services

     1. It includes systematic and organized procedure and facilities towards assisting individual.

     2. As a group of services given to individuals to assist them in securing knowledge and skills   

         needed in   making plans and devices, and in interpreting life. It includes tools and facilities

         in discharging its services to individuals.

SPECIFIC PURPOSE OF ORGANISING GUIDANCE SERVICES IN SCHOOLS

1. Coordinating guidance work
2. Consolidation of individual efforts by all the staff
3.  Economic use of time and it provides equal opportunities for all
4. Better understanding of pupil traits and location of his problem
5. Better understanding of pupil needs and interest
6.  Healthy class room relations
7. Better utilization of community resources for testing etc.
8.  Better staff unity
9. Adequate and up-to-date information regarding occupational and educational requirements and opportunities should be secured.
10. It should be directed towards improved pupil self-knowledge and self-direction as ultimately, he is to make his own decisions.

INGREDIENTS OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING SERVICES.

Environment:

    The environment in which the dynamic process of counselling takes place is important for several reasons. This is the place where the hard work of counselling takes place, relationships are begun and maintained, and the ongoing life of the therapeutic process has its genesis. According to Pressly and Heesacker (2001), the physical environment can even support, change, enhance, or delay a client’s growth. Therefore, the elements of accessories, colour, furniture and room design, lightening,   smell, sound, texture, and temperature are of great concern for enhancing the possibility of client success. So, the first element that is important is the actual physical setting of the office and how that office environment influence, and informs the client and counselor while they are in it.

First impressions:

     As one of the saying ‘First impression is the best impression’ so while entering into the counseling room and seeing counsellor, one who feel that he is trustable, believable and true person. So that he can share all his feelings with him and help counsellor to solve his problems.

Counseling:

     In terms of establishing a strong therapeutic alliance, the next most important aspect of the counseling environment must be the level of empathy the counselor is able to communicate. Empathy is often defined as experiencing the world as if you were the client, but with awareness that the client remains separate from you. Empathy can be basic, additive, or subtractive. In a basic response the counsellor is able to fully understand, empathize, and actually add to the dimension of empathy, the counselor is said to be at the additive level. At the additive level of empathy, the counselor is able to link up previous thoughts with current ones. If a counselor is being subtractive, he/she is adding nothing to the level of empathy and may indeed even misrepresent what the client was attempting to communicate. The literature is also clear about other elements that must be present in the counselling environment. These are positive regard, respect, warmth, concreteness, immediacy, non-judgmental attitude, authenticity, and congruence.

Relaxed, but Structured:

    The third element of the counseling environment is the degree to which the counselor is able to facilitate a relaxed, but structured interview. Again, the text explains the interview should conduct of   1) initiating the session 2) gathering data, 3) mutual goal setting, 4) working, 5) terminating. In order to create a sense of trust in the client and build a healthy alliance, this structure can be followed. It seems to me this structure will cause the client to understand that the counselor is competent. A counselor should be genuine, trustworthy, congruent, optimistic and persuasive.

 Attending:

     A word concerning attending skills is necessary. Attending involves a great deal of effort if done correctly. In attending, the counselor is completely invested physically, and emotionally in the narrative of the client. The counselor lean forward, focuses eyes and body on the client and is actively involved in the process. Being all of these things and providing structured, but casual conversation will do much to broaden and deepen the consoling process.

GUIDANCE & COUNSELING: PROGRAM COMPONENTS

1. RESPONSIVE SERVICE:               The purpose of the Responsive Service component is to intervene with or on behalf of those students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grades whose personal circumstance, concerns, or problems are threatening to interfere with or are interfering with their healthy personal, social, career and /or educational development.

2. SYSTEM SUPPORT: The System Support component describes management activities which assure the delivery of a high-quality guidance program, and service which indirectly benefit students by supporting other programs.

3. GUIDANCE CURRICULUM:  The Guidance Curriculum component includes skill-based lessons and units designed to help all students in kindergarten through 12th grade develop competence in essential life skills.

4. INDIVIDUAL PLANNING:    The Individual planning component is where students are guided in planning, monitoring and managing their own educational, career, personal and social development. Each student is provided with necessary steps toward his/her established goals.

THE FOUR COMPONENTS OF A DEVELOPMENTAL SCHOOL GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING PROGRAM

PURPOSE

·         Awareness, skill development, and application of skills needed in everyday life.

AREAS ADDRESSED

·         Self-confidence development

·         Motivation to achieve

·         Decision-making, Goal setting, Planning, and Problem-solving skills

·         Interpersonal effectiveness (including social skills)

·         Communication skills

·         Cross-cultural effectiveness

·         Responsible Behavior

COUNSELOR ROLE

·         Guidance

·         Consultation

·         Program implementation and facilitation

·         Professionalism

School Counseling Program - Four Components

         As a school counselor, I am an educator trained in school counseling, just as other educators are trained in math, science, or English.  My job at Roosevelt is to develop, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive School Counseling Program designed to meet the needs of every student.  To accomplish this goal, I provide classroom lessons, individual student planning, responsive services, and system support.

1. Classroom Lessons help students understand themselves and others. Through classroom lessons, school counselors help students develop peer relationships, effective social skills, decision making skills and study skills, effective communications, conflict resolution, coping strategies, and explore safe and healthy choices. 

2. Individual Student Planning helps students set goals, establish academic and career plans, understand their own strengths and weaknesses, and prepare for the transitions.

3. Responsive Services assist students with particular needs, such as adjusting to a new school, coping with grief following a crisis or a loss, dealing with substance abuse or other risky behaviors.  Responsive services are provided through individual and small group counseling, peer facilitation, and consultation and referrals to community professionals trained in mental health and other specialties.

4. System Support enhances school climate and relationships among members of the school community.  School counselors coordinate parent outreach services, community support services and consultations with other faculty and staff to facilitate collaboration and a greater understanding of students’ developmental needs. 

         As your school counselor, I work to ensure our School Counseling Program is progressive, dynamic, and responsive to the needs of all students.  Thank you for exploring ways we can work together to make our Program the best it can be!

 ORGANIZATIONAL SET-UP

1. At Universities: Deans are assisted by head of the departments of psychology and education, the guidance committee and counselling officer.

2. For Constituent colleges: A counselling officer assisted by the guidance committee in cooperation with the deputy chief and academic advisor can plan according to their needs and number of students. (<1000 students need a liaison officer while >1000 students need an assistant counselling officer.

3. For officiated colleges: A counselling officer assisted by the guidance committee and a vocational guidance officer are needed for >1000 students while a liaison officer only can manage the counselling services for <1000 students.

The Role of the Professional School Counselor

Ø  The professional school counselor is a certified/licensed educator trained in school counseling with unique qualifications and skills to address all students’ academic, personal/social and career development needs.

Ø  Professional school counselors implement a comprehensive school counseling program that promotes and enhances student achievement.

Ø   Professional school counselors serve a vital role in maximizing student achievement.

Ø   Incorporating leadership, advocacy and collaboration, professional school counselors promote equity and access to opportunities and rigorous educational experiences for all students.

Development of School Counselling programme-Areas

1.Foundation:

Ø   Professional school counselors identify personal beliefs and philosophies as to how all students benefit from the school counseling program and act on these beliefs and philosophies to guide the development, implementation and evaluation of a comprehensive school counseling program.

Ø  Professional school counselors create a mission statement supporting the school’s mission and collaborate with other individuals and organizations to promote all students’ academic, career and personal/social development.

2. Delivery:

Ø  Professional school counselors provide services to students, parents, school staff and the community in the following areas:

ü  School Guidance Curriculum:

Ø  This curriculum consists of structured lessons designed to help students achieve the desired competencies and to provide all students with the knowledge and skills appropriate for their developmental level.

ü  Individual Student Planning:

Ø  Professional school counselors coordinate ongoing systemic activities designed to help students establish personal goals and develop future plans.

ü  Responsive Services:

Ø  Responsive services are preventative and/or interventive activities meeting students’ immediate and future needs.

Ø  These needs can be necessitated by events and conditions in students’ lives and may require any of the following:

•       individual or group counseling

•       consultation with parents, teachers and other educators

•       referrals to other school support services or community resources

•       peer helping

•       information

ü  System Support:

Ø  System support consists of management activities establishing, maintaining and enhancing the total school counseling program.

Ø   These activities include professional development, consultation, collaboration, program management and operations.

Ø   Professional school counselors are committed to continual personal and professional development and are proactively involved in professional organizations promoting school counseling at the local, state and national levels.

3. Management:

Ø  Professional school counselors incorporate organizational processes and tools that are concrete, clearly delineated and reflective of the school’s needs.

Tools and processes include: 

•       Agreements developed with and approved by administrators at the beginning of the school year addressing how the school counseling program is organized and what goals will be accomplished

•       Advisory councils made up of students, parents, teachers, counselors administrators and community members to review school counseling program results and to make recommendations

•       Use of student data to affect systemic change within the school system so every student receives the benefit of the school counseling program

•       Action plans for prevention and intervention services defining the desired student competencies and achievement results

•       Allotment of 80 percent of the professional school counselor's time in direct service with students

•       Use of master and weekly calendars to keep students, parents, teachers and administrators informed and to encourage active participation in the school counseling program

4. Accountability

Ø  To demonstrate the effectiveness of the school counseling program in measurable terms, professional school counselors report on immediate, intermediate and long-range results showing how students are different as a result of the school counseling program.

Ø   Professional school counselors use data to show the impact of the school counseling program on school improvement and student achievement.

Ø  Professional school counselors conduct school counseling program audits to guide future action and improve future results for all students.

Ø  The performance of the professional school counselor is evaluated on basic standards of practice expected of professional school counselors implementing a school counseling program.

COUNSELLING CENTRE

Ø  Counselling Centre is one which offers service to the individual who is undergoing a problem and needs professional help to overcome it, provide more specialized service, provide training in personality development and handling exceptional groups, provides professional counselling services for individuals. 

Equip to establish a counselling Centre in the school

Ø  Possess child and youth therapy programme, specifically equipped child and youth therapy rooms, well trained counsellors, Consultants, Psychometrists and Psychotherapists with Ph.D. Or Master’s degrees in psychology and theology, possess therapy block, psychology lab etc.

COUNSELING COMMITTEES

Ø  The reasons for turning to the counseling committee may be the desire to obtain a suitable special group for the child to acquire basic education.

Ø   The need to postpone the child’s starting school or to find a for a student with special needs a curriculum or a class that would meet his or her abilities for acquisition of basic education. 

Ø   In the counseling committee are at least five members, including a special education teacher, a speech therapist, a school psychologist, a social worker and a representative of the county or city government.
Composition of School Guidance committee

1. The Principal or Head master:

Ø  The principal or headmaster of the school should be the chairman or chairperson of the school guidance committee.

2. Counselor or Career Master or Guidance teacher:

Ø   The school counselor or career master or guidance teacher acts as the secretary cum-governor of the school guidance committee.

Ø  A full-time counselor may be appointed if possible.

Ø  In his absence, a teacher trained in guidance has to do the job of the career master.

Ø  Even if a school possesses a full-time counselor, it may also have a trained teacher in the staff to give necessary assistance to the counselor.

3. Staff representative (One member):

Ø  The senior teacher of the school acts as an ex-officio member of the guidance committee.

4. The school Medical Officer:

Ø  The medical officer of the school acts as a memer of the school guidance committee.

5. Chairman or secretary of the managing committee:

Ø  Member.

6. The physical Education teacher (P.E.T):

Ø  Member.

ü  A few experts in different fields available in the community.

COUNSELING COMMITTEES

Ø  The reasons for turning to the counseling committee may be the desire to obtain a suitable special group for the child to acquire basic education.

Ø   The need to postpone the child’s starting school or to find a for a student with special needs a curriculum or a class that would meet his or her abilities for acquisition of basic education. 

Ø   In the counseling committee are at least five members, including a special education teacher, a speech therapist, a school psychologist, a social worker and a representative of the county or city government. 

COUNSELING COMMITTEES

      Since September 2014, in all counties of Estonia the counseling committees and a nationwide counseling committee formed by Innove Foundation began operation.

The task of the counseling committee is to make recommendations for:

·         application of suitable conditions for learning and growing;

·         delaying the start of compulsory school attendance;

·         Admission of a child less than seven years of age to school.

         The reasons for turning to the counseling committee may be the desire to obtain a suitable special group for the child to acquire basic education, the need to postpone the child’s starting school or to find a for a student with special needs a curriculum or a class that would meet his or her abilities for acquisition of basic education. 

        In the counseling committee are at least five members, including a special education teacher, a speech therapist, a school psychologist, a social worker and a representative of the county or city government. If necessary, the counseling committee may involve other experts in its work.

In its activities, the committee is guided by the laws of the Estonian Republic. 

      The meetings of the county counseling committee take place in the county. The meetings of the nationwide counseling committee take place in the Pathfinder center of the relevant county or in the Pathfinder Development Center. If necessary, meetings are held via video.

Submission of applications to the counseling committees

Applications for delaying the start of compulsory school attendance can be submitted until August 1!

Upon submitting the application, the child's parent or guardian shall submit to the committee:

·         an application;

·         the child's identity document (or a copy of a birth certificate);

·         doctor's written decision (extract from medical records and treatment/rehabilitation plan);

·         regarding a child attending a pre-school institution or the preparatory group, a characterization of the child prepared by the teacher;

·         If necessary, the drawing projects prepared by the child attending a pre-school institution or the preparatory group.

If necessary, the counseling committee may ask for additional documents and evaluations for specification of the child's development.  On the basis of the submitted documents and the further information gathered, the counseling committee shall make a decision taking into account the best interests of the child and supporting the child’s development.

TOOLS FOR COUNSELLING SERVICES     

Non-testing tools

1. Interview.

2. Observation.

3. Anecdotal record

4. Cumulative record

5. Check list

 6. Rating scale.

7. Sociometry

 8. Autobiography and diary.

Psychological testing tools

1. Ability test.
2. Achievement test.
3. Aptitude test.
4. Personality test.

Specific requirements for the organization of counselling services

     1. Student data bank.

     2. Educational & vocational information services.

     3. Programmes for integrating community services with guidance services.

     4. Educational programmes for teachers, counselors & other personnel to provide

           knowledge of Current trends in guidance.

     5. Budgetary provisions.

     6.  Presence of physical facilities, i.e. rooms, furniture & other equipment needed for the     

         guidance and counselling department.

    7. Provider of private officers as well as general counselling rooms.

    8. Trained counsellor and guidance personnel.

    9. Consultation services.

   10. Evaluation instruments like psychological tests, inventories, etc.

 

The Role of the Professional School Counselor

          The professional school counselor is a certified/licensed educator trained in school counseling with unique qualifications and skills to address all students’ academic, personal/social and career development needs. Professional school counselors implement a comprehensive school counseling program that promotes and enhances student achievement. Professional school counselors are employed in elementary, middle/junior high and high schools and in district supervisory, counselor education and post-secondary settings. Their work is differentiated by attention to developmental stages of student growth, including the needs, tasks and student interests related to those stages.

         Professional school counselors serve a vital role in maximizing student achievement. Incorporating leadership, advocacy and collaboration, professional school counselors promote equity and access to opportunities and rigorous educational experiences for all students. Professional school counselors support a safe learning environment and work to safeguard the human rights of all members of the school community. Collaborating with other stakeholders to promote student achievement, professional school counselors address the needs of all students through prevention and intervention programs that are a part of a comprehensive school counseling program. To achieve maximum program effectiveness, the American School Counselor Association recommends a counselor-to-student ratio of 1:250.

          Professional school counselors have a master’s degree or higher in school counseling or the substantial equivalent, meet the state certification/licensure standards and abide by the laws of the states in which they are employed. They uphold the ethical and professional standards of professional counseling associations and promote the development of the school counseling program based on the following areas of the ASCA National Model: foundation, delivery, management and accountability.

1. Foundation:
        Professional school counselors identify personal beliefs and philosophies as to how all students benefit from the school counseling program and act on these beliefs and philosophies to guide the development, implementation and evaluation of a comprehensive school counseling program. Professional school counselors create a mission statement supporting the school’s mission and collaborate with other individuals and organizations to promote all students’ academic, career and personal/social development.

2. Delivery:
Professional school counselors provide services to students, parents, school staff and the community in the following areas:

• School Guidance Curriculum: This curriculum consists of structured lessons designed to help students achieve the desired competencies and to provide all students with the knowledge and skills appropriate for their developmental level. The school guidance curriculum is delivered throughout the school's overall curriculum and is systematically presented by professional school counselors in collaboration with other professional educators in K-12 classroom and group activities.
• Individual Student Planning: Professional school counselors coordinate ongoing systemic activities designed to help students establish personal goals and develop future plans.
• Responsive Services: Responsive services are preventative and/or interventive activities meeting students’ immediate and future needs. These needs can be necessitated by events and conditions in students’ lives and may require any of the following:
• individual or group counseling
• consultation with parents, teachers and other educators
• referrals to other school support services or community resources
• peer helping
• information

    Professional school counselors develop confidential relationships with students to help them resolve or cope with problems and developmental concerns. 

• System Support: System support consists of management activities establishing, maintaining and enhancing the total school counseling program. These activities include professional development, consultation, collaboration, program management and operations. Professional school counselors are committed to continual personal and professional development and are proactively involved in professional organizations promoting school counseling at the local, state and national levels.

3. Management:
Professional school counselors incorporate organizational processes and tools that are concrete, clearly delineated and reflective of the school’s needs. Tools and processes include: 

• Agreements developed with and approved by administrators at the beginning of the school year addressing how the school counseling program is organized and what goals will be accomplished
• Advisory councils made up of students, parents, teachers, counselors administrators and community members to review school counseling program results and to make recommendations
• Use of student data to affect systemic change within the school system so every student receives the benefit of the school counseling program
• Action plans for prevention and intervention services defining the desired student competencies and achievement results
• Allotment of 80 percent of the professional school counselor's time in direct service with students
• Use of master and weekly calendars to keep students, parents, teachers and administrators informed and to encourage active participation in the school counseling program

4. Accountability
         To demonstrate the effectiveness of the school counseling program in measurable terms, professional school counselors report on immediate, intermediate and long-range results showing how students are different as a result of the school counseling program. Professional school counselors use data to show the impact of the school counseling program on school improvement and student achievement. Professional school counselors conduct school counseling program audits to guide future action and improve future results for all students. The performance of the professional school counselor is evaluated on basic standards of practice expected of professional school counselors implementing a school counseling program.