New Mexico Comprehensive School Counseling Program Guide

Delivery System
Individual Student Planning | Curriculum | Responsive Services | System Support

Responsive Services

This component of a comprehensive school counseling program addresses the immediate needs and concerns of students. Responsive services are available to all students and incorporate both direct and indirect services. They may range from early intervention to crisis response to meet student needs. Responsive services are planned and goal-focused.

Counselors have special training to respond to the needs and concerns of students, and the cooperation and support of the entire staff are necessary to address student needs. Students may self-refer or be referred for counseling services by parents or school staff. There are five methods of service delivery in responsive services. Those methods are: (1) consultation, (2) individual and group counseling, (3) crisis counseling, (4) referrals, and (5) peer facilitation.

Consultation

New Mexico School Counselors will serve as consultants to students, parents, teachers, administrators, and the community. Consultation is a cooperative process of sharing information and ideas to better serve our students. The counselor's goal in consultation with others is to gather information, disseminate information, and enhance the consultee's skills in interacting more effectively with our students. The counselor's role as a consultant is to assist others to think through problems and to develop skills that make them more effective in working with our students. Effective consultation requires skill in problem solving and the ability to form collaborative relationships with other experts.

Individual Counseling

Individual counseling is a direct service in which a counselor sees a student on a one-on-one basis. The counselor may choose to identify students to serve who are considered high priority due to personal or academic issues. If a student is in need of more intensive counseling, then a referral will be made to the appropriate agency. A release of information will be obtained so that the school counselor and the agency counselor can work collaboratively for the benefit of the student. In collaboration with the referred service provider the school counselor will continue to monitor the student intensively. (See the Appendix A: How to Make a Referral.)

Group Counseling

Small group counseling will be conducted primarily as a remedial means of addressing specific issues. The need for a counseling group will be determined by collaboration between the counselor(s), administrators, teachers and parents. The counselor will select group members whose needs and goals are compatible with the goals of the group. The group members selected should not be students who will impede the group process. The well-being of the group members should be enhanced, and not jeopardized by the group experience.

Small groups may consist of 6-12 students meeting for 8-12 sessions, as needed. Counselors will work with teachers in scheduling the group so that the student's removal from the classroom is kept to a minimum. Counselors will follow the ethical and legal guidelines in providing group counseling services.

Small group counseling allows student to develop insight into themselves as well as others. It provides an effective and efficient way to deal with developmental and situational issues. The groups created by the counselor will deal with personal and interpersonal concerns. There are three types of group approaches; they are (1) Crisis Centered Groups, (2) Problem Centered Groups, and (3) Growth Centered Groups. The types of groups that could be formed under any of these approaches are:

(1) Self-concept issues
(2) Interpersonal relationships
(3) Social skills
(4) Problem solving/ decision making
(5) Study skills
(6) Communication skills
(7) Anger management
(8) Grief and loss
(9) Divorce
(10) School failure
(11) Disruptive and defiant behavior
(12) Maladjustment
(13) Self Esteem
(14) Stress Management
(15) Conflict Resolution

Crisis Counseling

Crisis counseling is usually temporary in nature and is provided to students and families who are facing emergency situations. Counseling in a time of emergency includes prevention, intervention and follow up. Referrals to community agencies are made when appropriate. School counselors are important members of a school district's crisis intervention team. Written procedures should be in place in the school district for staff to follow during crisis situations.

Referral

New Mexico School Counselors will enlist the services of other school personnel, community agencies, and service providers. A referral for services will be made when a counselor is unable to meet the needs of the student on their own. As part of the NM Comprehensive School Counseling Program, counselors will keep an up-to-date list of resources available to best meet the needs of the students. (See the Appendix A: How to Make a Referral.)

Peer Facilitation

Another form of responsive services through group counseling is Peer Facilitation. Developmental skills need to be taken into account when creating peer helper groups. In this type of support system, counselors would train students as peer mediators, conflict managers, tutors, mentors, and peer counselors. The techniques that students would learn in peer mediation, conflict resolution, tutoring, mentoring and peer counseling would help the students and their peers to make changes in the way that they get along with others and deal with their personal issues, as well as providing additional support among the peers.

 

 

 

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