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Peer Reviewed Article: Family Engagement: A Collaborative, System approach for Middle School Counselors 

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Peer Reviewed Article: Family Engagement: A Collaborative, System approach for Middle School Counselors 

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Early Adolescence is a period of interpersonal and  intrapersonal transformation: middle school counselors need to provide services that appropriately match their students and their families developmental needs. A collaborative, systematic approach is an effective way that a school counselor can work with other school-based professionals to support and engage parental/caregiver involvement. The article below how Counselors approach systematic change as the collaborator with her students and their families.
Reference: The Ohio State University, (2018) Dollarhide,. & Miranda, & Zyromski. Retrieved from https://etd.ohiolink.edu/!etd.send_file?accession=osu1523473250075462&disposition=inline

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Safe Environment and Practices for Creating Safe and Successful Schools When Using Collaboration in School Counseling. 

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Safe Environment and Practices for Creating Safe and Successful Schools When Using Collaboration in School Counseling. 

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When it comes to creating a highly collaborative classroom, reachers need to be model listening, paraphrasing, artful questioning, and negotiating. Collaborations can advance teacher learning, address context-specific issues, foster collegiality, and reduce teacher isolation.
Fully integrate learning supports(e.g., behavioral mental health, and social services), Instruction, and school management within a comprehensive, cohesive approach that facilitates multidisciplinary collaboration. Implement multitiered systems of support that encompass prevention, wellness promotion, and interventions that increase with the intensity based on student need, and that promote close school community collaboration.

Reference:
http://www.nassp.org/school-improvement
Breaking Ranks: The Comprehensive Framework for School Improvement, 2011

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My Life as a Middle School Counselor by Carol Miller

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My Life as a Middle School Counselor by Carol Miller

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This short clip briefly shows what a counselors life looks like through photos. She includes pictures of her students and different interactions she has with them. Those being lunch, activities, classroom activities, and holidays. It is a collaboration with her students and the lessons she has for them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrjBWHBBK2U

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Collaboration is to work with all stakeholders both inside and outside of the school system, to develop and implement educational programs that support students. It's a challenging risk that first requires us to understand and appreciate the contributions others make to educate children. (Brian Mathieson, 2017)

Reference:
American School Counselor Association. (2017) Lessons in Collaboration in School Counseling. Mathieson, B.

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Collaborative Counseling is a place to explore problems, candid conversations, brainstorm potential solutions, and reflect on alternatives. Collaboration is about negotiating the goals for counseling and deciding on a pathway to reach them. Some include, voicing different opinions, concerns, curiosity, questions, and ideas about the direction counseling. Others such as what has been helpful, what is missing counseling, and/or not working.
(Bohart & Tallman, 1999; Duncan & Miller, 2000)

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Integrating a Multi-Tiered System of Supports with Comprehensive School Counseling

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Integrating a Multi-Tiered System of Supports with Comprehensive School Counseling

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Students are able to learn with support in a proactive and preventative system that includes the collaboration of the support from their family, academic and community. The MTSS has three tiers in which there is primary, secondary and tertiary; with primary helping in preventative problems to secondary and tertiary focusing on the high needs of the student/client.  (Ziomek-Daigle, 2016)

Ziomek-Daigle, J. G.-S. (2016). Integrating a Mutl-Tiered System of Supports with Comprehensive School Counseling. Professional Counselor , 220-232.

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A useful resource guide for counselors, from one counselor to another in ideas, advice, tips, and resources. http://confidentcounselors.com/

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It's okay to talk to someone, anyone, because there is always someone willing to listen.

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We make our own paths and can help others find their path in their life too by putting our steps forward and making the change.

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I feel it is a person, albeit, professional that is able to use their voice and expertise in having the confidence to help others find their inner voice they had otherwise been told was not there, whether through social factors or traumatic experiences. The professional, in this case, the counselor, is able to help the client/student see their potential as more than what they had succumb to believe or not feel the support of actually being able to pursue in their life.
Examples of advocacy for a safe environment are making initial contact with the client/student and assessing their home environment is safe from harm or potential danger. Discussing with the client/student their school experience and addressing any bullying or intimidation by peers or school personnel.
A counselor can help with a client/students academic success by assessing data from assessments and academic staff, like teachers or other school staff. The counselor can also discuss with the client/student and their family what type of struggles they are experiencing with their learning and learning environment.
When a counselor is able to get the support of others in a collaborative efforts one example can be holding an individual education plan with the client/student, parents/guardians and the school administration, including the teacher(s) in an effort to help the student succeed in their educational efforts.

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ACA Advocacy Competencies: Social Justice Advocacy at the Client/Student Level

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ACA Advocacy Competencies: Social Justice Advocacy at the Client/Student Level

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Counseling professionals need to advocates for the client/student change. Situations call for direct interventions, advocacy with or on behalf of an individual, and when interventions are called for on a micro level and macro level approach. Counselors are able to use their professional training and experience in order to help the client/student be heard and better served in their needs. As a counselor they are able to help guide the client/student to resources and services that can help them with their needs, whether it is through academic, social or emotional problems they are facing. As counselors it is important to help the client/student find their voice and gain the empowerment they need to be able to achieve goals that are attainable for their life and well-being. The counselor needs to be able to help them through the struggles of the process and how to overcome barriers that may stand in the way through resource support and other professionals as part of the success team in the client/students life. (Ratts, 2009)

Ratts, M. &. (2009). ACA Advocacy Competencies: Social Justice Advocacy at the Client/Student Level. Journal of Counseling and Development , 269-275.

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https://youtu.be/8wASNE6UebM
The counselor is addressing the developmental needs and how they can help meet those needs on a personal/social, academic and career level. The counselor is involved in meeting the the needs of the client and student by the breakdown of three types of counseling that are from the classroom guidance, to group counseling and finally individual counseling. Counseling is determined by data and collaborative efforts of the support team.

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In reading pages 1-21, I focused on the two themes leadership and systemic change.  The theme of leadership discusses what school counselor leadership looks like under the ASCA national model. Leadership is a skill necessary and important for school counselors to possess and utilize in order to build an effective school counseling program that empowers students and creates opportunities for academic success.
Systemic change discusses how a comprehensive school counseling program can positively impact the school system and students creating positive change. School counselors must be advocates for change that eliminates barriers and inequities that hinder the academic success of students. The ASCA national model also describes the six stages of systemic change and gives examples of ways school counselors advocate fo these changes.

Reference:
American School Counselor Association. (2012). ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Author.

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Peer reviewed article: A safe school climate: A systemic approach and the school counselor

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Peer reviewed article: A safe school climate: A systemic approach and the school counselor

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This article discussed how an unsafe school climate can negatively impact students academic success. School violence is continuing to be a growing problem.  Hernandez and Seem describe school violence in this article as anything that causes fear for a student and not just physical violence.  Ridiculing a student, bullying and racial slurs would constitute violence according to the authors.  School counselors have the skills, education, knowledge and qualifications according to Hernandez and Seem, to address school climate and create a change. Schools that have safe school climates have strong leadership, administrators and staff that work together to make sure the climate is a safe one. This is where school counselors can use their skills to lead and implement programs that promote fairness and equity, build character and create respectful environments for everyone ( Hernandez & Seem, 2004).
This article is relevant to Middle school counselors as creating a safe environment for students is a priority.

Reference:
Hernández, T., & Seem, S. (2004). A Safe School Climate: A Systemic Approach and the School Counselor. Professional School Counseling, 7(4), 256-262. Retrieved from www.jstor.org/stable/42732589

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Course reference: Introduction to special issue-The school counselor as a leader

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Course reference: Introduction to special issue-The school counselor as a leader

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The article Introduction to special issue- The school counselor as a leader mentions the influence that the Transforming school counselor initiative has had on the profession over the years. The ASCA national model points out the importance of school counselors as leaders by placing leadership as one of the four core themes. This article highlights six articles that are demonstrative of school counselors delivering on social justice- advocacy, leadership, collaboration, systemic change as well as other important and necessary strides. School counseling has evolved and continues to evolve. School counselors as leaders provides more direction for the profession, students and education (Curry & DeVoss, 2009).

Reference:
Curry, J. R., & DeVoss, J. A. (2009). Introduction to special issue: The school counselor as leader. Professional School Counseling, 13(2), 64–67.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases

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Systemic Change- Changing policies, inequities and attitudes so barriers are demolished and all students have an opportunity for academic success (ASCA, 2012, p.8).

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Systemic Change- Changing policies, inequities and attitudes so barriers are demolished and all students have an opportunity for academic success (ASCA, 2012, p.8).

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Systemic change is important in the mission to create safe schools and academic success for all students.  One way middle school counselors fighting for systemic change can create a safe environment at school is to bring awareness to school safety issues and work to change eradicate these issues (ASCA, 2012, p.9) . Students that do not have clear behavioral expectations and consequences can create an unsafe school climate. Implementing policies and procedures that address violent behavior and outlines consequences is another way that school counselors  can use systemic change to create a safe environment in the school(Hernandez & Seem, 2004, p.256).
Middle school counselors can utilize systemic change to ensure the success of all students by using the data to bridge achievement gaps. Creating interventions and programs for special education and rigorous curriculum that help advanced level students. Middle school counselors can also work to create an environment of diversity. Creating a diverse environment for students and staff can help all students feel positive and do achieve better.
The middle school counselor can collaborate with school staff, parents and school leaders to create a foundation that is strong and supportive. The school counseling programs success is grounded in the foundation. Having a positive collaborative relationship with stakeholders is important. (ASCA, 2012, p.21).

References:
American School Counselor Association. (2012). ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Author.

Hernández, T., & Seem, S. (2004). A Safe School Climate: A Systemic Approach and the School Counselor. Professional School Counseling, 7(4), 256-262. Retrieved from www.jstor.org/stable/42732589

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Middle School counselors must work to remove barriers and close achievement gaps in education. Advocating for policy changes at the state and federal levels are ways to make sure that real change happens. Change won't happen if we don't fight for it.

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Middle School counselors must work to remove barriers and close achievement gaps in education. Advocating for policy changes at the state and federal levels are ways to make sure that real change happens. Change won't happen if we don't fight for it.

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Clip art retrieved from:
https://www.dreamstime.com/illustration/changes.html

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Middle school counselors are leaders in creating diverse programs that benefit all students. Creating a climate of diversity makes all students feel important.

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Middle school counselors are leaders in creating diverse programs that benefit all students. Creating a climate of diversity makes all students feel important.

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Clip art retrieved from: http://clipartmag.com/leader-clipart

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Leadership- Leading and guiding others to achieve goals (ASCA, 2012, p.1).

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Leadership- Leading and guiding others to achieve goals (ASCA, 2012, p.1).

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Middle school counselors demonstrate leadership in creating effective school counseling programs in the school. Developing comprehensive school counseling programs that meet the needs of the school, is data driven and supports the academic success of all students (ASCA, 2012, p.11-12).
School counselors also demonstrate leadership in helping students reach academic success by facilitating guidance lessons that teach test taking skills, anger management skills and other skills that contribute to social and emotional growth.
They are leaders in advocating for all students. Creating programs and groups that are inclusive and help create a safe school environment for all students. Starting bully prevention programs and having things in place to deter this behavior, helps to create a safe school environment.  It can also teach students that they can speak up, tell an adult and help to create a positive safe environment for themselves and other students.
Creating different diverse activities and lessons for students in middle school can help students be more accepting and tolerant  of others. A diverse school environment can help ensure that school is a safe place for all of its students.
School counselors that are leaders in middle schools collaborate with teachers, parents and administrators to create individualized education plans based on data to close achievement gaps for students.

Reference:
American School Counselor Association. (2012). ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Author.