# data[].attributes.body
On this test, I score as "no automatic preference between straight and gay people". This doesn't really surprise me because I have worked with all types of different people over the years and have a wide variety of friends. What I do find interesting about this is that I, according to the overall results, nearly half of those taking this test have either a strong or moderate preference for straight people. It seems that, in general, there is a relatively strong bias against gay people that I will need to take into consideration as a school counselor so that I work for acceptance for all student groups.

# data[].attributes.body
My advocacy issue is teen relationship violence.

References
Department of Health and Social Services, 2019 Alaska Youth Risk Behavior Survey Highlights (n.d.)

# data[].attributes.headline
Philosophy of School Counseling Statement

# data[].attributes.subject
Philosophy of School Counseling Statement

# data[].attributes.body
Core Beliefs About Student Achievement

I believe that all students can achieve their goals and be successful throughout their lives.  There are different types of achievements: academic, career, and emotional and students need all three areas to have the best outcome as these areas build on each other.  For example, if students can achieve a positive emotional state, they will have more success in academic achievement which will lead to achievement in the career area.  Every student is a unique individual with great capacity to achieve but, as they are still children, they need caring adults to guide them along their path.

School Counselor’s Role as Advocate

The school counselor has an imperative to advocate for all students.  In every school, there is a wide range of students representing all socio-economic levels, academic levels, gender identities and all of them would benefit from help from the school counselor.  For example, a student who is struggling with their parent’s divorce and having some negative behaviors at school would benefit from advocacy by the counselor communicating with teachers and administration so they could adjust their strategies in addressing the behavior, in addition to visits to the school counselor to help them get through their difficulties.  One group of students that greatly needs the advocacy of a school counselor are LGBTQ students.  According to Abreu et al, over 80% of these students reported being bullied by peers and over 50% reported hearing negative remarks from teachers and school staff (2016).  School counselors must advocate for these students with both fellow students and school staff.

How Ethical Standards Guide School Counselors

The ethical standards help guide school counselors in a wide variety of situations.  The role of a school counselor involves working with minors along with potentially sensitive information regarding the students.  These standards help clarify the ethical issues that might be encountered as a school counselor.  One standard that stands out to me is B-PF 6: “Demonstrate understanding of the impact of cultural, social and environmental influences on student success and opportunities” (ASCA, 2019).  This means that the counselor must take the time to understand each student’s specific situation to best help that student.

Vision Statement

As a school counselor, it is my responsibility to assist all students to achieve their emotional, academic and career goals.  It is also essential that I advocate for any and all students that are struggling while adhering to the ethical standards of the school counseling profession.

References

Abreu, R.L, Black, W.W., Mosely, D.V., & Fredewa, A.L. (2016). LGBTQ youth bullying experience in schools: The role of school counselors within a system of oppression. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 11 (3-4), 325-342.

American School Counselor Association (2019). The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (4th ed.). Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association

# data[].attributes.headline
School Counselor Competence Assessment Results

# data[].attributes.subject
School Counselor Competence Assessment Results

# data[].attributes.body
While working through the School Counselor Competency Assessment, I realized that even though I have worked in education as a teacher for over 15 years, there is so much I don’t know about school counselors and their jobs.  This was a very eye-opening exercise for me to evaluate my strengths and weaknesses.  It’s important to reflect on these things in order keep growing in this career.

Strengths

I found I had several strengths as I was evaluating myself.  I feel confident with my skills in the Mindsets areas, and this is likely because I work in education.  As a teacher, I strongly agree with M1 “Every student can learn, and every student can succeed” (ASCA, 2019).  Another area I felt confident in was B-PF 2 “Demonstrate understanding of educational systems, legal issues, policies, research and trends in education” (ASCA, 2019).  I understand how educational systems work and what all the parts of that system are.  A third area of strength for me would be B-PF 6 “Demonstrate understanding of the impact of cultural, social and environmental influences on student success and opportunities” (ASCA, 2019).  In my teaching career, I have taught a wide variety of students in four states.  This has given me experience with an array of students from different cultures and backgrounds.  A final strength for me is B-SS 1 “Design and implement instruction aligned to the ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success in large-group, classroom, small-group and individual settings” (ASCA, 2019).  The is really the bread and butter of teaching so I feel very confident in this skill.

Growth Opportunities

I found several opportunities for growth in my self-evaluation.  The first opportunity is B-PF 7 “Demonstrate leadership through the development and implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program” (ASCA, 2019).  I don’t feel confident about this as I have never taken on a leadership role in a school setting.  I also don’t feel that I am quite ready to take on the role of developing a school counseling program on my own.  I’m hoping that is something I will learn in my internship so I will gain confidence in this area. Another area of opportunity for me is B-SS 4 “Make referrals to appropriate school and community resources” (ASCA, 2019).  This is something that I need to learn more about as I’m not certain of the resources that exist in my community for students and families.  This is an area that I important to grow in because I will be using these resources frequently.  A last area of growth opportunity for me would be B-PE 8 “Establish and convene an advisory council for the comprehensive school counseling program” (ASCA, 2019).  This is and area that I feel that I have the least confidence in because it seems like an overwhelming task to try to figure out who to include and what the agenda would be for the group.

References

American School Counselor Association (2019). The ASCA national model: A framework for counseling programs (4th ed.). Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association.

# data[].attributes.body
On this test, I score with a "slight automatic association for Harmless Objects with Black Americans and Weapons with White Americans". This was an interesting result for me and I think, unfortunately, this is most likely a result of white privilege. I have been lucky to not live in a neighborhood with any level of gun violence. I grew up in a rural area of Illinois and it was common to see white men with guns (especially during hunting season).

# data[].attributes.headline
Reflection on the Effectiveness of School Counseling Programs

# data[].attributes.subject
Reflection on the Effectiveness of School Counseling Programs

# data[].attributes.body
I selected this article because substance use is a problem at the school I currently work at.  There have been multiple times when students have been caught vaping (nicotine) in the restroom and I have overheard conversations about using other things such as marijuana.  This article also discusses the pivotal role of the school counselor in implementing this program.

A study by Foss-Kelly, Generali, & Crowley shows the effectiveness of the "Making Choices and Reducing Risk" program on preventing substance use (2021).  This program is a type of MTSS (multi-tiered system of supports) and is designed to be a tier 1 (for all students) support (Foss-Kelly et al, 2021).  The results of using this program show that students because more aware of substance use, had a change of attitude about using substances, and caused substance use to stay at current levels rather than increasing (Foss-Kelly et al, 2021).  This is an early study on one intervention and, clearly, more research needs to be done.

This school year is the first school year that I have seen school counselors engage with students on this topic.  Our counselor is currently offering a group for students who want to stop vaping which is fairly well attended.  When I was a high school student in the 1980's, we has a "smoker's wall" right across from the school and no attempt was made at any interventions so I think things are definitely moving in the right direction.

References
Foss-Kelly, L. L., Generali, M. M., & Crowley, M. J. (2021). Making Choices and Reducing Risk (MCARR): School Counseling Primary Prevention of Substance Use. Professional Counselor, 11(3), 352–369.

# data[].attributes.headline
Effectiveness of School Counseling Programs

# data[].attributes.subject
Effectiveness of School Counseling Programs

# data[].attributes.body
References
Foss-Kelly, L. L., Generali, M. M., & Crowley, M. J. (2021). Making Choices and Reducing Risk (MCARR): School Counseling Primary Prevention of Substance Use. Professional Counselor, 11(3), 352–369.