Running head: MY PHILOSOPHY OF SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAMS

My Philosophy of School Counseling Programs

Cassie Wolf
Kansas State University

My Philosophy of School Counseling Programs

MY PHILOSOPHY OF SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAMS

When implementing a school counseling program there are several thing that I believe
are important in making it successful. The first thing is creating a program focus that is based on
a solid mission and set of beliefs. Second, it will act as a program that involves everyone in the
school building and not just as a job position. Finally, it will continually strive to improve and
grow.
The first step to creating a solid program is a mission statement. This creates a foundation
for a school counseling program that guides focus and direction. When creating the school
counseling program mission it should align with the schools mission statement. This shows
support for the schools goals while also adding its own unique aspect to reaching those goals.
An effective mission statement takes the schools vison into account, is created with the students
as the primary focus, advocated for the success of every student, and indicates the desired result
for the students (American School Counselor Association, 2012).
Along with the mission statement there should be a set of beliefs that guide behavior of
the counselor. Beliefs are personal ideas you have about supporting student success. When
working with others noting their beliefs can be an important topic to discuss in order to create an
understanding of everyones point of view and how it may affect decision making. Some beliefs
that I believe to be important to the role of the school counselor are as follows:

All students can achieve high standards and be successful

all students should have access to the school counseling program
all students ethnic, cultural, racial, sexual differences and special needs are considered

in planning and implementing the school counseling program

The school counseling program should be comprehensive and correspond with the

students developmental needs

The school counseling program is a vital part of the educational system
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MY PHILOSOPHY OF SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAMS

The school counseling program should be aligned with the ASCA National Model and
ASCA Ethical guidelines
A school counseling program should involve all faculty and staff within the building, not

just the counselor. A successful counseling program must incorporate the entire school and
sometimes community around the school. To create the changes that improve the educational
experience for students the school counselor cannot act alone. In order to do this there must be
an open line of communication with throughout the building and the school district. The school
counselor works with others in order to identify the needs of the school. Then they can use these
findings to identify ways in which the counseling program can benefit the students at their
school.
With the needs identified, the role of the school counselor is to then develop and
implement the school counseling program. They show leadership in the school by developing a
school counseling program that meets the needs of the building. A counselor acts as an advocate
for student, parents, teachers, and for themselves. They are they voice for those who are in need
of some type of intervention. Counselors will develop their programs around information they
learn from speaking with others involved in the school as well as from their own observations.
It is crucial to a school counseling program that it strives to keep growing and improving
the way in which it supports students. Without the drive to continually learn about new ways to
help the program it will not be an integral part of the school system and school officials will not
see the value in keeping it. Data can be used to improve the counseling program as well as to
defend what it is doing for students.

MY PHILOSOPHY OF SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAMS

The first form of data that must be taken is needs assessments. This can be given to
teacher, students, parents, and administrators in order to identify areas for improvement that are
specific to your school. The results of these assessments help to guide how youll develop and
change your program. It is vital to the program to make informed decisions about what your
program should focus on. There is a limited amount of time for a counselor to develop ways to
improve the learning experience in schools. By focusing the attention on the critical areas
identified in your data collection a counselor can decide what changes would be most beneficial
to the majority of students.
Another important aspect of the school counseling programs is to record important data.
This will be useful for evaluating the effectiveness of your program. As discussed earlier it is
important to continuously improve your program. Records and test can be used to assess the
effectiveness of different interventions implemented in your program. After interpreting the data
you can then adjust or eliminate anything that is not having the desired effect and be able to
defend what is working. It will be important to be able to show how the school counseling
programs is benefiting the students in order to maintain support and resources.
There is a lot to be considering when developing a school counseling program. Creating
a mission and a set of beliefs is the first step. You must use this to create a purpose for your
program that others can easily view. Working with others is also critical in creating any type of
change within the school. Without consulting with teachers, parents, and others you will not be
able to view the whole scope of the educational experience. These people also must be included
when implementing changes for them to work appropriately. Finally, collecting data for the
school counseling programs shows evidence for making and keeping the changes that have been

MY PHILOSOPHY OF SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAMS

made. This is something that is very important to do so that you know your program is having a
positive effect on students.

Resources

MY PHILOSOPHY OF SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAMS

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