The Role of the The Role of the Elementary Elementary CounselorCounselor

Jill H. Bowers M.S. Jill H. Bowers M.S. Psychology/School Psychology/School

CounselingCounseling

Why do we need Elementary Why do we need Elementary Counselors?Counselors?

• The Challenge: According The Challenge: According to the Children’s Defense to the Children’s Defense Fund’s “Everyday in Fund’s “Everyday in America,” everyday in the America,” everyday in the United States:United States:

• 3 Children and youths 3 Children and youths under 25 die from HIV under 25 die from HIV infectioninfection

• 6 children and youths 6 children and youths under 20 commit suicideunder 20 commit suicide

• 13 children and youths are 13 children and youths are homicide victimshomicide victims

• 16 children and youths 16 children and youths are killed by firearmsare killed by firearms

• 316 children under 18 are 316 children under 18 are arrested for violent crimesarrested for violent crimes

• 1,420 babies are born to 1,420 babies are born to teen mothersteen mothers

• 2,556 babies are born into 2,556 babies are born into povertypoverty

• 3,356 students drop out 3,356 students drop out each school dayeach school day

• 5,702 children under 18 are 5,702 children under 18 are arrestedarrested

• 7,128 students miss school 7,128 students miss school because of being scared or because of being scared or worried about being bulliedworried about being bullied

• 13, 076 public school 13, 076 public school students are suspended each students are suspended each school dayschool day

A Certified and/or Licensed A Certified and/or Licensed ProfessionalProfessional

• Having an elementary counselor at your Having an elementary counselor at your elementary school means that students elementary school means that students can connect with a highly trained can connect with a highly trained professional, affecting their academic professional, affecting their academic process. Counselors are adept at process. Counselors are adept at helping students work through their helping students work through their frustrations, sadness, anger, and fear so frustrations, sadness, anger, and fear so they can concentrate on their academic they can concentrate on their academic success.success.

The The Four DomainsFour Domains

• AcademicAcademic• CareerCareer• Personal SkillsPersonal Skills• Social SkillsSocial Skills

Counselors Implement Counselors Implement Effective Classroom Effective Classroom

GuidanceGuidance• Anger ManagementAnger Management• Being ProudBeing Proud• Bullying AwarenessBullying Awareness• Career Awareness and the Career Awareness and the

World of WorkWorld of Work• Conflict ManagementConflict Management• CooperationCooperation• Diverse FamiliesDiverse Families• Drug and Alcohol Drug and Alcohol

PreventionPrevention• Embracing DifferencesEmbracing Differences• SafetySafety• Decision- MakingDecision- Making• Study SkillsStudy Skills• StressStress

Elementary Counselors Elementary Counselors Provide Individual and Provide Individual and

Small Group CounselingSmall Group Counseling• Academic IndifferenceAcademic Indifference• Academic Academic

DevelopmentDevelopment• AngerAnger• Behavior ModificationBehavior Modification• Conflict ManagementConflict Management• Divorce/Changing Divorce/Changing

Family ReactionFamily Reaction• GriefGrief• Low Self-esteemLow Self-esteem• SadnessSadness• Setting GoalsSetting Goals

Other Services Elementary Other Services Elementary Counselors ProvideCounselors Provide

• Working with parents to help Working with parents to help their children reach their their children reach their personal and academic goalspersonal and academic goals

• Providing consultation with Providing consultation with teachers, administrators, school teachers, administrators, school psychologists and social workerspsychologists and social workers

• Making appropriate referrals to Making appropriate referrals to outside agencies and social outside agencies and social services when appropriateservices when appropriate

• Working with specialized Working with specialized populations and needs that populations and needs that require special attention, such as require special attention, such as culturally diverse populations culturally diverse populations and students of varying abilitiesand students of varying abilities

• Developing students’ career Developing students’ career awareness as a lifelong process awareness as a lifelong process of forming basic values, attitudes, of forming basic values, attitudes, and interests regarding their and interests regarding their future world of workfuture world of work

• Being a leader in school Being a leader in school improvementimprovement

Elementary Counselors Elementary Counselors ROCK!!!ROCK!!!