School Counselor

Beliefs

We believe health and well-being are essential for students to learn, teachers to teach, and individuals to flourish.  To live out this belief we:

• Affirm each student's identity, ways of being and knowing, strengths, perspectives, and contributions.

• Understand the effects of stress, adversity, injustice, inequity, and trauma.  

• Advocate for a safe, predictable, consistent, equitable, and nurturing school where each student feels secure, connected, valued, and successful - where each student's voice is represented - where each student can show up as their best, authentic self - where each student thrives.  

• Develop individual and collective agency, belonging, and purpose. 

• Help students understand and value themselves and others, be intentional with their thoughts, emotions, and words, and act in accordance with their values.  We help students understand their power and their impact.

• Empower students to honor themselves and others - to value the ways of being and knowing, perspectives, experiences, and contributions of others.

• Support students learning in inclusive communities with one another - honoring and caring for one another, helping each other, and solving problems together.

• Teach students to  develop healthy identities, regulate thoughts and emotions, achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.  

• Inspire students to be their best selves.

We align our work with the beliefs and core values of District 6:

• CHARACTER:  In D6, we believe character is nurturing the intrinsic fortitude to be your best you.

• RELATIONSHIPS:  In D6, we believe healthy relationships are based in a connected community whose members share common experiences. Individuals in different groups recognize each other’s value to the greater good and communicate that with appreciation and empathy. Efforts are made to maintain approachability, listening with attempts to understand and commitment to the wellbeing of the whole.

• ACHIEVEMENT:  In D6, we believe achievement is accomplished through great effort, courage and skill by providing rich inquiry, meaningful work, opportunities for critical thinking, and outlets for creativity. With input and support from our community, families and schools, we strive to reach and exceed our individual and collective established goals.

• SAFETY:  In D6, we believe our students, staff, and community should feel free from physical, emotional, social, and or mental, harm or danger. We strive to create consistent, predictable, and secure environments where people can be themselves and thrive.

• EQUITY:  In D6, we believe in the qualities of being, just, fair and impartial by removing barriers and providing accessibility.

• INNOVATION:  In D6, we believe innovation addresses the challenges of a complex world in new and different ways to meet the needs of our students, staff, families and community. Innovation requires a commitment to adaptability, curiosity, creativity, risk-taking, critical thinking and the pursuit of excellence.

Vision

It is our vision that each student will grow up to live, work, and learn in a community where they are valued, connected, and know they belong.  Each student honors the dignity of others; realizes their own knowledge, talents, value, worth, and resilience; and are contributing, productive citizens, community members, and neighbors.  Each student takes the initiative to enhance their community, their society, and our planet. 

Mission

At Hanby, we help students become self-aware, caring, responsible, engaged, lifelong learners who work together to achieve personal and collective goals.  Our students:

• understand themselves fully as human beings.

• connect with and support one another.

• make responsible and caring decisions.

We hold the security and dignity of each student.  We address inequities and, with students, create a caring, just, inclusive, and healthy school in which each student flourishes.

Each student at Hanby will confidently navigate the opportunities and challenges of a complex world by:

• managing and expressing their emotions, 

• advocating for themselves and others, 

• setting appropriate boundaries, 

• empathizing to develop and maintain healthy and caring relationships, 

• communicating effectively, 

• taking responsibility for their actions, 

• learning from their mistakes, 

• resolving conflicts, 

• owning their impact on others and repairing harm created by their speech or actions, 

• setting and achieving goals.

Frameworks

Our program is defined by the following standards and frameworks:

• Transformative Social and Emotional Learning Standards

• Mental Health in Education   

• Comprehensive School Counseling

• Student Mindsets & Behaviors

• Ethical Standards for School Counselors

• School Counselor Professional Standards & Competencies

Services

Our program is available to all students at Hanby and CAMP - free of charge.  We recognize and build upon strengths and diversity.  We celebrate the unique qualities, resilience, and healing potential of students, individually and collectively.  Our services include:

Instruction

We teach classes, small groups, and individuals with the intent to help all students maximize their potential by enhancing academic, social/emotional, and career development.  We use ODE's standards to guide our instruction.

Emotion Regulation

We provide a space for students to calm when their thoughts and emotions overwhelm them.  During these visits, we teach students the foundations of Neuroscience and the Science of Learning and teach them calming and stress-management skills.  We utilize the RULER approach (from Yale) to teach students about their nervous systems and  to regulate their attention/focus, thoughts, and emotions so that they can make the most out of their time at school.

Appraisal  and Advisement

We help students understand their values, abilities, interests, talents, and skills.   With this information, we work with students to establish short- and long- term goals, develop plans, and make decisions for their future.  Our ultimate goal is to inspire students to realize their full potential.

Individual and Group Counseling

When situations, concerns, and issues interfere with students' growth, we provide solution-focused, short-term individual or small group counseling sessions.  We help students make positive changes to better cope or adapt to life stressors, to accomplish goals (related to mental health, wellness, or education), and to establish and maintain healthy relationships.  We frequently help students with academic problems, relationship issues, grief and loss, abuse, and stress management.   The goal is to promote students' personal and social growth and foster their educational progress.   

Although we do not provide long-term mental health therapy, we respond to student mental health needs and can assist students and families seeking community resources and referrals.

Crisis Intervention

We provide support and assistance to students and families as they navigate crises and emergencies.  We work closely with the student, family, administration, and community partners to ensure the student is safe a receives the necessary care.

Collaboration, Consultation, and Referrals

We work closely with teachers, students, and families to provide support when students struggle at school. From daily/weekly check-ins to supporting a student in developing positive relationships with teachers and staff.   It is our goal to assist all students in recognizing their own abilities to problem solve, ask for help, self-advocate, and reach academic and self-success.  At times, we may also teach lessons in the classroom and/or collaborate with teachers in teaching and supporting their students.

We’ve found that it truly does “take a village”, and we frequently reach out to our district and community partners to join us in supporting our students. 

Confidentiality

Trust is at the heart of my work with students.  To build and maintain trust, I must protect confidentiality.  Confidentiality is vital to the care and support I provide to students, however, there are four exceptions to confidentiality as follows (these are times I’m obligated to break confidentiality):

1. If someone is harming or threatening to harm the student.

2. The student is threatening to harm themselves or someone else.

3. Court ordered disclosure of student information.

4. Permission is given by the student or guardian.

As a mandated reporter, we are held by legal obligation to report to the appropriate authorities if a student, child, or member of a vulnerable population is in danger or being abused.

Informed consent is also another important part of the school counselor, student, and caregiver working relationship. Informed consent happens when the counselor, student, and caregiver have discussed information about the purpose, goals, rules of procedure, and limits of confidentiality that may happen during counseling and the student and caregiver agree to the conditions.