Professional School Counseling ─ Best Practices for Working in the Schools

Today’s children and adolescents are constantly facing new and unique challenges, and school counselors must respond to this by expanding their role and function within the schools. This revised and expanded edition of Thompson’s important text explores these issues, as well as the necessary steps school counselors need to take in order to adapt and effectively deal with them. Thompson advocates for the need for standards-based school counseling, outlining the framework and benefits of the ASCA National Model® and comprehensive guidance and counseling programs. She addresses the newest research in implementing evidence-based practices; the mental health issues that may be faced by children and adolescents; consulting with teachers, parents, administrators, and the community; and crisis intervention and management. New to this edition are chapters that focus on minority and disenfracnshised students and emphasize the need for school counselors to be able to advocate, coordinate, and collaborate on services for these students and their families. This is an essential resource for every school counselor in a time when the profession is becoming increasingly important.

Rosemary A. Thompson, EdD, NCC, NCSC, is an associate professor in the Master’s Degree program in School and Community Counseling at Regent University.

Part I: Background, Fundamentals, and Models. History of School Counseling from Guidance Worker to Professional School Counselor and a Standards-based Program Model. Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Programs (CGCP): A Developmental Approach for Professional School Counseling. The Evolution of Accountability and Three Current Models of Program Evaluation to Close the Achievement Gap Among All Students, Including Minority Students and Children of Poverty. A Profile of Child and Adolescent Well-being: A Call for Action. Part II: Culture, Diversity, Ethics, and Legal Issues. A Profile for Child and Adolescent Well-being: Implications for Primary Prevention and Intervention Initiative with Evidence-based Practices. The Professional School Counselor's Role: Consulting with Teachers, Parents, and Other Support Personnel. The Professional School Counselor's Role in Academic and Career Planning. Special Programs for Academically Disenfranchised Students: Promoting Achievement and Advancement of First-generation College and University Students. Part III: Applications. Children with Disabilities: The Long and Winding Road to a Free and Appropriate Public Education. The Professional School Counselor's Role in Understanding Cultural Diversity and Sexual Minority Youth. Part IV: Consultation, Accountability, and Self-care. Advocating for the Mental Health Needs of Children and Adolescents. Real Counseling in the Schools: Implementing Solution-Focused Brief Counseling, Problem-solving Groups, Psychoeducational Groups, and Srudent Success Skills to Meet the Needs of All Students. Crisis Intervention and Crisis Management Strategies for School-based Response Teams. Ethical and Legal Issues for Professional School Counselors. Professional Development and Personal Renewal.