School Counseling Program Summary

The Cane Creek Middle School Counseling Program strives to assist all students with educational, personal, social, and career development goals.  Our School Counseling services and activities are of a developmental nature in that they contribute to the school’s mission of educating the whole child.  We offer a comprehensive program of services that is preventive and confidential in nature, while also responding to individual needs and situations.  Each grade level counselor has a mailbox on the grade level hall for students to leave notes or request a meeting with their counselor.  The CCMS Counseling Program includes the following components:

Counseling

Counselors offer Individual and Small Group Counseling for students.  The counselor focuses on developing a relationship with the student, problem solving, decision-making, peer and family relationships, and other issues.  School Counseling is brief in nature and students with more intense needs will be referred to a community agency or therapist.  Counseling sessions are a legally privileged form of communication and include techniques and approaches based on the counselor’s training and professional judgment.

Small Group Counseling is a very effective and time-efficient way of helping middle school students.  It is our belief that students learn important lessons from group interaction with their peers.  The groups are psycho-educational in content and counselors will share their curricula, if asked.  Topics for small groups may include:  Stress Management, Anger Management, Grief/Loss, Social/Interpersonal skills, Changing Families, Self-esteem, Academic Motivation, and Substance Abuse.

Consultation

Counselors assist parents, teachers, administrators, and community agency representatives by offering consultative services to help understand and respond to the developmental needs of students.

Program Planning - Counselors work as a team to develop and meet yearly goals.  Evaluations are used to determine accomplishments and areas to address in the future.

Student Appraisal - Counselors help interpret student records, as well as cognitive, aptitude, and achievement test results and other student data.

Coordination

Counselors are advocates for all students and coordinate their program to respond to their needs.  This may include making referrals to community agencies, assisting in integrating guidance activities into the school curriculum, being participants on the Crisis Team, Care Team, and other school-based programs.

Professional Practice and Development

Counselors adhere to the ethical standards established by the American School Counseling Association and seek to enhance their skills and knowledge through professional development workshops and conferences.