Bridle Ridge Elementary School Counseling Services

This document is intended to provide information to parents and teachers about the services
that are offered by the school counseling program at Bridle Ridge Elementary School to meet
students’ needs.

Overview of the School Counseling Program

❖ The School Counseling Program is comprehensive and strives to provide services that
assist the overall development for ALL students in three areas: academic development,
personal/social development, and career development.
❖ The School Counseling Program helps ALL students develop critical skills to achieve
academic, social, and behavioral success by being proactive and preventative.
❖ The School Counseling Program provides services in the following four areas:
curriculum, student planning, responsive services, and system support.

Curriculum
❖ On a regular basis your School Counselor provides classroom lessons to ALL students
covering a variety of topics in the classroom setting. These lessons provide consistent
learning, language, and skill development, and allows the School Counselor to observe
and evaluate classroom and student needs.
❖ Curriculum has been developed by all K-12 counselors in accordance with Grade Level
Expectations as set forth by the Department of Secondary and Elementary Education.
Topics include: emotional development, coping skills, communication skills, friendships,
conflict resolution, tolerance, diversity, problem-solving, self-esteem, personal safety,
healthy choices, and career development.
❖ Students receive counseling lessons at least once per month with their class.

Student Planning
❖ Your School Counselor works with students individually to evaluate their abilities,
interests, skills, and achievements. This occurs during classroom lessons, group
counseling, and individual counseling.
❖ Your School Counselor assists with testing coordination, developing 504 plans,
developing behavioral plans, and observing the outcomes of such plans in order to make
any adjustments as needed to enhance the success of the student.

Responsive Services
 ❖ Consultation: Your School Counselor consults with teachers, administrators, support
staff, special education staff, behavior interventionists, parents/guardians, community
agencies, and medical professionals regarding strategies to assist students and families.
Your school counselor will serve as a student advocate in all consultation situations.
❖ Individual and Small Group Counseling: Your School Counselor provides individual
and/or small group counseling for those students that express difficulties dealing with
relationships, personal concerns, and developmental tasks.
➢ These services are provided upon completed referral by staff, students, and
parents, and are intended to be short-term to help students identify problems,
causes, and possible coping skills.
➢ During these sessions students will also develop goals to address their issues or
concerns.
➢ Your School Counselor DOES NOT provide clinical counseling services.

Referral: Your School Counselor can provide a list of resources for students needing
assistance dealing with suicidal ideation, violence, abuse, mental health issues, and family
difficulties.
 As always referrals are given to families as a resource and all parent/guardians are
encouraged to speak with their insurance agencies prior to obtaining services from
outside agencies to ensure that the services will be covered.

System Support: Your School Counselor is responsible for the management of the School
Counseling Program to ensure that all of its components are being implemented to the fullest
extent in order to provide the best possible services to ALL students.
 Professional Development: Your School Counselor is involved in updating and sharing
her professional knowledge and skills through trainings and staff meetings. Your School
Counselor also participates in multiple professional development opportunities
throughout the school year including those provided by GKCSCA, MSCA, and ASCA in
order to continue to further her training and development in providing services to
students.
 Collaboration: Your School Counselor collaborates with individuals on the following
teams:
 K-12 & K-5 School Counselors Teams
 Student Assistance Team
 Crisis Management Team
 504 Team
 Building Leadership Team
 Whole school initiatives (Conscious Discipline, BIST, MTSS)
 Program Management: Your School Counselor manages the School Counseling
Program by collecting and analyzing data from staff, students, and parents. This data is
used to adjust and enhance the program and includes planning and managing tasks
needed to support activities conducted by the program.

Confidentiality
 Your School Counselor develops confidential relationships with students and maintains
their confidentiality during all sessions. This means that information shared by students
through meetings will only be shared with others on a “need-to-know” basis, or with the
student’s consent.
 Your School Counselor works to maintain the privacy of students and their families.
When information needs to be shared, your School Counselor will assess who needs to
know and what information needs to be shared in order to best help students and their
families.

The School Counseling Program at Bridle Ridge Elementary School is aligned to the
standards set forth by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National
Model.