President’s Letter: Strength in Numbers

The Importance of Working with Our Students’ Families

As school counselors, one of our ultimate goals is to be an advocate for students and to help students advocate for themselves. To create systemic change, we cannot do this alone. We need the help and support of other stakeholders, particularly our students’ families. According to the ASCA National Model (2012) and the Alabama State Department of Education Comprehensive Counseling Model (2003). an important component of the school counselors’ role is collaboration. School counselors are to “support active partnerships for student learning and career planning” (ALSDE, 2003).

Building meaningful relationships with a student’s family can be one of the best ways to advocate for a student. A student’s home support may be a parent, but it also may be an aunt, an uncle, a foster parent, grandparents, etc. So what can we, as school counselors, do to improve our communication and build stronger relationships with the families of our students?  Here are a few tips to keep in mind when working with families.

1. Continue to work on your multicultural competency. As counselors, we must reflect on our own social location and consider the social location of our students and their families. Social location encompasses many factors such as race, gender, abilities, religion, socio-economic status, sexual orientation and education. Acknowledging these differences is important as is working to understand the experiences and perceptions of the individuals with whom we meet.
2. Be prepared to refer families to appropriate resources when needed. This may mean being knowledgeable of area resources such as food, clothing, or bill payment assistance. However, it also includes providing details about articles, books, or other materials that will help the family understand the issue at hand. For example, you might provide information on the grief process if a child has experienced the death of a loved one. Last, be prepared to assist families in finding outside counselors when necessary. Get to know the counselors in your area who can assist with eating disorders, depression, anxiety, trauma, etc. It is a good rule of thumb to keep an easy-to-grab document with area resources.
3. Use a solution-focused approach when working with families. For example, highlight the positives or strengths you notice about the student/family and assist the family in thinking through their own strengths. One helpful technique counselors may find useful is the sandwich approach: start with a positive, discuss the problem, and end with a positive.

You can find more useful tips for working with families by reading the article School Counselors' Roles in Developing Partnerships with Families and Communities for Student Success, by Joyce Epstein and Frances Van Voorhis. I wish you all success as you continue to build meaningful partnerships with your students and their families!
 
Contact Maegen Vick, ALSCA president, at mrvick@auburnschools.org.