President’s Letter: Consulting with Colleagues Near and Far

In our profession, we often encounter “gray area” topics or conversations. When we encounter these situations, school counselors know to consult the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors and our publications and position statements. When the answer can’t be found “in the book,” however, it is important to consult with other professionals (colleagues, supervisors, counselor educators, professional association ethics committee, etc.). We all must have a readily accessible support network of professionals.

For instance, I was recently emailed about “universal screening for early identification of students at risk” by school counselors in northwest Washington. In my southwest corner of Washington, no one is talking about universal screening. I haven’t thought through issues pertaining to selecting a screener, ensuring staff are appropriately trained, informing parents, protecting students’ privacy, having corresponding services for students, and how this all might fit in the context of school counselors' primary duty to implement a comprehensive program. So, my colleagues from northwest Washington and I consulted ASCA position statements on Comprehensive School Counseling Programs; Identification, Prevention and Intervention of Behaviors that Are Harmful and Place Students at Risk; Multitiered System of Supports; Student Mental Health; and Use of Support Staff in School Counseling Programs. We also reviewed (1) a July ASCA School Counselor magazine article by Dr. Carolyn Stone having to do with suicide assessments, (2) an article titled “Using Universal Screening for Early Identification of Students at Risk: A Case Example from the Field” that appeared in Professional School Counseling, and (3) the Washington State Comprehensive School Counselor and Guidance Program Model.

Finding no definite answers in any of those source documents, we looped in the talented Louise Berman, who chairs our WSCA Ethics Committee. Louise and her committee shared their own thoughts on the matter with several insightful emails and a formalized response. In the end, I still don’t have a firm position myself on the role of a school counselor in implementing universal screening. I would have to make the very unsatisfying statement that it just depends.

A very similar issue came up in my own district recently with respect to school counselors providing “room service” by going into classrooms in which students are having difficulty managing their behavior (as opposed to students going to the counseling office when the same thing happens). Are we teaching social/emotional learning, is it discipline, is it consistent with our role in supporting the strategic goals of a school, or is that a “non-school counseling task”? Again, I think it depends. But I do know we must talk it through as a counseling team and also seek feedback from outside our district for perspective.

We all deal with these issues and topics in the gray. If you don’t have a strong network for collaboration, I encourage you to build one. Our WSCA board, for instance, is always happy to hear from members. Our email addresses are available on our website. You can also float questions on social media and we’ll be happy to interact with you that way. Another option is simply to build connections with neighboring schools or districts. I've never met another school counselor who wasn’t willing to help a colleague talk through a tough question. We're all in this together. Collaboration makes us stronger as a profession.
 
Contact Brian Mathieson, Ed.D., NBCT, WSCA president, at brianmathiesonwsca@gmail.com or on Twitter at @MathiesonBri.