It Takes a Village

“School counselors are advocates, leaders, collaborators and consultants who create systemic change” (ASCA Ethical Standards Preamble). Whether with administrators, parents or other stakeholders, we are no strangers to collaboration. We wear so many hats and have so many responsibilities that being able to work with and refer our students to other mental health professionals or outside agencies is essential.

My district is lucky enough to have a dedicated mental health counselor on staff, who regularly meets with our most high-risk and high-needs students. Unfortunately, many other schools may be losing this extraordinarily vital service because the state recently proposed budget cuts to the school-based counseling program that has left many (including me) stunned. These programs have been an integral part of New Jersey education services since the 1980s and in some cases are the only source of mental health support for students who may have limited access to outside resources. One of these school-based counselors started a petition to save these programs in schools. As of this writing, the Change.org petition had about 35,000 signatures.

Part of our ethical obligation to our students is to “attempt to establish a collaborative relationship with outside service providers to best serve students” (ASCA Ethical Standard A.6.f.). With budget cuts looming, the arising new concerns due to COVID and the other mental health matters we deal with daily, collaboration is necessary – now more than ever.  
I am a firm believer in the old adage “It takes a village to raise a child,” and I believe this simple saying points us directly to the significance of collaboration.

I think sharing resources (collaboration!) is tremendously important, so in closing I provide quick access to some resources.

• The Department of Human Services has the Directory of Mental Health Services, this directory is sorted by New Jersey county, making it easy to find resources in your area.
• New Jersey Mental Health Cares offers behavioral health information and referral services, and they can be reached via phone or email.
• Another great resource is NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), which offers support groups and a helpline. Some NAMI affiliates offer an array of peer-led programs that provide free education, skills training and support.

Pro Tip: Take some time within your department to develop a list of local mental health providers and community resources for a quick resource that you can give to your students and families.

Contact Ashley Pritchard, NJSCA at-large board member, at Apritchard091@gmail.com.