President's Letter: Sharing for Support

I am always looking for something positive out of any situation, but this has been particularly difficult when I think of our world during COVID-19 quarantine and beyond. However, I have had more opportunities to share information with school counselors this year. When it became a necessity to learn how to communicate in virtual meetings, we did, and it opened up opportunities to network with one another more frequently. I hope that you are able to have school counselor professional learning community (PLC) meetings regularly in your district. Even if it is not a scheduled meeting, look for opportunities to network with other school counselors. One suggestion is to make sure you are tapping into the great ideas that your colleagues are implementing. At our PLC meetings, each school took turns sharing a “counselor nugget” that was a best practice, new resource, or tech skill they had found that contributed to their comprehensive school counseling program.

Collaboration is a key to meeting the needs of our students. I have worked in school counseling for a long time. Even though it was decades ago, I can still distinctly remember one professor’s weekly reminder to make sure that we consult with other professionals as often as needed when questions or situations arise in which we need support. This can be challenging if you are the only school counselor in the building, which is why developing a support team is so important – this may include the school social worker, school nurse, school psychologist or counselors at nearby schools. In addition, many schools now have the option of providing school-based therapy delivered by local mental health agencies. Although these therapists may not be able to meet with a student who has not had an intake or received services from the agency, they may be able to recommend resources or consult with a school counselor on ideas to support the student in need.

I hope that as you get this email in your inbox, you are also participating in the NCSCA 2020 Be the Voice, Live the Vision conference or are watching one of the recorded sessions. We have some amazing presentations this year! We will also offer regional workshops this spring. Our regional vice presidents do an excellent job of recruiting speakers from mental health agencies, graduate counseling programs and school counselor professionals to cover topics that will address mental health trends and services. Those registrations will be on the NCSCA website soon, so check regularly. Finally, please vote for the upcoming slate of NCSCA officers. The deadline for members to vote is December 31.

Thank you for always being an outstanding advocate for each and every student who needs you. Keep in mind that promoting SEL is a goal of everyone in the school, not just the school counselors. Work with your administrators to provide staff development and encourage teachers to integrate SEL into students’ everyday learning across curricula areas.

Contact Ami Parker, 2020-21 NCSCA President at amiparker@gmail.com, and follow @NCSCA on Twitter and Facebook.