Counselor Involvement in the Community

ASCA states:
“School counselors work with students, their families, school staff and community members in the implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program in establishing school and community partnerships that:

• promote student academic, career and social/emotional development
• inform the school community about relevant community resources
• actively pursue collaboration with family members and community stakeholders
• remove barriers to the successful implementation of school-family-community partnerships (e.g., mistrust and miscommunication between parties, resistance to the concept and practice, transportation and childcare issues, accessible meeting times)”

School counselors know that, given the unbalanced student-to-school-counselor ratios, community involvement becomes increasingly more challenging. However, counselors who involve and contribute to their communities know that community partners are vital to a successful school counseling program. To create community relationships, school counselors should take every opportunity to build connections and remove barriers with community partners.

Ways to Be More Active in Your Community

By Lyndsi Drysdale, USCA Board member

• Increase the types of school-community collaborative arrangements
  • Include local business in your Career Days, College Nights, Classroom Presentations, etc.
• Join your City Community Council to educate your community about your school and your school counseling program.
• Get your local businesses involved in projects you are doing within your school.
  • Are you trying to provide necessities for your students?
  • Are you looking for incentives or a reward system for your students?
  • Invite parents to the school to see what you do. Offer a platform where they can ask questions.
• Connect with your local youth organizations, get your name and school known.
  • You may find new resources to refer your students in this way.
  • Introduce yourself to your local health care and mental health services organizations.
  • Start connections so you have rapport when referring students.

Utah Counselors Who Are Getting Beyond Their Building

By Sheila Allen, USCA High School VP Elect

Take a moment to look at the good community works Utah School Counselors are involved in:

Provo High School and Timpview High School, Provo School District
The counselors worked with Comcast Cares and hundreds of volunteers who cleaned up their schools and donated funds to be used for education.

Skyline High School, Granite School District
Service Learning and Community of Caring in Granite School District

Juan Diego Catholic High School, Draper, Utah
How one school in Utah is teaching kids an invaluable lesson about community service


Herriman High School, Jordan School District
Herriman High Counselors, Teachers and Students Step Up in a Big Way to Help Hurricane Victims