School Counseling and School Reentry During COVID-19

(Updated Aug. 15, 2022) When the COVID-19 pandemic began shuttering school buildings in March 2022, national organizations, including ASCA, National Association of School Psychologists, CASEL, AASA (School Superintendents Association) and others released detailed recommendations regarding school reentry. Among the issues addressed are multidisciplinary teams, addressing social emotional learning and academic needs, school safety protocols and equity and access considerations.

School Reentry Following a Public Health Crisis

According to the ASCA/NASP guide, School Reentry Considerations (PDF), among the key elements to consider are:

  • Reviewing guidance from local, state and federal agencies (U.S. Department of Education COVID-19 Handbook Vol. 1: Strategies for Safely Reopening Elementary and Secondary Schools)
  • Coordinating responses within and across schools and the community
  • Clearly communicating reentry, short-term recovery and long-term recovery plans with parents, families and other relevant community stakeholders.
  • Engaging in resource mapping to identify available resources and needs. This process should include an examination of existing school-based teams.
  • Mapping common goals and streamlining efforts to avoid duplication.
  • Making decisions around temporary reallocation of resources depending on need (e.g., repositioning school nurses if certain parts of the district report more cases of COVID-19).
  • Providing scripts for teachers and other staff to read to students to ensure consistent communication from a trusted and familiar adult.

AASA’s Guidelines for Reopening Schools points to a number of factors that may be especially relevant for school counselors, including:

  • Plan for multiple reopening scenarios and contingencies to ensure the health, safety and well-being of all Students and staff.
  • Ensure students’ and families’ equitable access to technology required for virtual learning.
  • Provide continuing support to students and adults to address their immediate and long-term physical, psychological, social and emotional needs.
  • Ensure all schools are trauma-informed and trauma-skilled.
  • Transform the teaching-learning-assessment process to ensure personalization, engagement and differentiation.

Additional Resources

School Reentry: The School Counselor’s Role (PDF)

Reunite, Renew and Thrive: Social Emotional Learning Roadmap for Reopening School (PDF)

Virtual School Counseling 

Planning for Virtual/Distance School Counseling During an Emergency Shutdown
Virtual Elementary School Counseling
Virtual Middle School Counseling
Virtual High School Counseling
School-Based Health Alliance COVID-19 Resources includes links to Listen & Learn Sessions, as well as a webinar series with the Weitzman Institute, “School-Based Health Centers in the Time of COVID-19
School Counselors for MTSS has developed resources for responding to COVID-19 using an MTSS-ASCA Model aigned framework

Career Development
Career One Stop, the U.S. Department of Labor’s career exploration tool
Google Expeditions, virtual field trips and AR experiences

Social/Emotional Development
BrainPOP provides movies with social/emotional learning components that students can watch and respond to.
CASEL has collected a number of resources to assist in addressing students’ social and emotional needs. Also download SEL Roadmap: Actions for a Successful Second Semester.
Centervention game-based behavior interventions help students practice social and emotional skills.
Inside SEL links to a number of social/emotional learning resources.
NEWSELA offers social/emotional learning lessons students can complete remotely.
Sanford Harmony at National University provides social and emotional learning tools for pre-K–6.
Second Step is offering free social and emotional learning activities for ages 5-13, a podcast for families and a mindfulness program.

Tech Tools and Distance Learning
Before using any technology tools to deliver services to students, consult with your district/school. Note: For details about HIPAA and FERPA relative to digital platforms for school counseling, click here.