However, research has found that among usual school counselor duties, direct counseling services are the most unique role of school counselors (Astramovich, Hoskins, Gutierrez, & Bartlett, 2014). A few articles in this special issue investigate improving child and adolescent mental health through a localized, ground-level approach by developing school counselors’ competency areas and specific school counseling interventions. In order to improve child and adolescent mental health and the efficiency of mental health services, the function of school counselors within the school system must be examined. Students need mental health services; however, confusion exists as to how to utilize their most easily operationalized resource—school counselors (Gysbers & Henderson, 2006). Other articles investigate improving child and adolescent mental health through a localized, ground-level approach by developing school counselors’ competency areas and specific school counseling interventions.
According to the World Health Organization, one in seven adolescents aged experiences mental health conditions, yet these often go unnoticed or untreated. Worried that your child needs help with their mental gambling health? Expert advice on how to cope with after-school restraint collapse as a parent. Parents’ Toolkit guide to the role of a Special Educational Needs Coordinator, what questions to ask a SENCO, and how can a SENCo help my child?
Second, current SMH professionals may be assigned duties that do fully leverage their expertise (e.g., administrative of case management duties). School nurses reported a lack of training, tools, methods for obtaining consent, and follow-up resources as the top barriers to conducting mental health screenings (Bohnenkamp et al., 2015). By comparison, “paperwork (#3 actual, #25 preferred) and report writing activities (#2 actual, #21 preferred) were not strongly preferred yet consumed considerable work time” (p. 586). Two studies included in the time outcomes synthesis also asked participants to rank their preferred activities in addition to their actual activities.
Simply being present for students is another key component of what school counselors do. By focusing on a specific aspect of counseling at a time, school counselors may be able to identify issues that would otherwise go undetected. Every day, school counselors work with not only students but also families, teachers, and school administrators. Learn more about providing mental health services and supports through school-hired mental health professionals. Why is student mental health the concern of school counselors? For example, the percentage of schools reporting increased social and emotional supports for staff was
Most evidently, miscellaneous tasks (e.g., scheduling, test coordination, and record keeping) may be able to be reassigned to other school professionals or support can be provided to reduce the demands of the tasks (e.g., personnel support or streamlining procedures). This task shifting model may be one way to address concerns that SMH staff express about a lack of time to address student mental health (Hanchon & Fernald, 2013). For example, identification of mental health disabilities was reflected in the competencies required to become a C-SSWS; however, not all individuals employed as social workers in schools have this certification (Kelly et al., 2015).
Laxmikant Shetgaonkar, born and brought up in Goa, a coastal state in India. His films portray Goa and its social fabric. Apart from national and international awards he ensured his film reaches the remotest corners of Goa, bringing in a cinema movement in this tiny state. (Read complete profile)