Guidance Curriculum -- Responsive Services

Elementary
   At the Elementary level, the school counselors respond to various needs of the students who might be in crisis or have other concerns relating to home/school issues, interpersonal problems, or decision-making choices.

   Region 15 has put into place a written form with procedures to be used in crisis situations. In our everyday role as school counselors, we use many early intervention programs which include Child Study Team meetings, ASSIST, Planning and Placement Team meetings, Crisis Team, conferencing with parents and students, working with agencies in our community in the helping field and conferring with professionals inside and outside of our school facility.

   The counselors at the elementary level have been trained to counsel individually and in small groups. The counselors follow the guidelines from the American School Counseling Association (ACA). Parents, teachers, pupil personnel staff and administrators may refer a student for counseling. Students may self-refer. Individual counseling may also be a recommendation of the PPT. Parental permission is required for student participation in small group or long-term individual counseling.

   Students may participate in small groups for six to ten week sessions. Some small groups may continue throughout the entire school year. Group topics include anger management, stress relief skills, new student adjustment issues, sibling support, changing families, conflict resolution, grief/bereavement support, and personal socialization skills needed in friendship. Additional groups can be arranged on an as-needed basis. Students and their parents/guardians are made aware of the code of ethics and confidentiality issues involved.

Middle School
   Group Counseling: The counselors are the middle schools are trained in group counseling. Group topics include divorce/separation and restructured families, grief/bereavement, friendship and social skills, anger management, conflict resolution and new students. Additional groups can be arranged on an as-needed basis. Typically groups run for 6 to 10 sessions. All groups are run in accordance with the American Counseling Association (ACA) ethics and guidelines. Parental permission is required for students to participate in group counseling.

   Individual Counseling: Parents, teachers, pupil personnel staff and administrators may refer a student for individual counseling. Also, students may self-refer. Individual counseling may also be a recommendation of the PPT.

   Responsive services may also include but are not limited to, referring a student or family to the Department of Children and Families, Youth and Family Services of Middlebury and Southbury, private counseling, the Southbury Needy Fund or filing a FWSN (Family With Service Needs) with Juvenile Court.