Counseling

Mission

The ArtsWest School Counseling Department supports, encourages, and assists all ArtsWest students and their parents by providing support in academic, creative, emotional/social, and career development areas so that they may become healthy, responsible, contributing members of our community and the world.
 

Philosophy

The ArtsWest School Counseling Department:

• Is an integral part of the overall educational process
• Believes all students have the capability to succeed
• Treats all students with dignity and respect
• Provides all students the opportunity to receive counseling services
• Is sensitive to and knowledgeable of special needs, as well as racial, ethnic and cultural differences among students
• Advocates for every student
• Assists students with their academic, emotional/social, and career/educational development
• Helps all students identify their strengths, plan, monitor, and manage their own learning to their full potential
• Provides crisis counseling to students, including prevention, intervention, and follow-up.
• Collaborates with stakeholders, including parents, teachers, administrators, school staff members, community and business leaders, to ensure each student’s success
• Uses data to drive program development and evaluation
• Follows professional and ethical guidelines and standards

Program Management

Delivering Guidance Curriculum

The Counseling Department will plan, implement, and evaluate classroom guidance, group activities and parent workshops. These will promote knowledge, attitudes, and skills through instruction in academic achievement, emotional/social, and career development growth.

Individual Student Planning/Academic Advisement

The Counseling Department will provide individual and small-group guidance to help students establish personal goals and develop future plans. Counselors will coordinate activities that help all students plan, monitor and manage their own learning as well as meet competencies in the areas of academic, career, and emotional/social growth.

Responsive Services

The Counseling Department will meet students’ immediate needs and concerns by providing consultation, individual and small-group counseling, crisis counseling and response, and referral.

System Support

The Counseling Department will use their leadership and advocacy skills to promote systemic change by contributing to the following areas:

• Participating in professional development, such as in-service trainings and professional association membership
• Consulting with teachers, staff, and parents/guardians in order to provide information, support the school community and to receive feedback on emerging needs of students
• Partnering with staff, parents/guardians and community to orient them to the school counseling program
• Conducting community outreach to become knowledgeable of community resources and referral agencies
• Conducting analyses of student achievement and counseling program-related data to evaluate the counseling program, and discover gaps that exist between student success and student’s needs to be addressed