Vision
The vision of Newton Falls Exempted Village School District School Counseling Program is to prepare students to be lifelong learners and productive citizens of society. School Counselors will provide our students a safe atmosphere for learning.
School Counselors will encourage individual success and achievement for all students in the career, academic, personal and social/emotional domains. School Counselors will ensure all students are treated fairly and have equal opportunities.
Mission
The mission of Newton Falls Exempted Village School District School Counseling Program is to provide academic, career, personal and social development of all students.
These domains will be addressed and provided by individual counseling, group counseling, classroom guidance, career planning, and academic advising. The School Counselors will advocate for a safe atmosphere of learning for all students.
The school counselor will use leadership, collaboration, and consultation to provide services to all students. School Counselors will ensure success and achievement for all students to be lifelong learners and productive citizens of society.
Beliefs
- All students are capable of success and achievement resulting in college and career readiness and productive members of society
- All students are treated with respect and fairness according to their developmental needs
- All students have access to the school counseling services provided by a licensed professional school counselor in collaboration with all other stakeholders
- School Counselors are leaders and advocates for all students
- Data will be collected and analyzed to ensure to ensure all goals for the comprehensive school counseling program are met
- School Counselors must apply the American School Counseling Association Ethical Standards based on the highest moral principles to promote individual success and achievement of every student.
Staff
- Rebecca Eggleston, School Counselor, grades K-5
- Megan Miller, School Counselor, grades 10-12
- Jessica Love, School Counselor, grades 6-9
Student Portals
Program Goals
- One goal is to increase student awareness of their options after high school, so that students can make an informed decision on their career path.
- A second goal is to improve school climate and culture to ensure all students feel that they can learn to their fullest potential in a safe learning environment
- A third goal is to have students develop an education plan that utilizes their educational opportunities throughout their time at Newton Falls Exempted Village School District
Roles of the School Counselor
- Provide a safe and confidential place for students
- Establish and maintain relationships with students and their families
- Establish and maintain relationships with community members and organizations
- Provide the role as a student advocate
- Help students develop goals related to career, academic, personal and social development
- Meet with students in crisis and counsel one-on-one in career, academic, personal and social domains
- Provide support and referrals for students and families experiencing mental health and/or substance abuse that is outside our scope of practice
- Provide a safe environment to learn coping skills
- Provide a safe environment for individuality
- Consult and collaborate with all necessary stakeholders
- Provide a liaison between home and school
- Provide an environment to learn problem solving and decision making skills
- Coordinate information across grade levels
- Adhere to American School Counseling Association Ethical Standards
- Adhere to Newton Falls Exempted Village School Districts ethical and legal standards
Program Plan
Our program is data-driven, preventative and responsive plan that is developmentally appropriate for each student, and aligns with national models and effective practices. It includes two major components:
- Direct Services
- School Counseling Core Curriculum
- Individual Student Planning
- Responsive Services
- Indirect Services
- Referrals
- Consultation
- Collaboration
School Counseling Core Curriculum is planned, written instructional or activities designed to build students’ knowledge, attitudes and skills appropriate on the developmental continuum. This may be done through classroom instruction, group activities, and parent workshops and instruction.
Individual Student Planning is ongoing systemic activities that a school counselor assists students individually to establish personal goals and develop future plans.
Responsive Services or interventions are provided by the school counselors to meet the students’ immediate needs and concerns. This would include crisis response, counseling, and consulting with and referring to outside resources, peer facilitation, etc.
Referrals are when school counselors direct students and parents to school or community resources for additional assistance or information.
Consultations are shared strategies that school counselors use that support student achievement with parents, teachers, other educators and community organizations.
Collaboration is done when school counselors work with other educators, parents and the community to support student achievement and advocate for equity and access for all students.
Crisis Response
As part of our comprehensive school counseling program, we will advocate for a school wide crisis response plan. We will work to ensure that relevant parties are involved in the development of this plan. The administration and counselors will meet to evaluate and assess the crisis and create a plan.
As a team, we will inform all faculty and staff of the plan to ensure its proper implementation in a crisis situation. If needed, administration and counselors could seek additional help and resources from the Trumbull County Educational Service Center, or other viable entities as necessary. Newton Falls Exempted Village School Counselors and administration will work together to support the students, staff, parents, and the community.
Confidentiality
The professional school counselor will inform the students of the purposes, goals, techniques and rules of procedure under which they may receive counseling at or before the time when counseling relationship is entered.
The meaning and limits of confidentiality are defined in developmentally appropriate terms to students. All information and counseling sessions will be kept confidential except when certain legal restrictions arise and confidentiality cannot be maintained. These cases include:
- Any form of child abuse (neglect, physical, and/or sexual)
- Danger to one’s self (i.e. suicide, self-injurious behavior)
- Danger to others (i.e. homicide, threat to injure someone, etc.)
Counselor Professional Development
School Counselors will advocate for appropriate professional development, specific to the school counseling profession. In addition, we will advocate for partnerships with other school counselors in the district and surrounding areas for collaboration.
We will use data and results to advocate for membership in our state and national organizations, as well as attendance at their respective conferences.
These opportunities will help us to develop our programs and demonstrate the value through our work in the school. It is beneficial for the counselors to learn from both local and statewide professional development.
The material covered at local and statewide meetings are different, both add value to the school counselor’s development.