2.+Foundation

We believe...
 * Philosophical Beliefs: **

- That all students should have access to school counseling services. - That all students can achieve given the proper support. - That we should effectively communicate the role of the school counselor and services that are available. - That it is important to acknowledge that students are not just members of the student body, but members of their community, family, and society. - In welcoming and embracing diversity and using those differences as educational tools/opportunities. - That our program should be accountable and should elicit measureable results and counselors will be informed consumers of the research and use it to drive their decisions and approach to counseling. - That our program foundation will be systemic and holistic in nature and infused into the academic mission of the school. - That counselors should use their unique view of the entire system to identify individual and specific needs. - That counselors should be in constant use of outside community resources and form collaborative relationship with all stakeholders.


 * Mission: **

Our mission is to foster a positive school climate aimed at removing barriers to learning and academic achievement and recognizing the differences and abilities of all students. A positive school climate directly affects the academic, career, and personal/social development of all students to enable them to become responsible members of society.


 * Elements of a Comprehensive School Counseling Program: **

We believe that the school counseling program should strive to be holistic, focusing on the needs of the whole child because a child that is healthy, feels safe and secure, and is connected to the school will be better prepared to succeed academically. To meet these needs the school counselor will focus on the **academic** development, **career** development, and **personal/social** development of all students. The school counseling program is proactive and preventative in design, integrated within the total educational program, and follows a collaborative, systemic approach to foster a positive and productive school environment.

The School Counselors at Baker Elementary follow the Amercian School Counselor Association's National Standards (2005). To meet these standards, the following domains and competencies will be the focus of our program development:
 * Domains and Competencies: **

//Domain//: Academic //Standard//: Standard A - Students will acquire the attitudes, knowledge and skills that contribute to effective learning in school and across the life span. //Competency//: Competency A:2 - Acquire Skills for Improving Learning

//Domain//: Career //Standard//: Standard A - Students will acquire the skills to investigate the world of work in relation to knowledge of self and to make informed career decisions. //Competency//: Competency A:1 - Develop Career Awareness

//Domain//: Personal/Social //Standard//: Standard A - Students will acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and interpersonal skills to help them understand and respect self and others. //Competency//: Competency A:1 - Acquire Self-Knowledge

American School Counselor Association. (2005). The ASCA National Model: A framework for school counseling programs. (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Author.


 * Crosswalking Tools **



According to the ethical standards of school counselors, disclosure of confidentiality practices will be discussed at the beginning of each consultation or counseling session. The confidential nature of the counseling relationship will not be breached unless the student poses a threat to self or others, or if it appears that the student is being harmed by a third party. The counseling team will protect the confidentiality of information received according to applicable federal and state laws, policies and standards.
 * Confidentiality **