Referral Procedures
School counselors cannot work in isolation; they must collaborate and develop strong, positive relationships with parents/guardians, families, and their local community (Chen-Hayes, Ockerman, & Mason, 2014). Care should be taken in evaluating specific community resources for their benefits and costs, keeping students' access to transportation and funding in mind. It is important for school counselors to have this information in a user-friendly format that parents and families can access with ease. During my graduate program, I worked with other students in my cohort to develop the Community Mapping Website below in which we evaluated and compiled information on various community resources available near our internship sites.
In addition, the American School Counselor Association's (ASCA) Ethical Standards for School Counselors states that school counselors should not practice beyond their area of professional competence (ASCA, 2010). Specifically, school counselors are not mental health therapists and should not provide long-term, intensive therapy. When students present with deeper mental health issues than are within the scope of the school counselor's role, an appropriate referral to an outside source should be made. School counselors should build connections with community mental health facilities and have a list of contacts on hand to provide to parents when needed. Attached below is a list of mental health resources located in Central Indiana.
References:
American School Counselor Association. (2010). Ethical Standards for School Counselors. Alexandria, VA: Author.
Chen-Hayes, S., Ockerman, M., & Mason, E.C.M. (2014). 101 solutions for school counselors and leaders in challenging times. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
American School Counselor Association. (2010). Ethical Standards for School Counselors. Alexandria, VA: Author.
Chen-Hayes, S., Ockerman, M., & Mason, E.C.M. (2014). 101 solutions for school counselors and leaders in challenging times. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.