The Role of High School Counsellors:
High School Counsellors are qualified teachers who have a Master's Degree or specialized training in Counselling. They are therefore able to offer a wide range of interventions and strategies in educational and career counselling as well as mental health counselling. At Duchess Park, you can access your counsellor by dropping in before or after school or at lunch time, by sending an e-mail, by phoning, or by making an appointment with the counselling secretary. Because your education is a priority, unless there is an emergency, we prefer that students do not leave class to come to counselling unless there is a pre-arranged appointment.
HERE ARE SOME SERVICES HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELLORS PROVIDE:
Advocacy: Counsellors are advocates for students and help them to problem solve.
Academic/Career Counselling
- Timetables /course selections / decision making / study and success strategies
- School Based Team meetings
- Parent/Teacher meetings
- Placement in Learning Assistance, Skills, Alternate Education, Pre-Employment
- Post-Secondary and career information
- Scholarship and Bursary information
- Graduation Requirements and information about the valedictory ceremony
- Grad Transitions
- Grade 7/8 Transitions
Help with Communication and Conflict Resolution
- Peer relationships
- Family relationships
Mental Health Counselling:
- School counsellors may work with students who are dealing with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicide ideation, substance use, self-esteem, sexual identity, and grief. However, where there is need for ongoing counselling support, school counsellors will recommend that parents/guardians seek counselling from an outside agency for their child or youth.
- School counsellors may help connect students and family to appropriate outside counselling or community resources.
- School counsellors often work with youth care workers to help students who require support.
- School Counsellors may conduct Integrated Case Management Meetings twice a year for designated students, who require outside agency support.
Confidentiality
Although counsellors are bound to confidentiality, there are limitations and certain exceptions.
- Where there is a safety risk to a student or others, counsellors are legally obligated to warn or protect person(s) in danger, and where applicable, report these situations to the appropriate authorities.
- Counsellors must report to an appropriate authority when they suspect abuse or neglect of children or persons presumed to have limited ability to care for themselves.
- Counsellors must take appropriate action when they suspect the student (client) poses a danger to themselves or others.
- Parents and guardians have a legal right to access their child's attendance and school records.
- School Counsellors recognize that parents/guardians are legally responsible for their minor children.
- Because students are minors, school counsellors will usually ask students to let their parents know when they seek mental health counselling in order to obtain parental consent.
- School Counsellors may ask parents/guardians to voluntarily waive their right to information so that the minor can access counselling assistance with some sense of confidentiality.
- Counsellors may be required to disclose confidential information where there is a court order or a law suit.
- In an emergency, counsellors can breach confidentiality if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the student (client).
- An Informed Consent Form signed by the student’s parent/guardian will be required should there be a request for counselling information to be shared with any outside agency or person.
High School Counsellors are qualified teachers who have a Master's Degree or specialized training in Counselling. They are therefore able to offer a wide range of interventions and strategies in educational and career counselling as well as mental health counselling. At Duchess Park, you can access your counsellor by dropping in before or after school or at lunch time, by sending an e-mail, by phoning, or by making an appointment with the counselling secretary. Because your education is a priority, unless there is an emergency, we prefer that students do not leave class to come to counselling unless there is a pre-arranged appointment.
HERE ARE SOME SERVICES HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELLORS PROVIDE:
Advocacy: Counsellors are advocates for students and help them to problem solve.
Academic/Career Counselling
- Timetables /course selections / decision making / study and success strategies
- School Based Team meetings
- Parent/Teacher meetings
- Placement in Learning Assistance, Skills, Alternate Education, Pre-Employment
- Post-Secondary and career information
- Scholarship and Bursary information
- Graduation Requirements and information about the valedictory ceremony
- Grad Transitions
- Grade 7/8 Transitions
Help with Communication and Conflict Resolution
- Peer relationships
- Family relationships
Mental Health Counselling:
- School counsellors may work with students who are dealing with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicide ideation, substance use, self-esteem, sexual identity, and grief. However, where there is need for ongoing counselling support, school counsellors will recommend that parents/guardians seek counselling from an outside agency for their child or youth.
- School counsellors may help connect students and family to appropriate outside counselling or community resources.
- School counsellors often work with youth care workers to help students who require support.
- School Counsellors may conduct Integrated Case Management Meetings twice a year for designated students, who require outside agency support.
Confidentiality
Although counsellors are bound to confidentiality, there are limitations and certain exceptions.
- Where there is a safety risk to a student or others, counsellors are legally obligated to warn or protect person(s) in danger, and where applicable, report these situations to the appropriate authorities.
- Counsellors must report to an appropriate authority when they suspect abuse or neglect of children or persons presumed to have limited ability to care for themselves.
- Counsellors must take appropriate action when they suspect the student (client) poses a danger to themselves or others.
- Parents and guardians have a legal right to access their child's attendance and school records.
- School Counsellors recognize that parents/guardians are legally responsible for their minor children.
- Because students are minors, school counsellors will usually ask students to let their parents know when they seek mental health counselling in order to obtain parental consent.
- School Counsellors may ask parents/guardians to voluntarily waive their right to information so that the minor can access counselling assistance with some sense of confidentiality.
- Counsellors may be required to disclose confidential information where there is a court order or a law suit.
- In an emergency, counsellors can breach confidentiality if it is deemed to be in the best interest of the student (client).
- An Informed Consent Form signed by the student’s parent/guardian will be required should there be a request for counselling information to be shared with any outside agency or person.