Key factors:
- It’s crucial for college leaders to know the dire want for scholar psychological well being help
- Partnering with a care coordination service might help bridge psychological well being help gaps
- See associated article: Why scholar and instructor wellness comes first
For the final 17 years, I’ve devoted my profession to advocating for complete college counseling applications. That is my ardour and the main focus of my efforts on daily basis. However I didn’t select this profession path as a result of I had an incredible college counselor in center college. The truth is, it’s the alternative. I didn’t have entry to a faculty counselor in any respect. I used to be within the educational center and didn’t want college counseling. Proper? WRONG! I used to be determined for steering about my future and was neglected because of the excessive scholar to counselor ratio.
I are not looking for what occurred to me to occur to different college students. College counselors play a significant position in a college’s ecosystem–and it’s completely paramount to make sure each scholar has entry to the help they want–particularly at this time.
The most recent knowledge exhibits the ratio of scholars to highschool counselors is headed towards its lowest degree in 36 years, with a mean of 408 college students for each counselor. Whereas that is excellent news, and whereas I’m happy with the progress we’re making, it’s nonetheless lacking the mark, based on the American College Counselor Affiliation’s (ASCA) suggestion of 250 college students to at least one college counselor.
With elevated consciousness of scholar psychological well being and the necessity for scholar help, many districts are asking themselves: How will we elevate the impression of our faculty counselors? Right here’s how we achieved this at Livingston Center College in rural California and my recommendation for different colleges trying to enhance college counselors’ attain and, in flip, enhance scholar outcomes.
