The Delivery System
The delivery system describes activities, lessons, and other areas in which counselors work to deliver the program. There are four main components with program delivery system. They include the school counseling curriculum, individual planning, responsive services, and system support.
To learn more about specific K-6 School Counseling Program Activities, click
here.
To learn more about each of the delivery system components, please read the information provided below.
School Counseling Core Curriculum
The Wisconsin Comprehensive School Counseling Model (WCSCM) builds the content of the comprehensive school counseling program around nine student content standards. The WCSCM standards are implemented through the following activities:
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Instruction: Counselors teach, team-teach, and/or assist in teaching curriculum in a variety of subject areas to all students.
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Group Activities: Counselors facilitate groups outside the classroom to address students’ identified needs. Structured group activities enhance student skills and knowledge.
The school counselor’s responsibilities include planning, designing, implementing, and evaluating the school counseling curriculum. The School District of Fall Creek School Counseling Program has organized the WCSCM content standards around the following topical themes:
- Career Education
- Character Education
- Diversity
- Learning Skills
- Protective Behaviors
- Self-Empowerment
- Transitions
Individual Student Planning
Individual planning consists of ongoing activities that help students plan, monitor, and manage their educational, personal, and career development. Students are given opportunities to evaluate their educational, occupational, and personal goals. The activities in this component are counselor planned, directed, and may be delivered on an individual or group basis. Individual sessions include a review of each student’s educational and career options, and they include strategies of individual assessment, individual advisement, and transition planning. Parental involvement is a vital component of the individual student planning process.
Parents have the greatest influence on the educational and career choices made by young adults. They help by conveying positive attitudes about education and career planning, communicating with their children about their unique qualities, and by assisting them in exploring careers. Parent conferences are the primary method for involving parents. Student and Parent Individual Planning Conferences, at given grade levels as determined by the school district, occur in the counseling office where students, parents and the counselor discuss and formulate the student’s short and long-term plans.
Responsive Services
School counselors are in the best position to assess the school for barriers to academic success for all students. Before students can learn effectively, the academic, personal, and/or social challenges that interfere with their learning must be addressed. Violence, gangs, suicide, divorce, hopelessness, dropping out of school, lack of skills, hunger, and transition issues are examples of concerns that can interfere with the learning process.
Responsive services consist of preventive activities or interventions to meet the immediate needs and concerns of students. These services are delivered through counseling, consultation, and referral. This component is available to all students and is often student initiated.
Counselors in collaboration with students, staff, parent/guardians and community resources implement this component. While counselors have specialized training and skills to respond to these needs and concerns, the cooperation and support of the entire faculty and staff is necessary for the successful implementation of this component.
Counseling
Counseling is the process of helping people by assisting them in making decisions and changing behavior. The school counselor has the skills and knowledge to address the personal/social, educational, and career needs of school-age children.
Counseling services are delivered through such strategies as:
Individual counseling: A service provided for students expressing difficulties dealing with relationships, personal concerns, or normal developmental tasks. Individual counseling assists students in identifying problems, causes, and possible consequences so that appropriate action is taken.
Group counseling: A service that assists students in addressing their common needs and concerns. Students identify problems, causes, alternatives and possible outcomes so that appropriate action may be taken.
Crisis counseling and support: A service provided to students and their families facing emergency situations. Such counseling is normally short-term and temporary in nature. When necessary, appropriate referral resources are used.
School Counselors DO NOT provide therapy. When necessary, referrals are made to appropriate community resources.
Referral
Counselors utilize available resources outside the school setting to assist students, parents/guardians, and staff. These resources may include: mental health agencies, teen pregnancy programs, social services agencies, juvenile services, local law enforcement, employment and training programs, vocational rehabilitation, and other community resources.
Consultation
The goal of consultation is to assist in the development and implementation of skills and strategies that will enable students to become self-sufficient. Counselors collaborate with staff, parents/guardians and community resources regarding strategies to help students.
System Support
System support consists of management activities that establish, maintain, and enhance the comprehensive school counseling program. This component is implemented and carried out through activities in the following areas:
Advisory Councils: Counselors actively participate on departmental, curriculum, community and/or advisory committees.
Community Outreach: Counselors are knowledgeable about community resources, employment opportunities and local labor market information. Counselors collaborate and make referrals to appropriate agencies to address the individual needs of students.
Consultation: Counselors consult with teachers and other staff members regularly in order to provide information, to support staff, and to receive feedback on the emerging needs of students.
Non-Guidance School Activities: Counselors are active, visible members of the school community. Counselors will undertake their “fair share” of non-guidance school activities.
Parent Involvement: Counselors educate parents/guardians about the scope and sequence of the comprehensive school counseling program.
Professional Development: Counselors update their professional knowledge and skills on a regular basis.
Program Management: Counselors organize, plan, manage, and implement the activities conducted in a school counseling program.
Research and Development: Counselors seek evaluative input from school personnel, parents, and students concerning the school counseling program. This information is used to periodically develop and update the various components of the comprehensive school counseling program.
Staff and Community Relations: Counselors educate staff and the community about the comprehensive school counseling program.
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