The Role of School Counselors in Crisis Management

The Role of School Counselors in Crisis Management

Roles/Skills, Responsibilities of Professional School Counselor

When an emergency occurs, like being involved in an accident, there is a need for a school counselor to be involved in providing comfort and support to the affected. They also use the skills they possess to help the affected ones deal with trauma. As provided by the ASCA (American School Counseling Association), they have a critical role in providing school initiatives to improve safety (Studer, 2015). In this regard, they act as resources for schools, family members of students, etc. They can also be considered middlemen, providing a connection between the parties involved in the communication process. Counselors are also considered vital members of the education process, as they help education maximize the support they give to the students. It will be essential in improving success. When there are school emergencies, the counselors will be familiar with the community. It is because they know the healthcare professionals in the community providing mental health services. Thus, they should be the first to respond to law enforcement agencies and those who will be responding during emergencies (Kroninger & Studer, 2015).

NEA School Crisis Guidelines

It is essential to know ways of dealing with emergencies, which is essential for the restoration of orders and support for the school community. The NEA guideline also provides guidelines in the ten steps that are useful for a counselor to take action during the occurrence of a crisis in the first hour (NEA, 2018). Of the ten steps used, there are four that are critical for dealing with emergencies. The first one is about crisis assessment, where the counselors must determine if there is immediate medical attention for those affected by the emergency. On this has been carried, they should be involved in assisting the students. Secondly, they need to ensure step is contacting the key internal audience. These include the administrators, family of the affected students, and the authorities for the issues to be addressed. In this regard, there will be an establishment of networks, accounting for the injured, dead, or missing students.

In the first 12 hours, the counselor needs to deal with a student’s priorities, and managing people, and facilities needs. There is also a need to ensure that there are secure school compounds; they should also reunite the families with the affected students. Also, there is a need for them to contact the healthcare facilities to be updated on students’ conditions. Besides, there is a need to create a rotation plan to ensure necessities, including clothes, food, and water. On the second day, there is a need to provide mental health services for the affected population. The student should get a chance to speak with other people for support, making their feelings be known, as it is essential for recovery. Effective communication between the counselor and other people will promote success.

Considerations must be taken to ensure adequate recovery when a population has been affected by trauma. The affected population will require time for normalcy to be gained. Hence, follow-up care is critically essential for staff, students, and those affected by accidents. There are various ways that people show grief. In this regard, the counselor should allow students, staff, and those affected by an emergency to grieve in their own way. The signs to be considered include the mental health stability of the population after an emergency. The counselor should also determine how they react and if they have eating and sleeping disorders. The self-care that needs to be used includes personal therapy enabling the affected group to enjoy their time. They also ensure that they get enough sleep and have a well-balanced diet. I

Importance of Faith

The community members’ faith is critical to the school counselors and the entire community during crisis management. A school that uses faith is resourceful. It is challenging for the students to deal with traumatic events as they significantly affect students lives. In this regard, faith could ensure that the students and staff facing traumatic events are relieved from issues. The prayers can provide socio-emotional support for the community, enabling them to cope with the traumatizing issues and pass the difficult time. The church can also be an essential resource, as it counsels the affected people.

References

Kroninger, A., & Studer, J. R. (2015). Understanding the school culture as a school counselor-in-training. In A Guide to Practicum and Internship for School Counselors-in-Training (pp. 35- 55). Routledge.

National Education Association. (, 2018). NEA’s school crisis guide.

Studer, J. R. (2015). Understanding the Delivery System Component of the ASCA National Model as a School Counselor-in-Training. In A Guide to Practicum and Internship for School Counselors-in-Training (pp. 168-183). Routledge.

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Instructions

You will complete a comprehensive health assessment of a child/adolescent.

This should NOT be a patient you have encountered in your work but, instead, should be a family member or friend (who gives consent) or preferably a patient in clinical. You should note that all information will be confidential and that their private information will NOT be shared as part of this assignment.

Comprehensive Child and Adolescent

Your assessment should be comprehensive, and you should refer to course texts to inform items for inclusion in your assessment. Keep in mind that you will be responsible for covering those areas addressed in the reading assignments up to this point. The documentation should remain HIPAA-compliant even though this is not a real patient. DO NOT USE REAL PATIENT IDENTIFIERS. Be sure to include birth and developmental information as well as school and behavior information for the child. Consider the cultural, gender, ethnicity, spiritual, and social competencies needed to formulate the best care plan for the patient.

The patient will be referred to as Jane Doe or Jack Doe.