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Policy-Code-JLD

Guidance and Counseling

Section J - Students

Policy Title: Guidance and Counseling
Policy Code: JLD

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The counseling and guidance program in the District is to focus on the developmental, social, emotional and academic needs of students. School counselors, through the school counseling program, work with all students, help remove barriers to student academic success and guide them in reaching academic excellence.

Personnel involved in school counseling will demonstrate respect for the dignity and worth of each individual, and encourage each student to develop individual responsibility and decision-making skills. Personnel involved in school counseling coordinate the school guidance program and involve all staff members in designing and implementing plans to meet three (3) major goals:

  • Educational development. Students will learn how to make decisions, create academic plans, and explore career pathways in elementary, middle and high school to prepare for future educational options.
  • Personal/social development. Students will develop appropriate behaviors for a variety of social settings. Students will develop awareness of self and confidence in their own abilities in order to enhance their career options and development.
  • Career development. Students will develop career options consistent with their interests, abilities, and values.

Counseling and Guidance Program Services

A program of guidance and counseling shall be offered to all students in Grades K through 12 according to the staffing plan established each fiscal year and shall include the services of professional certified guidance personnel.

A comprehensive counseling and guidance program should provide:

  • Staff with meaningful information, which can be utilized to improve the educational services, offered to individual students.
  • A guidance curriculum delivered by school counselors to all students via classroom and small group instruction working and teaming with teachers.
  • Students with planned opportunities to explore and develop future career and educational plans.
  • A strategy to refer students with special needs (emotional or academic) to appropriate resources.
  • Students with assistance in identifying options and making choices about their educational program.
  • Input from students, staff and parents for purposes of program development and improvement.
  • Coordination with available resources of the community.
  • A program of activities that teach skills for academic planning, personal growth and career exploration.
  • Assistance for teachers and administrators in identifying the academic, social and emotional needs of students.
  • Sequential and age/grade appropriate program for grades K-12.
  • Students with opportunities to develop positive interpersonal communication skills, including how to deal with conflicts.
  • Assistance and planned opportunities for parents/guardians to access resources, increase awareness of the nature and scope of the guidance and counseling program, improve communications between home and school and further involve them in their child's educational development and long-range planning.

All staff shall encourage students to explore and develop their individual interests in career and technical programs and employment opportunities with out regard to gender, race, and economic background including reasonable efforts encouraging students to consider and explore "nontraditional" occupations.

Psychological Services

Schools may offer psychological services to students based upon an initial referral for psychological evaluations coming from certified staff members, parents, or the student themselves.
The student’s parent or legal guardian must give consent to psychological services before the school may procure, solicit to perform, arrange for the performance of, or perform mental health screening.

Exceptions are:

  1. When the student is 18-years old or above, in which case the student may give consent;

  2. When an emergency exists that requires a person to perform mental health screening or provide mental health treatment to prevent serious injury to or save the life of a minor child.

Psychological reports and case study evaluations are confidential and will remain in the appropriate records location when not in use by authorized personnel. Psychological reports will not be taken from the office of the department responsible for preserving records.

Adopted: October 5, 2004
Reviewed: November 13, 2012
Revised: May 24, 2022

LEGAL REF:
A.R.S. §
36-2272. Consent of parent required for mental health screening or treatment of minors; exception; violation; classification; definition
 

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