The school counselor's role in a post-COVID-19 era

In March 2020, COVID-19 caused many schools worldwide to unexpectedly end their academic year early. Some schools attempted to transition in what seemed almost overnight from traditional face-to-face delivery to remote online delivery. Remote delivery did not always mean an online delivery, but in most cases, online technology was heavily depended upon. This paper specifically looked at the role and tasks of the school counselor when students were not able to be physically located within the school building. The paper attempts to answer the question of how school counselors can effectively develop and deliver their comprehensive programs to all students during emergency closures. Initial challenges and issues highlighted by the school closure will be explored, as well as issues to consider for school counselors as schools prepare to reopen. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021. All rights reserved.

Life Balance and Work Addiction among School Counselors at the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Life balance is prioritizing work and personal life to create a meaningful, quality lifestyle. Work addiction is overworking at the expense of life balance. COVID-19 disrupted K-12 schools and counseling delivery services nationwide. Like many other front-line helping professionals, school counselors responded to the complex and challenging work conditions created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors examined life balance and work addiction among 145 practicing school counselors nationwide. The results of a multiple regression analysis examined the extent to which stress/anxiety and sleep disturbance predicted work addiction. We discuss the findings in light of practice and research. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Professional Counseling: Practice, Theory & Research is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

School counselors' early pandemic perceptions and experiences

I initially designed this study to explore the experiences and perceptions of recently credentialed school counselors adjusting to their new professional responsibilities. COVID-19 caused school closures after my data gathering had begun. I followed the original semi-structured interview protocol except I intentionally probed COVID-related topics introduced by participants. Because it also became impossible to recruit participants who met the original criteria of "new" school counselors, I relaxed these criteria to secure eleven participants. The participants described what drew them to the profession, what they most appreciated about their graduate school experiences, how they negotiated the sudden changes, and the joy and satisfaction of serving children's needs. The most vivid outcome is a real-time description of the day-to-day challenges of doing their best under circumstances that one had imagined possible or prepared for. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

A phenomenological investigation of the lived experiences of middle school professional school counselors in addressing student mental health, during the COVID-19 pandemic, after a return to in-person instruction

This study is positioned to contribute to our growing understanding of how COVID-19 has impacted our students and the individuals tasked with promoting their mental health and wellness. The overarching aim was to understand the lived experiences of middle school professional school counselors (PSCs) in addressing student mental health, during the COVID-19 pandemic, after a return to in-person instruction. The study strived to learn, if and how, the PSC's role has changed since returning to in-person instruction and to gauge the kind of support, if any, that they received with their counseling program. The researcher utilized convenience sampling from the Counselor Education and Supervision NETwork-Listserv, the American School Counselor Association listserv and Facebook. The study involved interviews with 10 participants who were employed as a middle school PSC, served in at least the fourth year as a PSC, held a master's degree in counseling, and had internet access. The researcher used Giorgi's descriptive method of phenomenology to analyze the data, which yielded three themes and three subthemes: 1) Awareness and Psychoeducation on the Mental Health Impact of COVID-19, 2) Adapting to Meet the Needs of Students (Utilizing Innovation;Structure and Intention with Direct Service Delivery;Shift to Reactive Services), and 3) Emotional Impact of Being a Helper During the Pandemic. The findings provide stakeholders, PSCs, and school counselor educators with a deeper understanding of factors related to addressing student mental health after a return to in-person instruction and how to better support PSCs in addressing these mental health concerns. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Advocating for students during distance learning: The role of the school counselor

The COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to rush into distance learning, prioritizing academics and limiting consideration of students' socioemotional needs. Given that distance learning is likely to be a recurring experience, school counselors should understand this unique context to better advocate for student needs. Through this illustrative case study, we sought to understand the distance learning experience of students, specifically examining barriers experienced and desired support, in an urban school district in the Western United States. We conducted classroom observations, interviews, and town hall observation with students who were part of an action civics program in the district. Following thematic data analysis, we found that student participants described themes of challenges (with subthemes of online learning and outside of school), needs (with subthemes of community and student voice), and communication. Based on these findings, we argue for school counselors to use student voice to inform advocacy efforts in addressing student needs during distance learning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Counselor competence gender identity scale: Measuring bias, knowledge, and skills among school counselors

The measures presently available to examine the effectiveness of school counselors to provide counseling services to youth and emerging adults who identify as gender diverse are limited. This mixed-methods research study aimed to validate the psychometric properties of the Counselor Competence Gender Identity Scale (CCGIS) with a sample of school counselors. The CCGIS is a competency-based assessment that measures the effectiveness of counselors who provide services to gender diverse individuals in schools. We also examined school counselors' levels of gender identity counselor competence in relation to region of practice. Considering requests by many gender diverse individuals to have gender-inclusive curriculum in the schools and the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender minority youth, we recruited school counselors in the United States to take the CCGIS so its factor structure and validity could be examined. Exploratory factor analysis retained 25 items that formed four subscales with good internal consistency. Criterion and concurrent validity tests indicated that the CCGIS is psychometrically sound. The CCGIS was able to discriminate between groups of school counselors based on region. The CCGIS is a valid tool that can be self-administered by school counselors to assess their effectiveness with gender diverse students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Social Justice, Social Capital, and Micropolitics: Improving Social Justice Through School Counselor–Principal Collaboration

Schools have urgent social justice needs that have become evident with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, discussions of racism, and increasing mental health needs of school students. School counselors can work with school principals to use the concepts of social capital and micropolitical theory to facilitate collaborative partnerships with school and district administration, community members, and families to achieve improved social justice in their schools. We present a scenario to illuminate the use of these concepts in practice. [ FROM AUTHOR]

School Counselor and Administrator Perceptions of Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Collaborative efforts by school counselors and school administrators that are grounded in social capital principles have the potential to better support students' educational success, health, and well-being in the wake of challenging and adverse events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to assess perceptions of school counselors and administrators to determine the extent to which they had a shared vision of the challenges and strengths in their school's initial response to the pandemic. We also explored their sense of the anticipated future needs within the context of social capital theory and trauma-informed practices. Participants included 381 current pre-K-12 school administrators and school counselors throughout the United States who completed a mixed-methods survey in spring 2020. Use of these findings can help school stakeholders continue to foster students' social/emotional, academic, and career and college readiness development during continued and future mass trauma events.

College admissions in the time of COVID-19: Technology, training, and the secondary school counselor

The ever-changing role and expectations of school counselors have required the acquisition of many new skills. Technology is essential in their daily tasks, especially as guides through the college admissions process. The onset of COVID-19 has suddenly and quickly added a new need and use of technology to support students. The combination of resources required in completing the college admissions process, the knowledge needed by school counselors to provide adequate support, and the effects of COVID-19 on the overall process require attention in determining best practices and future research needs. This qualitative study focuses on school counselors' experiences using technology to assist in the college admissions process while also looking at these experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty school counselors were interviewed regarding the research topic, and data was then coded and analyzed to identify themes, insights, and future recommendations. The analysis results indicated that technology is essential in their everyday role and is becoming increasingly important in facilitating the college admissions process, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the part of constructive training and professional development plays a large role in the successful use of various technologies. Updated graduate school curriculum and a productive internship experience is another result of the data analysis. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Students, Teachers, and Parents According to School Counselors' Perceptions

This study examines the positive and negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and distance education practices on students, teachers, and parents from the perspective of school counselors. This research was carried out within the scope of phenomenology design, a qualitative research method. The data were obtained via purposive sampling through online interviews conducted with 55 public school counselors at the end of the fall semester of the 2020-2021 academic year in Turkey. Content analysis was utilized to analyze the obtained data. The school counselors expressed that the pandemic had positive and negative relational, individual/psychological, and academic effects on students;positive and negative effects on the application of education and personal lives of teachers;and positive and negative effects on the parent???child???education relationship and the personal lives of parents. The results are discussed in relation to the relevant literature and recommendations are made.

Ecological systems theory as a framework for understanding the individual plan of study: A qualitative case study of three Kansas high schools

This qualitative case study examined the individual plan of study (IPS) within three comprehensive high schools. Ecological systems theory was used as a construct for understanding the actions of the participants and their interactions within the ecology in support of the success of each student. Participants in this research shared their understandings of the individual plan of study priorities as well as their experiences in the organization and delivery of services in the support of each student. Kansas communities face increasingly complex circumstances including generational, cultural, and economic change. Kansas high schools contribute to the development of students and their capacity to navigate these changes and launch into a successful young adulthood. Supporting students in early complex decision making regarding their educational journey has the potential to profoundly impact their lifespan outcomes. The research question explored the role that school counselors play in supporting student experiences through an organization of ecological members. The research further explored the relationships within the ecological system that students experienced and the roles or activities that members of the ecology filled to support the completion of individual plan of study activities which informed the growth of the student. The literature study established the foundational nature of the individual plan of study as representative of experience-making that occurred as students grew and developed forming their understandings of themselves, their education, and their continuing journey. The literature examined the roles of school counselors in the comprehensive high school, examined career development models, and explored the importance of such learning experiences as applied learning, contextual learning, and career and technical education in supporting student achievement. As a bounded case study, data was collected from personal interviews, a focus group discussion, and examination of artifacts submitted by interview participants. Completed during the COVID-19 event, the delivery of individual plan of study services were unique to the year. Outside of major urban areas these three comprehensive high schools were primarily in-person learning environments throughout most of the year with periodic tilts toward hybrid instruction, and instances of individual quarantine affecting students, staff, community, and family in unique and individual ways. This study's key findings contribute to the study of ecological systems theory as well as career development. Evidence showed that counselors representing the whole staff within the ecological system were facilitating the individual plan of study in ways that supported the connection of ecological members to provide support for student learning. The school counselors gained confidence and satisfaction through their actions which also supported the function of engaging other members of the ecology. Data suggested that school counselors' success was supported through strong organizational elements that provided a vehicle for arranging and engaging intersections which benefit student growth and experience. The data illustrated the importance of activities which included families, school staff, and communities as significantly important to providing a wide range of opportunities and experience, which when available fostered student capabilities. Where these parties were able to converge, students experienced increased opportunities for engagement. There is potential for this study to have broad implications in schools as each student from the middle grades through twelfth grade is mandated by the Kansas State Board of Education to create and maintain an individual plan of study. Each year school counselors are supported in the foundational ideas of the individual plan of study. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Exploring school counseling during the first wave of COVID-19

In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, school counselors played an essential role in helping students, teachers, and families pivot to new learning environments and implemented services to promote students? academic, social-emotional, and career development. In this study, we analyzed school counselors? (N = 589) delivery of program services and their individual and school characteristics to identify four approaches to school counseling: reactive, universal, consultative/collaborative, and comprehensive during the first wave of the pandemic. School counselors in the reactive profile spent most of their time engaged in noncounselor-duties and reported the highest levels of burnout. Conversely, counselors belonging to the comprehensive profile devoted the most time to delivering consultation, coordination, counseling, and curriculum services and limited engagement in noncounseling-related duties. This study emphasizes the importance of defining the school counselors? roles and responsibilities and the extent to which school counselors were able to deliver their school counselor services during the global pandemic.

Advocating for Students During Distance Learning: The Role of the School Counselor

The COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to rush into distance learning, prioritizing academics and limiting consideration of students’ socioemotional needs. Given that distance learning is likely to be a recurring experience, school counselors should understand this unique context to better advocate for student needs. Through this illustrative case study, we sought to understand the distance learning experience of students, specifically examining barriers experienced and desired support, in an urban school district in the Western United States. We conducted classroom observations, interviews, and town hall observation with students who were part of an action civics program in the district. Following thematic data analysis, we found that student participants described themes of challenges (with subthemes of online learning and outside of school), needs (with subthemes of community and student voice), and communication. Based on these findings, we argue for school counselors to use student voice to inform advocacy efforts in addressing student needs during distance learning.

School Counselors and Unified Educator–Counselor Identity: A Data-Informed Approach to Suicide Prevention

School counselors are vital in crisis prevention and intervention. In this article, we discuss the unified educator–counselor identity as it informs the suicide prevention work of school counselors, illustrated with a data-based case example from a quantitative study based in one high school. This case example includes a decision tree to show how school counselors can use data to understand the suicide prevention and intervention needs of a diverse student body in their own schools.