The Kewaskum School District counselors have completed Level one and two training for the new Wisconsin Comprehensive School Counseling Model.  

 

When the new counseling model is implemented in the schools as a program, with the appropriate district and building level leadership, it places school counseling in the center of education. When this occurs, school counselors can work full time emphasizing students’ academic success and their personal/social and career development.

 

A comprehensive school counseling program, leads to guidance and counseling activities for all students. It is proactive rather than reactive. School counselors are expected to provide brief personal and crisis counseling, as well as provide structured school counseling activities for all students. A comprehensive program is continuously refined and enhanced and is visibly accountable with measurable goals.

 

Historically, school counseling programs have centered on the “at-risk student” with the majority of a counselor’s time being dedicated to a minority of the students. A comprehensive school counseling program would more evenly distribute counseling time throughout the entire student body. With this model, school counseling services are embedded into the curricular setting. The teamwork of the counselor, the classroom teacher, and community resources would help to bring about this result. 

 

What does this mean for Kewaskum Schools in the future?

 

Embracing changes in the school counseling program requires leadership, time and administrative, faculty and community support. A greater result from these changes will be students, parents, teachers, administrators, and the community being served more effectively.