Inside this issue:

President’s Message

President-Elect Message

Building Healthy Relationships Workshop

Being a Counselor “McGyver”

School Counselor Internships

Addressing Appropriate Contact between Children

Ethics Points to Remember – Part III

Best Practices Favorites

NCLB and the School Counselor

Building Healthy Relationships Workshop Application Form

SDSCA Spring Newsletter

April 2009

Looking Back: How Far We Have Come and Where are We Going?By: Stacy Solsaa, SDSCA President It is time that community members, teachers and administrators understand how school counselors help students daily. The role of the school counselor has changed over the years from someone who guides students in making career choices into an educator with mental health expertise. It is time to clearly define the roll of the school counselor, so that everyone knows the services professional school counselors can bring to the school curriculum. Advocacy is often a difficult balance for school counselors. It is easy to get so busy helping students that school counselors don’t really pay attention to how visible the work they do is. A lot of what professional school counselors do happens behind closed doors, so unless we share what we do with others they do not necessarily know. The question is how can school counselors share what is happening in their school counseling program with others? One possible way is provide parents with a newsletter. Counseling Department newsletters can provide parents with articles on topics such as helping students with homework, children and grief or college planning information. Mixed in with helpful articles counselors can add information about classroom guidance topics, groups being offered or other counseling department activities. Newsletters can be sent home with report cards or with students two to four times a year. Visit http://ss005.k12.sd.us and click on newsletters for a couple examples. Another possibility might be writing an article for the school paper or the local newspaper about a special project or program the counseling department has offered to students. Professional school counselors could even write a newspaper article about a topic that could help parents or community members. Examples might be an article about using positive behavior plans with children at home, signs of depression or managing stress. Other advocacy efforts might include; a brochure about your school counseling program, holding advisory board meetings, (advisor board members are great people to talk to others about school counseling programs) presentations to the school board, and even parent meetings allow school counselors to share information with parents or community members. The possibilities are endless. School counselors can also advocate for themselves by getting involved in professional organizations. Professional organizations allow counselors to stand together in order to make changes in state, local, and national policies that effect students. Over the past several years the South Dakota Counseling Association (SDCA) and the South Dakota School Counseling Association (SDSCA) have been working together to make changes that will benefit students and the school counseling profession. It can be difficult for school counselors to highlight their programs because it feels like bragging, but if we don’t share our successes with the public it is easier for them to say . . . . . “The counselor doesn’t do anything, maybe we don’t need one.” If school counselors don’t help others understand how students are different because of the services they provide, who will? We need to take responsibility for preserving the school counseling profession. As school counselors finish the school year and look towards next year, they should think about how they can advocate for the school counseling profession. It is important that school counselors in South Dakota begin moving from good to great. As my time of being your leader comes to an end, I am excited for the future that lies before us.  

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SDSCA Fall Newsletter

President-Elect MessageBy: John Hegg, SDSCA President-Elect About a month ago, I had the pleasure of attending the Wisconsin School Counselors

Association winter conference in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, as an invited guest. It is hard to believe that their conference has never been cancelled due to bad weather in February. It might be a bit risky in South Dakota!

I do extend greetings to SDSCA members from the Wisconsin School Counselors Association. The Wisconsin conference which is not held in conjunction with the WCA was attended by an astounding 1,400 professional school counselors. There were 14 preconference workshops and 94 different break-out sessions during the two days!

I couldn’t help but be impressed with the energy, enthusiasm and camaraderie that was everywhere during the conference. This is not unlike the spirit that invades the SDCA/SDSCA spring conference every year. I encourage all of you to attend the 2009 spring conference in Sioux Falls. There is no better way to absorb some new counseling information, be rejuvenated in your chosen profession and work on networking with fellow colleagues.

The big “buzz” at the Wisconsin conference was about professionalism. It was all about acting professional if we want to be treated as a professional. It seems it is crucial at this time to stand up and be identified as a professional. It means such things as:

1. Eliminating “guidance counselor” as an identification in place of “professional school counselor.”

2. It means a must for all professional school counselors to join their professional organization so we can speak as one voice. (I know I am speaking to the choir here since all who receive this newsletter are SDSCA members. Thank you for that! Let’s encourage our colleagues who are not members to join.)

3. It means an emphasis on being a life-long learner in our chosen profession by such things as attending state and national conferences.

4. It means seeking state and national licensure. I hope to see you all at the state conference in Sioux Falls in a few weeks. I am ready for some

of that South Dakota energy and enthusiasm!!

John D. Hegg NCC LPC john.hegg@k12.sd.us or johnhegg@sio.midco.net  

“I encourage all of you to attend the

2009 spring conference in Sioux Falls.”

“Building Healthy Relationships” WorkshopBy: Valerie Horacek and Andree Johnson, SDSCA Special Projects

SDSCA, Sioux Chapter and University of Sioux Falls are proud to present “Building Healthy Relationships”, a two day workshop focusing on ethics in counseling and relational aggression. CEUs and college credit will be available. On Friday several topics will be presented, including the ethical side of mediation and elements in counseling. There will also be sessions on gang relations and the Teen Violence Project/Teen Relationships Group. Julia Taylor, national author and speaker, will present her research and work with relational aggression on Saturday. As a practicing School Counselor, she will present practical techniques that can be used with clients/students of all ages. She is the author of Salvaging Sisterhood and Girls in Real Life Situations. This workshop will be an excellent opportunity to network and hear national speakers while earning CEUs or graduate credit. The registration form is included in this newsletter. Don’t delay, space is limited. You may also contact Kari Godwin at University of Sioux Falls at 605-331-6781 for further information.

Page 3Being a Counselor “McGyver”“Flexibility, Creativity, and Stepping Out of the Box”By: Steve Fisher, SDSCA Middle School VP

After being a school counselor for nine years, I have learned a few things. I have learned that being flexible, creative and having the ability to “step out of the box” thus stretching your comfort zone every once in a while are very important traits. I believe these traits rank up there with being empathic, knowledgeable and conscientious. So with these three traits in mind I would like to share a poem I wrote………………..

Well, there you have it. The character in this poem definitely demonstrates flexibility and creativity. As far as “stepping out of the box” ? I think I did that by putting out this little poem.

“A Demonstration of Being Flexible, Creative and Stepping out of the Box”Cars turned to boats

And roads turned to riversSo I became a sailor

And an excellent swimmerI would catch and eat fish for lunch and dinner

Sometimes even breakfast tooI built me a boat

With a great big sailChanged my name to Ahab

And hunted a whaleThe Coast Guard came and threw me in jail

For fishing without a licenseWhile in jail

I met a guy named MarkHis nose was pointed

And his teeth were sharpHe looked like a cross between a human and a shark

And man it really weirded me outI asked Mark

If he had a tough jawThen used his teethJust like a hacksaw

We cut them bars and escaped the lawAnd sailed out to freedom

Just before this Story ends

Me and Shark man Became best friends

We settled down on a tiny islandDown in the Aegean Sea

We met local womenWho became our wives

We lived on sushi And wild rice

We both got lazy and enjoyed our livesAnd were happy as can be

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SDSCA Spring Newsletter

School Counselor InternshipsBy: Joan Huber, SDSCA Graduate Student Liaison

Thank you to each and every Professional School Counselor who opens their doors to graduate students doing their practicum and internship in their schools. Supervisors provide training in the final step toward graduation of school counseling students. However, the internship experience is more than just a step toward graduation, it is the opportunity for students to learn from seasoned professionals and hone skills under supervision which will launch them into the profession. As described by Kaffenberger & Murphy (2007), “supervision is a means of transmitting the skills, knowledge, and attitudes of a particular profession to the next generation of that profession. This relationship is evaluative, extends over time, and has the simultaneous purpose of enhancing the professional functioning of the junior member, monitoring the quality of services offered, and serving as a gatekeeper for those who are to enter the particular profession”. Taking on the role of supervisor adds another level to the already full schedules of professional school counselors. School counselors are rarely trained in supervision but have valuable experience to share with school counselors-in-training. To help supervisors build this additional role into their already busy schedules, Kaffenberger and Murphy (2007) have utilized a discrimination model of supervision. First, this model focuses on three important roles a supervisor fills; teacher, counselor, and consultant.

• As a teacher, the supervisor provides opportunities to learn from experiences such as individual counseling, lesson preparation and classroom guidance, small group counseling, school policies, and record keeping. In addition, they provide important evaluation of an intern’s strengths and areas for growth. • In the role of counselor, they help interns evaluate their interpersonal and intrapersonal interactions and how they affect communication with students and staff within the school. • As a consultant, the supervisor serves as a colleague by exchanging ideas about interventions, goals, and program plans.

Secondly, the discrimination model outlines the supervisory role in assessing and evaluating the skills of interns. Intern assessment and evaluation focuses on four basic areas. These areas include intervention, conceptualization, personalization, and professional behaviors and standards.

• Observing interventions used during counseling sessions followed by evaluation and discussion can help interns improve their skills. • Focusing on conceptualization is useful in helping interns determine what is going on during counseling sessions, classroom guidance and small group sessions. It also helps interns to consider appropriate interventions.• Addressing personalization takes a closer look at how interns work with students. Do they understand their own style of counseling and issues such as boundaries and appropriate disclosure with their students?• Professional behaviors and standards emphasizes adherence to ethical standards and conduct within a school system. Does the intern act as a professional school counselor; modeling leadership, serving as an advocate for students, and collaborating with faculty?

The discrimination model of supervision provides a useful guide and can be used in combination with the supervisee’s university internship requirements. Supervisor can also rely on the university supervisor for additional information or any concerns that arise during the internship. Often times, supervisors find themselves reinvigorated by having interns to work with for a semester. As interns develop and progress, they find themselves in a more consultative role; sharing ideas about planning, interventions, and new trends in the profession. In summary, it is most important for professional school counselors, taking on the additional role of supervisor, to be aware of the great appreciation their interns and respective universities have for them. Source: Kaffenberger, C. & Murphy, S. (2007, February). ASCA national model: The foundation for supervision of practicum and internship students (American School Counselor Association). Professional School Counseling, 10(3), 289-295.

“Supervisors provide

training in the final step toward

graduation of school

counseling students.”

Addressing the Growing Issue of Appropriate versus Inappropriate Physical Contact between ChildrenBy: Linda Johnson, SDSCA Elementary VP

Have you noticed a rise in incidents involving sexual play, sexual touch, sexual talk, and sexual incidents among your elementary students? Certainly, there is developmental experimentation in which children try to understand sexual roles, yet the incidents that I am seeing more and more of in my work with children include contact that goes above normal experimentation. Young children today are bombarded with sexual messages from many different sources, including the media. Even the television commercials need to be screened by parents for what is appropriate for young eyes to view. How do we as school counselors best address this sensitive subject? We do have a responsibility to address our ASCA National Standards for students which include the following:

PS:C1.3 Learn the differences between appropriate and inappropriate physical touch. PS.C1.4 Demonstrate the ability to set boundaries, rights, and personal privacy.

The following resources may be helpful to you in teaching students what is appropriate as well as guiding them on what to do should they encounter a difficult situation involving an inappropriate sexual act whether it be from an adult or another student.

• “I Can Keep My Body Safe” curriculum. I have used this curriculum with 1st grade students with great

success. This unit is a 6 lesson unit that includes a story called “Ben’s Secret” in which Ben, a turtle is touched under his shell. The curriculum goes on to discuss the following topics:

• “Everyone Has the Right to Say No”• “Safe and Unsafe Touches”• “Sexual Abuse is Harmful”• “Keeping Your Body Safe”• “Preventing Stranger Danger”

• Books

• The Right Touch, by Sandy Kleven & Jody Bergsma• Your Body Belongs to You, by Cornelia Spelman and Teri Weidner• My Body Is Private, by Linda Walvoord Girard & Rodney Pate

• Educate the parents!

The parents are children’s first line of defense against child sexual abuse. Prior to giving any lesson on touching, be sure to give your parents a “heads-up”! Send home a letter letting them know what information you will be sharing with their child. Encourage them to discuss the lesson with their son or daughter. Use that letter to educate them on how to discuss this issue with their child, on choosing caregivers for their children, and signs to watch for should their child have been sexually abused.

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SDSCA Fall Newsletter

Ethics Points to Remember – Part IIIBy: Florence Womeldorf, SDSCA Ethics Chair

I have been collecting many of the ethics dilemmas that have been brought to my attention this year. This article continues the sharing of hopefully useful information/reminders of handling these challenges from Ethical & Legal Issues in School Counseling.

#11 – When parents seek information about the student/counselor sessions, ASCA standards require that they be provided with “accurate, comprehensive, and relevant information in an objective and caring manner”. There is also your confidentiality responsibility to the student to consider. Some options might be having the student share more information with the parents, scheduling a joint session, or providing general information regarding the student’s concerns. A good plan is always to make sure that the student knows what information you plan to share and that he/she is comfortable with this concept. The trust factor is most important.

#12 – It is also useful to share relevant information with other school personnel directly involved with the student. This enables the staff to help the student cope with a serious issue like divorce. ACA standards acknowledge “treatment teams” where professional information is exchanged. Again, make sure the student is aware that you are sharing this information. If the student says no, share generalities and emphasize the confidentiality required.

#13 – If a student tells you that he/she is seeing another professional counselor, get permission in writing (student and parent signatures) for exchange of information. You can then share intervention strategies and better serve the student’s needs. This is most necessary when dealing with the same issues and not so imperative if handling separate events.

#14 – ASCA standards require that we communicate knowledge to “appropriate officials of conditions that may be potentially disruptive or damaging to the school’s mission, personnel, and property while honoring the confidentiality between the counselee and counselor”. If an issue arises in school, for instance an alcohol related event involving staff and students, maintaining student confidentiality is attempted as much as possible. Resolution of the event at hand is of most importance – not who told.

#15 – In the event that there is disagreement involving performance of duties between the counselor and immediate supervisor (principal), both ASCA and ACA codes provide information supporting notification of appropriate officials if conditions exist that limit counselor effectiveness in the work setting. It is appropriate to meet together with administration to smooth the policy discrepancies.

Source:Remley, Theodore P. Jr.; Huey, Wayne C. “An Ethics Quiz for School Counselors”. Ethical & Legal

Issues in School Counseling, 2003 ed.

NCLB and the School CounselorBy: Sonja Delaney, SDSCA Technology Chair – taken from the SDSCA website and NCBL legislation.

The Role of the Professional School Counselor

The professional school counselor is a certified/licensed educator trained in school counseling. Professional school counselors address the needs of students through the implementation of a comprehensive, standards-based, developmental school counseling program. They are employed in elementary, middle/junior high, and senior high schools, and in post-secondary settings. Their work is differentiated by attention to age-specific developmental stages of student growth, and the needs, tasks and student interests related to those stages. School counselors work with all students, including those who are considered at-risk and those with special needs. They are specialists in human behavior and relationships who provide assistance to students through four primary interventions: counseling (individual and group), large group guidance, consultation, and coordination.

COUNSELING is a confidential relationship which the counselor conducts with students individually and in small groups to help them resolve or cope constructively with their problems and developmental concerns.

LARGE GROUP GUIDANCE is a planned, developmental program of guidance activities designed to foster students' academic, career, and personal/social development. It is provided for all students through a collaborative effort by counselors and teachers.

CONSULTATION is a collaborative partnership in which the counselor works with parents, teachers, administrators, school psychologists, social workers, visiting teachers, medical professionals and community health personnel in order to plan and implement strategies to help students be successful in the education system.

COORDINATION is a leadership process in which the counselor helps organize, manage and evaluate the school counseling program. The counselor assists parents in obtaining needed services for their children through a referral and follow-up process and serves as liaison between the school and community agencies so that they may collaborate in efforts to help students. Professional school counselors are responsible for developing comprehensive school counseling programs that promote and enhance student learning. By providing prevention and intervention services within a comprehensive program, school counselors focus their skills, time and energies on direct services to students, staff, and families. In the delivery of direct services, the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommends that professional school counselors spend at least 70% of their time in direct services to students. The ASCA considers a realistic counselor-student ratio for effective program delivery to be a maximum of 1:250. Above all, school counselors are student advocates who work cooperatively with other individuals and organizations to promote the academic, career, and personal/social development of children and youth. School counselors, as members of the educational team, consult and collaborate with teachers, administrators and families to assist students to be successful. They work on behalf of students and their families to insure that all school programs facilitate the educational process and offer the opportunity for school success for each student. School counselors are an integral part of all school efforts to insure a safe learning environment and safeguard the human rights of all members of the school community. Professional school counselors meet the state certification/licensure standards and abide by the laws of the states in which they are employed. To assure high quality practice, school counselors are committed to continued professional growth and personal development. They are proactively involved in professional organizations which foster and promote school counseling at the local, state and national levels. They uphold the ethical and professional standards of these associations and promote the development of the school counseling profession.

Delegate Assembly, June 1999

Best Practices FavoritesBy: Diana Mach, SDSCA K-12 VP

As a K-12 school counselor, we wear many hats at each level and it is not unusual to be working on the

FAFSA , scholarships, scheduling etc, during one moment and then suddenly switching to the elementary/ middle school level the next moment. As a result I have built up my curriculum of guidance activities, so I have lot to draw from if I don’t have a lot of time to prepare. My favorite store is Marco Products, Inc. I love to read or tell stories that will make an impact on the lesson as well as hand out or do various activities. A favorite of mine is “The Name Game” which you can order from Marco. It is a story about a student named Willie who uses inappropriate behaviors to draw attention to himself. The Name Game can be presented in several different lessons and there are discussion topics at the end of each story. The kids become familiar with the saying, “If you don’t want the name, don’t play the game” It is appropriate for grades 1-4. I use it in grade 1. Oddly enough, I refer to Willie occasionally in my 4th and 5th grade classes and they still remember Willie!! Other favorites of mine that you can order from Marco are all of Trudy Ludwig’s books on bullying and relational aggression and The Inbox DVD. The INBOX is an excellent DVD on cyber bulling. It is performed realistically by middle school students and depicts relational aggression as well. The DVD comes with discussion questions before and after viewing the movie and suggestions for follow up activities. It’s that time of the year for requisitions, so hopefully some of these ideas are helpful. Happy spending!!!

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www.counselors.k12.sd.us

South Dakota School Counselor Association% Stacy Solsaa310 E. Harry St.Castlewood, SD 57223Phone: 605-793-2351E-mail: stacy.solsaa@k12.sd.usWebsite: www.counselors.k12.sd.us