Comprehensive Guidance & Counseling
Resources In Wake Of School Shootings
In response to the tragedy in Connecticut, various organizations are making available lists of resources that can be used to talk with children. These resources are not only for counselors and teachers but also should be shared with parents that might express concern for their children.
About Guidance and Counseling
The vision of the Guidance and Counseling Staff is to work with schools to help ensure that each school has a fully implemented comprehensive guidance and counseling program that supports the academic, career, and personal/social development of all students through the delivery of guidance curriculum, individual student planning and response services. The program is managed and evaluated through system support activities that also support the on-going mission of the school.
The Guidance and Counseling staff helps to ensure guidance and counseling program implementation by:
- Providing support for the full implementation of the comprehensive guidance and counseling program
- Assisting in keeping program components content current
- Helping inform various populations about the role of counselors in the schools
- Assisting in advocating for adequate counselor–student ratios in the schools
- Assisting in advocating for comprehensive guidance and counseling programs in all schools
- Recommending changes in counselor training programs that reflect new and anticipated trends
- Recommending changes in facilities, equipment, materials, and staffing needs that allow counselors to effectively present their services to school populations
- Providing direction in the implementation of career education opportunities for schools within the state
- Supporting the development and implementation of a systemic guidance and counseling evaluation process
- Assisting in mentoring newly and alternatively certificated personnel working in the schools
- Supporting the implementation of comprehensive career services in area career centers
- Supporting the implementation and use of Missouri Connections
- Coordinating and seeking input from the state-wide Guidance Advisory Committee
- Coordinating and collaborating with the Counselor Educator Advisory Committee
- Collaborating with the Missouri School Counselor Association
The Guidance and Counseling section works with the Missouri Center of Career Education and the University of Central Missouri to provide a Guidance e-Learning Center for school counselors and administrations that provides numerous resources to help implement their guidance and counseling programs.
In addition, the Guidance and Counseling section has developed a Guidance System of Support model to provide professional development opportunities for school counselors to collaborate, share, work together, and support one another in the development and enhancement of their guidance and counseling programs.