Page 272 - DEDU502_GUIDANCE_AND_COUNSELING_ENGLISH

Guidance and counseling

Notes 21.1 Maintain confidential counseling records in a secure location in accordance with all
confidentiality, ethical and legal standards. These records shall not be made available
to other persons or agencies without the consent of the Director or designate and the
informed consent of the parent. A notice that counseling services have been provided to
the student, along with appropriate information can be inserted into the student
cummulative folder.
21.2 At no time should a school counselor discuss in public information pertaining to
employees, students or the operation of the division. A school counselor is expected to
respect the confidential nature of their position by avoiding discussion about any topics
that are not formally communicated to the public by the administration of the school or
the school division. Breaching confidentiality is a serious violation of acceptable conduct
and The Local Authority Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
Educational counselor include school guidance counselors who work in elementary, junior and
senior high schools, and university and college counselors who work in post-secondary institutions
such as universities, colleges and technical institutes. Educational counselors work with individual
students and groups of students. In general, they :
• counsel students who are experiencing personal, social, educational or behavioural problems.
• provide career or vocational counseling services which may include administering tests and
inventories to help students identify their interests, aptitudes and abilities.
• collect and make available a wide range of educational and occupational information (for
example, information about awards, scholarships and financial assistance programs).
• establish and supervise peer counseling and peer tutoring programs.
• act as a resource for teachers and faculty members involved in helping students or graduates
identify and pursue employment opportunities.
• present self-help or information sessions on subjects related to education and career planning.
• help students improve their study habits.
• assist students interested in travel and study programs.
• evaluate the impact of their work on the lives of the students and other clients.
• evaluate the effectiveness of the consulting work they do with teachers and other professionals.
• refer students to appropriate services and agencies when required.
School guidance counselors also help students select appropriate courses, schedule subjects and
choose educational programs. They may have additional teaching duties. They also may be involved
in advocating for students and developing new programs related to student development.
counselors in secondary and post-secondary institutions may supervise work experience programs
for students.

Educational counselors work closely with a variety of other professionals. School
guidance counselors work with teachers, speech therapists, school psychologists,
social workers and public health nurses. University and college counselors work co-
operatively with instructors and personnel from the Registrar’s Office, work
experience programs and placement services.

Educational counselors usually work standard school or office hours but may spend additional
evening and weekend hours supervising extra-curricular activities, attending meetings, advocating
for students, developing workshops or other programs, and planning for their interactions with

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