In education, there is often a disconnect between theory and practice. Urban school counselors must balance the reality of their daily work with the standards set by the ASCA National Model (2019), widely regarded as the benchmark for K-12 school counseling best practices. This study aimed to describe urban school counselors? perceptions of their…

According to the American School Counselor Association, the role of a school counselor includes improving success for all students. Thus, the profession of school counseling encompasses a variety of tasks, duties, and responsibilities. One of the most fundamental responsibilities of a school counselor is to provide individual counseling to…

With increased suicide rates among youth during recent decades, the K-12 educational community still lacks a comprehensive model for suicide prevention that is tailorable for school systems. With this article, we present the Research-Informed Adaptable Model for the Prevention of Suicide in Schools (RAMPSS). A multitiered system of support, RAMPSS…

The rates of mental health concerns among school-aged youth are increasing and the growing rates of students considering or planning for suicide is alarming. Although school counselors are often the only professionals with the training to support students' mental health needs in schools, they are often inaccessible to students to receive long-term…

The commercial sexual exploitation of children is a growing concern around the world. Education about this concern is a key component to preventing further occurrences. The Committee for Children found few educational models in U.S. schools. School counselors play a significant role in preventing, identifying, and connecting students to community…

All too often policymakers have called upon teachers to attend to youth mental health in the classroom and school counselors have largely been left out of the discussion. The American School Counseling Association (ASCA) Model (2019) advocates for the practicing role of school counselors in providing direct service to youth. The Coalition model…

The literature indicates changing criteria from a reactive to a proactive process to include people with disabilities in inclusion counseling in primary schools. This article outlines the additional factors that are contributing to the low professional visibility of school counselors. The Proactive Model of School Counseling presented here…

In 2010, the National Association of School Psychologists approved the "Model for Comprehensive and Integrated School Psychological Services" (or the NASP Practice Model), codifying what an expanded role encompasses in the delivery of school-based psychological services. This study examined the role and function of school psychology…

Limited budgets may place educational positions in jeopardy and if school counseling positions become jeopardized, then school counselors must communicate their role and impact more effectively. However, school counselors may lack training and experience in professional self-advocacy practices, and advocacy efforts may be undermined by role…

With the advent of a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) in schools, counselor preparation programs are once again challenged to further extend the education and training of pre-service and in-service school counselors. To introduce and contextualize this special issue, an MTSS's intent and foci, as well as its theoretical and research…

The authors discuss a supervisory issue, in that, the ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs does not emphasize on-going supervision where ethical expectations of supervisors and supervisees in a school setting are clearly defined. Subsequently, the authors highlight supervisor expectations stated with the ASCA National…

This article explores a model for school counselors to capitalize on the therapeutic, empowerment-oriented nature of hip-hop practices to engage in youth participatory action research (YPAR). Drawing from research that supports the use of hip-hop therapy and YPAR in schools, we propose a culturally sensitive group counseling process wherein…

This article outlines the challenges that military-connected students face and discusses ways in which school counselors may utilize each of the four components of the ASCA National Model to help this population. Finally, a case study is presented to demonstrate how school counselors may support military-connected students. Utilizing the ASCA…

Increasing demands upon the time of the professional school counselor combined with the call by the American School Counselor Association to provide direct services to students may lead many in the profession to wonder from what theoretical standpoint(s) they can best meet these lofty goals. I propose a two phase approach combining person-centered…

School counselling services in Canada are inconsistent due to differing provincial guidelines. The lack of a national school counselling model and inconsistent provincial guidelines results in limited awareness of best practice and inconsistent services for students. Administrators and school counsellors have differing perspectives related to the…