Teachers\u27 Perceptions and Experiences Consulting with School Counselors: A Qualitative Study

School counselor–teacher consultation is an efficient strategy for school counselors to indirectly serve students on their caseload. Teachers\u27 perceptions are crucial in examining this consultation process. This qualitative study examined elementary school teachers\u27 perceptions and experiences of school counselor–teacher consultation. The researchers identified three themes: (a) school counselors prioritizing relationships, (b) school counselors taking initiative, and (c) school counselors\u27 specialization. The researchers discuss implications for school counseling practice, including strategies for facilitating consultation with teachers

Collaborating with the Peace Corps to Maximize Student Learning in Group Counseling

This article explores a model partnership with a counseling education program and the Peace Corps. Counselor education students in a group counseling course developed and implemented a singular structured group session with clients not typically used (e.g., non-counseling students) to maximize student learning and implement group counseling skills. Group services were provided to returning Peace Corps volunteers with diverse cultural experiences who were in career and life transitions. In addition, the authors provide strategies for developing similar partnerships between counselor education programs and other agencies

Professional Counseling for Children With Sensory Processing Disorder

Sensory processing disorder is a complex neurological disorder affecting approximately 5–17% of the population, yet professional counselors often misunderstand and misdiagnose this disorder. A child’s academic, emotional and social functioning can be substantially impacted by sensory processing disorder; early diagnosis and treatment is crucial. In this article, the authors describe the disorder, discuss its impact on children and their families, and provide recommendations and resources for both mental health counselors and school counselors to utilize when serving this unique population with special needs. A case study is included, in addition to suggestions for treatment collaboration and advocacy on behalf of clients with sensory processing disorder

MTSS for Suicide Prevention and Intervention: Considerations for School Counseling Preparation

Youth mental health concerns have reached crisis-level with the American Academy of Pediatrics (2021) reporting a 51% increase for reported suicide attempts for 12-17 year old youth. School counselors play a pivotal role within the conversation on mental health and suicide specifically (ASCA, 2016; ASCA, 2020). In this article we outline how school counselors can organize their suicide prevention and intervention efforts with Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), grounded in a model by Dr. Rebecca Pianta, as well as prioritizing culturally sustaining, antiracist practices, data, prevention, and screening in all tiers. Specifically, at Tier 1, school counselors educate stakeholders, including students, on the warning signs. While at Tiers 2 and 3, school counselors identify and support students at risk of suicide. We highlight ethical considerations throughout, in the context of the article Suicide Intervention in Schools: If Not School Counselors, Then Who

School Counselor Educators’ Reactions to Changes in the Profession: Implications for Policy, Evaluation, and Preparation

In this transcendental phenomenological study and related data analysis (Creswell & Poth, 2018; Moustakas), authors explored school counselor educators’ perceptions regarding recent changes in the profession. Through six focus groups, participants (N = 29) shared their experience, resulting in four themes: (a) range of reactions to changes in the field, (b) school counseling is less valued in the counseling profession, (c) inconsistent school counselor educator identity, and (d) ardent advocacy. Authors discuss implications for school counselor preparation, identity, policy, and advocacy within an ecological framework and the need for additional national and international research. Key words: counselor education, school counseling, school counseling policy, counselor identity, phenomenological desig

Integrating a Multi-Tiered System of Supports With Comprehensive School Counseling Programs

A multi-tiered system of supports, including Response to Intervention and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, is a widely utilized framework implemented in K–12 schools to address the academic and behavioral needs of all students. School counselors are leaders who facilitate comprehensive school counseling programs and demonstrate their relevance to school initiatives and centrality to the school’s mission. The purpose of this article is to discuss both a multi-tiered system of supports and comprehensive school counseling programs, demonstrating the overlap between the two frameworks. Specific similarities include: leadership team and collaboration, coordinated services, school counselor roles, data collection, evidence-based practices, equity, cultural responsiveness, advocacy, prevention, positive school climate, and systemic change. A case study is included to illustrate a school counseling department integrating a multi-tiered system of supports with their comprehensive school counseling program. In the case study, school counselors are described as interveners, facilitators and supporters regarding the implementation of a multi-tiered system of supports

School Counseling Faculty Perceptions and Experiences Preparing Elementary School Counselors

School counselors’ job roles and preferences reportedly vary by educational level (i.e., elementary, middle and high school); however, several organizations, such as the American School Counselor Association, conceptualize and recommend school counseling practice and preparation through a K–12 lens. Little is known about how or if school counseling faculty members vary their preparation for specific educational levels. In this article, we discuss a national, mixed methods study of school counseling faculty (N = 132) experiences and perceptions regarding school counselor preparation for the elementary level. We focused on elementary school counselors due to their unique roles. Findings included faculty’s varied experiences and perceptions of differentiation, prioritizing a K–12 preparation focus, and several external factors driving their preparation such as state licensure and mandates, school counseling job opportunities, and student enrollment, motivation and interest in elementary school counseling

Skein theory for the D_{2n} planar algebras

We give a combinatorial description of the ``$D_{2n}$ planar algebra,'' by generators and relations. We explain how the generator interacts with the Temperley-Lieb braiding. This shows the previously known braiding on the even part extends to a `braiding up to sign' on the entire planar algebra. We give a direct proof that our relations are consistent (using this `braiding up to sign'), give a complete description of the associated tensor category and principal graph, and show that the planar algebra is positive definite. These facts allow us to identify our combinatorial construction with the standard invariant of the subfactor $D_{2n}$.Comment: Correcting several errors noticed by careful readers

Investigation of relative risk estimates from studies of the same population with contrasting response rates and designs

Background: There is little empirical evidence regarding the generalisability of relative risk estimates from studies which have relatively low response rates or are of limited representativeness. The aim of this study was to investigate variation in exposure-outcome relationships in studies of the same population with different response rates and designs by comparing estimates from the 45 and Up Study, a population-based cohort study (self-administered postal questionnaire, response rate 18%), and the New South Wales Population Health Survey (PHS) (computer-assisted telephone interview, response rate ~60%). Methods: Logistic regression analysis of questionnaire data from 45 and Up Study participants (n = 101,812) and 2006/ 2007 PHS participants (n = 14,796) was used to calculate prevalence estimates and odds ratios (ORs) for comparable variables, adjusting for age, sex and remoteness. ORs were compared using Wald tests modelling each study separately, with and without sampling weights. Results: Prevalence of some outcomes (smoking, private health insurance, diabetes, hypertension, asthma) varied between the two studies. For highly comparable questionnaire items, exposure-outcome relationship patterns were almost identical between the studies and ORs for eight of the ten relationships examined did not differ significantly. For questionnaire items that were only moderately comparable, the nature of the observed relationships did not differ materially between the two studies, although many ORs differed significantly. Conclusions: These findings show that for a broad range of risk factors, two studies of the same population with varying response rate, sampling frame and mode of questionnaire administration yielded consistent estimates of exposure-outcome relationships. However, ORs varied between the studies where they did not use identical questionnaire items