What is School Counseling?
According to the American School Counselors Association (ASCA), school counselors are uniquely qualified to work with students to address and solve academic hardships, support the social and emotional growth of students, and assist with career and college readiness to prepare students for the world beyond.
Our goal as counselors at North Thurston High School is to provide a comprehensive school counseling program that attends to the personal/social, academic, and college and career planning needs of students. Services provided by our department include: academic advising, group and individual social/emotional support, facilitating communication between students/families and teachers to support academic success, linking students and families to community resources, crisis intervention, career and college planning, and student advocacy. We strive to ensure that all of our students are actively engaged in learning and are respectful and responsible problem solvers, enabling them to become productive members of the local and global community.
Confidentiality Statement
School counselors recognize their primary obligation to confidentiality is to the student, but balance that obligation with an understanding of the family or guardians’ legal and inherent rights to be the guiding voice in their children’s lives (ASCA Code of Ethics), as well as abiding by legal and ethical standards.
The role of the school counselor in regard to confidentiality is:
- To support the student's right to privacy and protect confidential information received from students, their families, guardians, and staff members
- To explain the meaning and limits of confidentiality to students in developmentally appropriate terms
- To inform students and families of the limits to confidentiality when a student poses a danger to themselves or others, court-ordered disclosure, consultation with other professionals in support of the student, i.e. colleagues, supervisors, treatment teams, and other support personnel
- To adhere to all laws protecting student records, health information, and special services (i.e., HIPAA, FERPA, IDEA)
