blog 4

As our interviews are winding down and all the data and information is being collected it seems as though there is not a lot of consistency on the delivery models and collaboration between all the stake holders.  As new counselors are being trained and integrated into schools, those counselors that have been in the profession for a while seem to have trouble collaborating and combining their techniques with other counselors.  It does, however, seem a little daunting with the types of delivery models and choosing which to use in the school setting. While reading chapter 6 of Dollarhide and Sagninak, I can see the importance of understanding your own philosophy of counseling and how to best combine that into what the district’s mission and education plan is. My own belief is that there needs to be district wide consistency to counseling programs as well as consistency with how the schools choose to use their counselors.

Prescriptive and non- prescriptive models both have their advantages, and having the do’s and don’ts  for counselors as well as a calendar can help schools and programs stay on task, but being flexible and allowing the programs to work with the need of the schools and its student population is of equal importance. With all the demands of a school, its students, teachers and administration I can see how hard it could be to have consistency and meet all the needs of the students as well as doing what is best for the entire school and district. Chapter Six of Dollarhide and Saginak state that, from their opinion, many schools and counselors struggle with which delivery system to use and how to implement or expand upon an already existing program, (pg. 87). My question would be, do you have to use once specific delivery system and model or can you combine and integrate models that best fit the school and district you are working in. Being organized and staying on task is important but things do not always go as planned and there are always bumps and turns along the way. As I stated in the beginning of the blog, it seems a little daunting, and I can see why schools and counselors struggle with how to implement programs and meet the need of the students.

Our society is very fast paced and pushing our youth to do better, but at what cost. I remember when was in kindergarten, we learned our ABC’s, numbers, and played. Now you have to test into kindergarten and pre-k is where letters and numbers are taught. Kids need to be able to read before kindergarten, no wonder it is becoming more difficult to implement comprehensive programs into schools. The demands are getting greater from all corners and I wonder if this isn’t the problem. Maybe as this semester goes on things will become a little clearer as I start to develop my own style of counseling. 

 

Dollarhide, C. T., & Saginak, K. A. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs. (2nd ed.). New York: Pearson, Inc.