Blog 5: Delivery Systems

I was excited to read last week’s chapter because I had assumed that many of my questions about what exactly the ASCA Model is and what it looks like in schools would be answered. Unfortunately, I was still pretty confused after reading Chapter 5, as I now had a nice “ASCA National Model graphic” to refer to, but still did not understand how some of these themes, like advocacy, leadership, and collaboration, actually translated into practice in a school. Fortunately, the discussion of delivery systems in Chapter 6 filled in many of these gaps in my knowledge and answered a number of my unaddressed questions. I enjoyed reviewing the case study at the beginning of the chapter because I think it is most likely a very realistic issue that many of us will face when beginning our new jobs. If my interviews with counselors are representative of the experiences of my classmates, many schools do not have comprehensive programs and delivery systems currently in place, and it will be our responsibilities to help begin and shape them into well-functioning programs. Out of all of the delivery system models described in the chapter, one in particular made the most sense to me, the Developmental Guidance and Counseling Model. The Developmental model is grounded in Erickson’s developmental theory, which assumes that “human nature moves individuals sequentially and positively towards self-enhancement” (Myrick, 1987, p. 31). Erickson’s model appealed to me when I studied it in my Child Development course, so it is not surprising that I would also gravitate towards this framework for a delivery system. I like the emphasis placed on individual counseling in this model, and I also wholeheartedly support the seven principles: Developmental Guidance (1) is for all students; (2) has an organized and planned curriculum; (3) is sequential and flexible; (4) is an integrated part of the total educational process; (5) involves all school personnel; (6) helps students learn more effectively and efficiently; and (7) includes counselors who provide specialized counseling services and interventions (Myrick, 1993). I also support the use of teacher-advisor programs (TAPs) to help provide more individual attention and focus for specific groups of students. I think TAPs would also result in increased school support because staff members feel as if they are an integral part of the guidance program. Support is also increased through the use of peer-facilitator programs, which have been demonstrated to be effective in a number of national studies. A drawback for this delivery system model mentioned in the chapter is its lack of a structured evaluation system, but I think this component could easily be incorporated into a comprehensive program using the developmental model as a framework. Dollarhide, C., and Saginak, K. (2012). Comprehensive school counselingprograms: K-12 delivery systems in action (2nd Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Myrick, R.D. (1993). Developmental guidance and counseling: A practical approach (2nd Ed.). Minneapolis, MN: Educational Media. Myrick, R. D. (1987). Developmental Guidance and counseling: A practical approach. Minneapolis, MN: Educational Media.