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able to request – and receive – individual assis- tance or short-term counselling. Principals must have a clearly identified process for providing individual assistance and short-term counselling and for referring students to guidance counsellors or to relevant board staff (e.g., attendance coun- sellors, career centre counsellors, psychologists). In elementary schools, the provision of individual assistance and short-term counselling is depend- ent on the number of guidance counsellors avail- able. The process should also include procedures for follow-up.
The individual assistance and short-term counselling process involves several stages:
– a referral by a teacher, a parent, or an admin- istrator, or a request from the student
– an assessment, including a discussion with the student and consultation with his or her parents, teachers, and others as appropriate
– problem solving and planning with the student
– intervention through individual or small group counselling
– monitoring and follow-up
Community and government agency workers who are involved with children and youth are crucial partners in the delivery of the guidance and career education program. When it is in the best interests of students, and in accordance with board policy, schools may establish small group or individual counselling interventions in partnership with community agencies. Parents and students are also able to directly seek indi- vidual assistance or short-term counselling from outside agencies, professionals, or community programs. Information about such programs and services should be available in the school.
Sometimes a student will require more than short-term counselling. In such a case, the prin- cipal will arrange a case conference for collabo- rative problem solving and developing plans to help the student. A case conference may include any or all of the following: the principal, guid- ance counsellor, special education teacher, ESL/ELD teacher, classroom teacher, teacher- adviser, support staff, social worker, psycholo- gist, other school board or community person- nel, parents, and the student. Parents will be informed of case conferences and kept up to date on any recommendations and action plans involving their children. Students who have received individual assistance and counselling will also require monitoring and follow-up by guidance counsellors, teacher-advisers, or other school board staff.
Ethics and Confidentiality
The issue of confidentiality of the information transmitted between a guidance counsellor and a student is governed by several pieces of legis- lation in addition to professional codes of con- duct. Personal information collected by the counsellor is governed by freedom of informa- tion legislation. Written information that is included in the Ontario Student Record (OSR) is governed by the Education Act, the Ontario Student Record (OSR) Guideline, 1989, and free- dom of information legislation.
Students should be informed that any informa- tion they give to guidance counsellors will be kept confidential except in circumstances in which freedom of information legislation or other legislation requires or permits guidance counsellors to release information to specified individuals. Guidance counsellors should seek
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CHOICES INTO ACTION