Student Services

What Do School Counselors Do?

School counselors plan the comprehensive school counseling program and facilitate its delivery in collaboration with school administrators, other professional educators, and community members to produce measurable results.  As a member of the student services team, the school counselor serves as a leader, advocate, and collaborator working to recognize and remove systemic barriers to student achievement in the areas of academics, career development, and personal/social development.  School counselors teach in classrooms, facilitate small groups, and work with students/families individually to best support each student.

What Training Do School Counselors Receive?

School counselors have a master’s degree in school counseling, including a minimum of 600 hours of supervised training.  School counselors meet the state certification/ licensure standards and abide by the laws of the states in which they are employed. They uphold the ethical and professional standards of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and other applicable professional counseling associations. Their unique training makes them qualified to address all students' academic, career, and personal/social development PK-12th grade. 

Why Do Students Need School Counselors?

All students face challenges along their PK-12 educational journey.  Through education, prevention, early identification, and intervention, school counselors can help all children achieve school success.  School counselors and school counseling programs are essential for students to achieve optimal personal growth, acquire positive social skills and values, set appropriate career goals, and realize the full academic potential to become productive, contributing members of the world community. 

How Do I Contact My Student's School Counselor?

Every school has access to the services of a school counselor  Please know that some of our school counselors may serve two or more schools and may be unavailable at times in a particular building.  Most often, our school counselors can be reached by inquiring at the school directly or by contacting them at the information on the right side of this page. 

What Do School Social Workers Do?

We provide support to students and families who are struggling with social-emotional needs, behavioral issues, or environmental issues in the family, school and/or community. Our overall goal is to reduce and/or eliminate any barriers to students’ capacity for learning and help them to develop the skills to become resilient, healthy lifelong learners.

We provide individual and group counseling support services, crisis intervention, behavior support, and connections to community resources. We also provide Homeless Assistance Program services to students and families who are struggling with homelessness or lack of fixed, regular, and adequate housing.

School social workers use a wide range of evidence-based strategies to ensure that students are in the classroom physically and mentally ready to learn. They utilize a strengths-based approach that views students and organizations as parts of systems. The functioning of and relationships within and between systems are enhanced to improve student learning. School social workers understand how to engage families and community organizations to create better outcomes for students (e.g., increased academic achievement, safety, attendance, and social-emotional behavioral functioning).

Please see the attached document for the roles and responsibilities of the social worker.

What Training Do School Social Workers Receive?

School social workers receive specialized advanced graduate school preparation that includes coursework and field experience in a school setting. School social workers typically complete a graduate level program which includes a yearlong supervised internship of 640 hours or more in a school setting. They are required to be licensed through the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. They may also hold additional licenses through the Wisconsin Department of Professional Regulation as Licensed Clinical Social Workers or Advanced Practice Social Workers.

Why Do Students Need School Social Workers?

Many students face many barriers that prevent them from being able to access their learning either physically or social-emotionally. Students and their families may be experiencing poverty, homelessness, family change, mental health concerns, substance abuse, trauma, violence, or many other challenges that impact a student’s ability to learn.

School social workers are mental health professionals who provide a variety of direct and indirect services to students and families. We provide individual and group counseling support services, crisis intervention, behavior support, and connections to community resources.

How Do I Contact My Student's School Social Worker?

Every school in our district has access to school social work services.  Our school social workers currently serve more than one school, and their schedules may vary based on student and family needs. Their contact information is included on this page and also on their personal pages.