UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA

FACULTY OF SCIENCE EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS EDUCATION

COURSE CODE: EDCR 361

GROUP 2 SUB GROUP 2

QUESTION: REFERRAL SERVICES

Referral service is the activity whereby the school counselor in consultation with parents of students seeks

special consent from a person or agency in order to help the student resolve his/her problems. It is the act of

transferring a client to an expert for specialized help.

Referral services also refers to the activity in which the counsellor refers a pupil with a special need or

problem to other helping agencies, support service agencies or specialists who have the expertise which the

pupil may need. For instance, a counsellor or teacher in a particular school may identify a special problem

or need of a particular pupil or child and will recommend that the child will be sent to a particular specialist

who could help the child to overcome or minimize the problem. The special problem or need of the child

may be psychological, academic, social, personal etc. These services are an integral part of guidance and

counselling as it employs the expertise and knowledge of persons and expertise to solve a problem.

TYPES OF REFERRAL SERVICES

Basically, we have two types of Referral services. Namely, Lateral referral services and Vertical referral

services.

HORIZONTAL/LATERAL REFERRAL SERVICE

Lateral referral services is the situation in which a counsellor refers a client to another counsellor for

assistance. These two counsellors have gone through the same professional training and as such the

counsellor has acknowledge the expertise of the other counsellor. Sometimes the referral becomes necessary

due to professional or ethical reasons. The counselor refers a client to another counselor of the same level

but in a different sector (career counselor a client to a marriage counselor when he/she discovers that the

client’s need is more of marriage).

Vertical referral service is the situation in which a counsellor refers a client to a specialist in a different field

where the counsellor does not have the expertise. For instance, a counsellor refers a child with a visual

impaired problem to the eye specialist or a child with hearing impaired to an audiologist.

STAGES OF REFERRAL

1. Assess the case before handling it.

2. Discuss with client before the case is transferred.

3. Referral is done after the client and his/her parents have agreed.

4. Counselor keeps in contact with the client, parents and the referral source.

5. Counselor terminates monitory contacts with the client when the client problem is resolved.

WHEN DOES REFERRAL HAPPEN?

1. When the counselor develops love for the client.

2. When the problem goes beyond the expertise of the counselor.

3. When the client refuses to cooperate with the counselor.

THE COUNSELOR’S ROLE IN REFERRAL SERVICE

1. The counselor should be aware of other helping agencies or professionals who can help resolve problems

of the client.

2. He must seek the consent of the client and his parents before referral can take place. This is because the

counselor will be held responsible for whatever happens.

3. The counsellor should be honest to him/herself to know which appropriate steps to take in helping the

pupils.
4. The counsellor should be in harmony with teachers, parents and other school personnel and support

agencies.

5. The counsellor should maintain confidentiality, unless the client agrees that his/her problem can be

shared.

IMPORTANCE OF REFERRAL SERVICE

1. Problems which otherwise might have gone out of hand is promptly handled.

2. NGO’s, philanthropic organizations and bodies are sometimes contacted to support children with

problems one way or the other.

3. It gives the child the opportunity to be given special attention and care.

4. Parents are made aware of the problems and special needs of their children.

LIMITATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE REFERRAL SERVICE

1. Some counsellors may be honest to themselves to admit that the problem in question is beyond their

expertise or can more appropriately be handled by a colleague counsellor.

2. The recipient of some referral cases may not be immediately available.

3. Some teachers and other guidance functionaries may not treat pupils cases that require referral with the

urgency required.
References

Buku, D.K. & Edoh-Torgah, N.K. (2020). Guidance and Counselling: A Comprehensive Approach. Tema:

Cristoshouse Media Limited.

Okoye, N. (2000). Fundamentals of Guidance and Counselling. Lagos: Johns Lad Enterprise Publication.

Ooms, T., & Hara, S. (1991). The family-school partnership: A critical component of school reform. The
Family Impact Seminar. Washington, DC: American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy

Buku, D. K. & Taylor, A. I., (2006) Basics in Guidance and Counselling(2nd ed.) Winneba: Department of
Psychology and Education, University of Education.

Bradley-Johnson S., & Dean, V. (2000). Role change for school psychology: The challenge continues in the
new millennium. Psychology in the Schools, 37, 1-5.

Adelman, H.S., & Taylor, L. (2006).The school leader’s guide to student learning supports: New directions
for addressing barriers to learning.Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Bay, M., Bryan, T., & O’Conner, R. (1994). Teachers assisting teachers: A prereferral model for urban
educators. Teacher Education and Special Education, 17, 10-21.
 DETAILS OF GROUP MEMBERS
NAME INDEX NUMBER SIGNATURE
AHIATSI E. MAWULI 5170110002 ………………………

TSAGLI ALBERT YAO 5170110006 ………………………

TSOMLA CHARLES 5170110118 ………………………

ASARE RICHARD 5170110126 ………………………

OPPONG MAXWELL 5170110050 ……………………..

GBORDZOR GIDEON 5170110158 ………………………

ADAM D. MUBARIK 5170110134 ………………………

TWENEBOAH K. STEPHEN 5170110014 ………………………

ASASEH K. BRIGHT 5170110170 ………………………

ADDAI DESOMOND 5170110146 ………………………

AMOS QUARSHIE 5170110018 ………………………

PINAMANG DOROTHY 5170110018 ………………………

ISAAC TWUMASI ANKRAH 5170110042 ………………………

DJANGMAH RICHMOND 5170110138 ………………………