Advocating for

School Counselors
Erhan Ecevit Kilic
• What Is Our Vision?

• What Is Our Responsibility As School

Counselors?

• What Are Some Resources That We Can

Use To Help Us Advocate For Our
Cause?

• How Can We Best Follow/Implement

The ASCA And Its Programs?
Vision Statement:
NYCPS are committed to creating and
supporting learning environments that
reflect the diversity of New York City.
We believe all students benefit from
diverse and inclusive schools and
classrooms. We strive to welcome and
support all students, families, and school
staff.
Our Responsibilities:
As school counselors some our main responsibilities include the following:
• Supporting Student Development: As counselors, we should prioritize students and
expect to be treated with respect and dignity as private individuals. We additionally provide
the support that parents and students need through helping them find external sources. We
are concerned with each student's educational, and social/emotional needs
• Keeping Confidentiality: As school counselors we provide information on privacy law
requirements, moral obligations, and the appropriate rationale and steps to disclose student
information to school staff. School counselors seek student permission before sharing
sensitive information. Every young child in a school can experience severe and preventable
harm. When we believe that there is disagreement about the legality of an issue, we should
consult with relevant professionals.
• Developing Academic, Career, and Social/Emotional Plans: As school counselors we
collaborate with administration, teachers, and decision-makers to create a postsecondary
readiness culture. We advocate for individual students' pre-K–postsecondary college and
career awareness, exploration, postsecondary planning, and decision-making, which
supports the student's right to choose from a wide array of options when they complete
secondary education.
• Maintaining Dual Relationships and Managing Boundaries: As school counselors, we
need to avoid bilateral ties that can endanger students. We should always be professional
with students and avoid multiple connections with school staff, parents/guardians, and
other family members, as these relationships may jeopardize the school counselor/student
relationship. Ultimately, we should not use personal social media, email, or text to interact
with students unless the school district allows it.
Our Responsibilities:
As school counselors some our main responsibilities include the following:
• Appropriate Referrals and Advocacy: Most school counselors collaborate with
children, teachers, and parents/guardians to identify early warning indicators of student
boredom and provide children and parents/guardians with a list of outside agencies and
community options when they need extra help.
• Managing Group Work: School counselors lead short-term groups to address students'
problems and report to parents. For example, we convey a desire for privacy in schools
where privacy cannot be guaranteed for minors. When choosing themes for groups, we
should remember that some topics are not suitable for groups in schools and take
appropriate security measures to protect group members from injury and lead
discussions.
• Student Peer-Support Program: As school counselors we oversee students taking part
in peer assistance and mediation groups and safeguard the well-being of students taking
part in peer-to-peer programs. We oversee helping students who participate in school
counseling programs as peer support develop the proper skills.
• Preventing Serious and Foreseeable Harm to Self and Others: As school counselors
we notify parents/guardians and relevant authorities when a student poses a serious and
foreseeable risk of harming themselves or others. If a student poses a risk to himself or
others, they are released once they receive the necessary support. When students disclose
a real or imagined threat to their physical or mental health, we should let the student’s
parents, guardians, and the appropriate authorities know. We abide by all relevant local,
state, and federal laws and school district regulations.
Our Responsibilities:
As school counselors some our main responsibilities include the following:
• Serving Underserved and At-Risk Populations: As school counselors one of our main goals
is to contribute to a safe, respectful, non-discriminatory school environment in which all
members of the school community are respected and courteous, work with students to ensure
they are safe at home and at school, cooperate with parents, understand that students have the
right to be free from any form of discipline, harassment or discrimination, advocate for equal
rights and access to free, and acknowledge the strengths of students with disabilities as well as
the challenges they face.
• Dealing With Bullying, Harassment, and Child Abuse: In schools all cases of bullying,
dating violence, and sexual harassment are reported to management. As school counselors our
job is to provide appropriate services to victims and perpetrators, which may include
reasonable arrangements such as a safety plan and program change and reporting suspected
cases of child abuse while maintaining student privacy.
• Evaluation, Assessment, and Interpretation as School Counselors: When choosing,
implementing, and interpreting assessment criteria, we follow all professional standards, pay
attention to confidentiality policies, use valid and reliable tests and assessments, consider the
level of an assessment, use multiple data points, and think about the nature, objectives,
outcomes, and potential of assessment measures.
• Managing Virtual/Distance School Counseling: As school counselors we adhere to the same
ethical guidelines when in a virtual/distance setting, we are aware of its challenges and
limitations, and follow the procedures that students would use if a school counselor were not
present. We educate both the student and the parent/guardian on the advantages and
disadvantages of virtual/remote counseling, and we also teach students to interact with their
school counselors electronically to minimize and avoid potential misunderstandings.
Some Resources That We Can Use:
• ASCA Ethical Standards for School
Counselors
• ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets &
Behaviors for Student Success
• ASCA School Counselor Professional
Standards & Competencies
These are just some of many resources that
we can follow and implement to best
advocate and put our school counseling
program into affect.
How We Spent Our Time As
School Counselors:

The Pie Chart above illustrates how a school

counselor might manage their time on and
off campus.
Personal Statement:
I believe in providing a comprehensive, and education and
personal development based school counseling program for all
students across the board. I care about the cooperation of students,
teachers, and parents, and I believe that happiness at school will
be reflected in every aspect of life. Students who discover the
happiness of learning will first enlighten their environment and
then the world. In this context, I adopt a supportive, encouraging,
holistic and responsible consultancy that will help each student
realize himself. I prioritize students' ability to know themselves,
to establish and maintain friendships, to strengthen their critical
thinking, decision-making, problem-solving skills, and to become
responsible people who are sensitive to their environment, have
developed self-awareness. I adopt a student-centered, holistic, and
solution-focused approach that defends the right of all students to
education and supports them based on guidance appropriate to
their needs, interests, abilities, and success.
Website Link:
https://erhanecevit.weebly.c
om/