Comprehensive School Counseling

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School-Based Mental Health Professional Use of Time Survey-Due November 1, 2023

Per KRS 158.4416(3)(e), the local school district superintendent shall report to the Kentucky Department of Education no later than Nov. 1, 2022, and each subsequent year, the number of school-based mental health service providers, the position held, placement in the district, certification or licensure held, the source of funding for each position, a summary of the job duties and work undertaken by each school-based mental health service provider, and the approximate percent of time devoted to each duty over the course of the year.

This School-Based Mental Health Services Provider Professional Use of Time Survey​ has been created by the department so that each school district's superintendent can fulfill this requirement. At the link provided, there is a "Read Me First" tab which gives instructions on how to best complete this process. Please submit your spreadsheet via email attachment to KDEResearch@education.ky.gov.

For technical questions or assistance, please contact Leslie.McKinney@education.ky.gov. If you require clarification or have any questions regarding the survey, please contact Michelle.Sircy@education.ky.gov.​

On behalf of the Kentucky Department of Education, welcome to the Comprehensive School Counseling web pages. Within these pages are information, resources and tools designed to assist schools and districts in providing effective school counseling services that improve student achievement and support the needs of the whole child.

On this page, you will find core values for comprehensive school counseling in Kentucky and quick links to many of the tools school counselors use daily to enhance the success of students.

 

The vision behind Comprehensive School Counseling and our work as counselors is to provide access and opportunity to all students; providing effective school counseling services that improve student achievement and support the needs of the whole child ensuring the provision to our community of a college and/or career ready workforce.

Role of a Kentucky School Counselor Defined

On December 17th, 2018, the Kentucky Counselor Standards Advisory Committee convened at the Kentucky Department of Education in Frankfort and defined the role of a KY school counselor as follows:

A Kentucky ​school counselor is a certified mental health professional supporting all K-12 students in their social/emotional, academic and career development.  Through a Comprehensive School Counseling Program, counselors provide data-informed, universal and targeted learning experiences to develop the whole child in a diverse society.

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Kentucky Framework of Best Practices for School Counselors

School counselors are an important component of K-12 educational leadership teams within Kentucky schools. The Kentucky Framework of Best Practices for School Counselors helps school counselors throughout the state better understand​ what they should be doing in this role. This document also allows for reflection that should be used to improve and expand comprehensive school counseling programs along with the practices utilized by individual school counselors and relates to the evaluation of school counselors, which begins on page 16 of the Kentucky Framework for Teaching for Other Professionals, School Counselors/Social Workers.

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Kentucky Multi-Tiered System of Supports for School Counselors

Kentucky Multi-Tiered System of Supports (KyMTSS) is a multi-level prevention system to support student achievement and social-emotional behavioral competencies through an integration of differentiated core instruction, assessment and intervention. School counselors are leaders among the larger schoolwide team to ensure all areas (academic, social/emotional, and college and career readiness) are at the forefront of providing evidence-based MTSS. This implementation document​ aligns with KYMTSS, the ASCA National Model, and the Kentucky Framework of Best Practices for School Counselors to show the school counselor's role and services delivered within the MTSS Model at each tiered level.  ​​

 

3 Domains of School Counseling

Academic Development – Standards guiding school counseling programs to implement strategies and activities to support and maximize each student’s ability to learn. 

Career Development – Standards guiding school counseling programs to help students 1) understand the connection between school and the world of work and 2) plan for and make a successful transition from school to postsecondary education and/or the world of work and from job to job across the lifespan. 

Social/Emotional Development – Standards guiding school counseling programs to help students manage emotions and learn and apply interpersonal skills.