Student Support Center

What We Do ... What is a Middle School Counselor?

Middle School Counselors provide academic, social and emotional counseling. They work with students to provide academic skill support, educate students to understand themselves and others, help in building peer relationships, and develop problem-solving, decision making, and conflict resolution strategies. School counselors are also trained to work with students individually, in small groups, and in classroom settings to assist students, parents, and faculty in dealing with crisis situations, interpersonal concerns, and making referrals to the Student Support Team, Committee on Special Education, and other community agencies.
 
In addition, they are involved in the following:

• New student registration and placement, summer school registration
• AIS (Academic Intervention Services)
• Conflict resolution, mediation
• Liaison for teachers, families, students, community
• Facilitate Student Support Team (SST) four-year plans (8th - 12th grade)
• ESL (English as a Second Language)
• Career interest and inventories
• State assessments, Regents exams
• BOCES field trips
   

What We Do ... What is a Middle School Social Worker?

School Social Workers work with faculty and families to identify and assist students who are experiencing difficulties academically, emotionally and socially. The school social worker serves as an advocate, liaison, coordinator, case manager and consultant for students, parents, school staff and community agency personnel. Social workers are available to be participants in various school conferences, initiate phone contacts with parents and agency personnel and provide consultation/staff development on various social work related issues for teachers. In addition, they are involved in the following:

• Conduct assessment of student needs
• Provide individual, group, family counseling
• Supervise student interns for the Program of Academic Support Services (PASS)
• Provide crisis intervention services
• Empowerment of and advocacy for students, families
• Provide referrals to community agencies
• Facilitate communication between teachers, families, students, community
• Implement appropriate programs, groups, and initiatives to target at-risk population, including bully prevention
• Provide Medicaid reimbursement
• Subcommittee Chairperson(s) for the Committee on Special Education meetings
• Certified as trainers in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention