WJCC implements a comprehensive, results-based and developmental school counseling program that promotes and enhances student achievement by focusing on academic development, social/emotional development and college and career readiness.
In alignment with the American School Counselor Association’s National Model (3rd ed.) and the Standards for School Counseling Programs in Virginia Public Schools, WJCC’s school counseling program is delivered to all students (PreK-12) through core counseling curriculum, individual student planning, responsive services and system support activities.
With the support of the entire school community, the division’s comprehensive school counseling program is implemented by master’s-degree level, licensed school counselors.
Counseling Resources
Mission
Promoting mindsets and behaviors that enhance the learning process and create a culture of college and career ready students well prepared to meet the challenges and high expectations of the 21st century.
Vision
WJCC students are high-achieving learners who participate in rigorous curriculum and high-quality opportunities for self-directed personal growth supported by a comprehensive school counseling program that facilitates strategic partnerships between the school, family and community.
Objectives
To provide every student with the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to achieve their highest potential. The following three standards define the objectives:
- Academic Development: Implementing strategies and activities that support and maximize each student’s ability to learn.
- Career Development: Helping students understand the connection between school and the world of work and plan for and make a successful transition from school to postsecondary education and/or the world of work, and from job to job across a lifespan.
- Social/Emotional Development: Helping student manage emotions and learn and apply interpersonal skills.
Today’s school counselors are professional educators with a mental health perspective who have a minimum of a master’s degree in counseling and are trained to remove barriers to learning. They provide education, prevention, early identification and intervention services to address the academic, social/emotional and career development needs of all students.
School Counselors provide the following services to students:
Core Counseling Curriculum: Systematic delivery of lessons or activities that promote knowledge, attitudes and skills of student competencies through instruction and/or planned activities outside the classroom.
Individual Counseling: Planned, goal-focused, short-term counseling sessions to assist students in overcoming issues impeding success or expressing difficulties dealing with developmental tasks.
Small Group Counseling: Ongoing group counseling sessions provided to students with similar developmental or situational challenges with the goal of achieving healthy personal adjustment and coping with the stress of changing/complex environments.
Crisis Response: Supporting and assisting students as they navigate critical and emergency situations. This includes recognizing and responding to student mental health crises and offering crisis and short-term intervention, referral & follow-up.
Individual Student Planning: Analyzing and evaluating students’ abilities, interests, skills and achievement as the basis for helping students make decisions and develop immediate and long-range educational, career and personal plans.
Collaboration: Teaming/partnering with other stakeholders to support student achievement, advocate for student programs & facilitate workshops about student developmental issues for parents/guardians.
Consultation: Working with professionals inside and outside of the school building to share support, strategies and information to assist in identifying and addressing barriers to student achievement.
Referrals: Providing students and parents to school or community resources as needed. Staying connected with these resources to wrap support services around students across all environments.
School-wide Student Support Programs: Provides academic and/or behavioral support as well as career or personal/social development to all students through planned programs, interventions or activities (e.g. MTSS interventions, college & career week, behavior incentive programs, mentoring programs, etc.).
For more information, please contact Jessica Walter, Director of School Counseling and College & Career Readiness at (757) 603-6493 or jessica.walter@wjccschools.org.
Adapted from the American School Counseling Association’s National Model: A framework for school counseling programs (3rd ed.)
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