Vision  

The vision of Henry County Professional School Counselor Programs is to implement a standards-based and data-driven comprehensive school counseling program that meets the needs of each student while working in a collaborative partnership with students, staff, family, and community members to foster a safe, secure, and supportive environment. Thus, preparing our students to become effective life-long learners, achieve post-secondary success, and develop into 21st century contributing members of an evolving work force.

 

• Includes a curriculum addressing the needs of all students in the domains of academic, social/emotional, and career development.  
• Provides specialized interventions based on identified student needs.
• Assists students in acquiring appropriate attitudes, knowledge, and communication skills to promote healthy relationships.
• Assist students in developing skills and competencies necessary to complement the academic curriculum and impact a positive school climate. 
• Enhances the ability of students to identify and utilize the appropriate resources needed for post-secondary success.
• Creates positive relationships with students, fostering personal growth, service to others, and academic achievement.
• Advocates for all students encourage them to develop to their fullest potential.
• Encourages counselors to consult and collaborate with other educators, parents, and the community on behalf of all students.
• Counselors provide crisis intervention and serve as a community liaison.

Advisement and Counseling Strategic Plan Development and Implementation

In order to achieve the mission of Advisement and Counseling, the Student Services Department by the year 2026 will:

• Provide effective and relevant staff development that will further the mission of the Henry County Schools based upon needs identified by surveys, student achievement data, and research-based programs.
• Monitor and analyze data: monthly reports, student achievement on standardized assessments, course enrollment, graduation rates and examine impact of school counseling services.
• Promote and facilitate K-12 collaboration among counselors.
• Develop and implement consistent, effective, and efficient strategies for all counseling programs (i.e. transcription, sharing best practices).
• Support local school personnel: counseling consultation, crisis management, graduation requirements, data management and organization, and legal issues.
• Support new counselors through mentoring sessions, school visits and ongoing training.
• Support Advisement Programs: staff development, materials sharing, and identification of best practices.

Henry County Professional School counselors will remove barriers to students’ academic achievements and promote a safe and secure environment by providing developmentally appropriate counseling services based on best practices, including:

• Individual counseling/planning, small group counseling, large and small group guidance, core curriculum lessons, and parent and teacher consultation.
  
• Coordinating school-wide programs and collaborating with local school and community-based professionals to enhance student success.
  
• Utilizing legal and ethical practices at all times.
  
• Continuously improving counseling skills and services through participation in local school staff development, central office staff development, conferences, National Certification, and graduate degrees.
  
• Utilizing data to monitor and improve student growth and achievement, which drives counseling and school-wide planning.
  
• Efficiently and effectively managing resources (data, materials, finances, personnel).
  
• Advocating for and providing services to all students regardless of ability level, ethnicity, gender, race or socioeconomic status.