Successful Strategies for Improving Counseling Programs

The Counselor's Role
1. Know Who You Are!
2. Manage Your Boss
3. Meet Your Colleagues
4. Set up a Professional Office
5. Become a Master Planner
6. Get Your Plan Approved
7. Meet Your Constituencies
8. Maintain a Working Schedule
9. Create a Network of Advocates
10. Understand the Budgeting Process
11. Maintain a Log of Activities/Results
12. Master the Memo
13. Speak Effectively with Others
14. Plan Ahead for the Help You Need (Finding a Mentor)
15. Build Your Program, Step One
16. Build Your Program, Step Two
17.Maintain a "Suicide Watch"
18. Beat the Bullies! Maintain Gang Awareness
19. Self-Esteem is a Success Secret
20. Provide Career-Building Experiences
21. Become Your Teachers' Ally
22. Keep Teachers Involved!
23.Dress for Success-and Rapport!
24. Consider Outreach Services
25. Cover Your Assets!
26. Maintain Your Morale
27. Master the Interviewing Process
28. Learn Psychological First Aid
29. Confront Cheating
30. Interrupt Academic Self-Destruction
31. Prepare Kids for Relocation
32. Develop Peer Mentoring Skills
33. Build Social Skills Among Students
34. Encourage Stress Reduction
35. Develop Threat-Assessment Awareness
36. Overcome Personal Depression and Despair
37. Work With Parents!
38. Promote Financial Fitness
39. Nourish Thinking Skills
40. Understand the Power of Culture
41. Master Listening!
42. Understand Discipline!
43. Recognize Generational Values
44.Promote Joy and Happiness
45. Confront Child Abuse!
46. Incorporate Ethics into Your Professional Activities
47. Support Beginning Teachers
48. Speak Well and Convincingly
49. Maintain High Expectations
50. Know How to Say Goodbye
The PRINCIPAL's Role
51. Participate Early in the Hiring Process
52. Use the Interview as a Launching Pad
53. Use Staff Meetings as Inclusionary Tool
54. Have a Formal First Meeting
55. Do your Homework (Office, Mission Statement)
56. Schedule Counseling Staff Development Meetings for Entire Staff
57. Have Counselor as Part of Your Advisory Team
58.Share Information
59.Express Approval of Counselor's Area of Expertise
60. Spend Some Time in Their Office
61. Invite Counselor to Sit in on Selected Conferences with Parents
62. Be As Involved As You Can Be
63. Share Budget Information
64. Take to Administration Meeting(s)
65. Provide Time and Funds for Their Attendance at Professional Development Meetings
66. Support Your Head Counselors
67. Be Aware of Duty Assignments
68. Share Counselor Efforts as Part of Total School Plan
69. Make Counselor Aware of Your Goal Regarding Counseling
70.Suggest or Join a District or Superintendent's Committee Regarding Counseling
71. Request Minutes of Counselor Meetings to Ascertain Needs
72. Provide Cadre of Retired Counselors for Emergency Times
73. Listen
74. Publish
75. Support Emotional Intelligence
76. Support Bibliotherapy
77.Be Sure They're Part of a Team
78. Remember to Motivate
79. Focus Each Day (The Power of 5)
80. Are They Modeling You? (Who Are They Modeling?)
81.Highlight Importance of 'Mothering' (Promoting Students' Mothers!)
82. Have Interim Evaluation/Progress Assessment Meeting(s)
83. Be Aware of Occurrences in Counselor's Personal Life
84."It's Always Been Done That Way" (Support Necessary Changes)
85. Clarify Your Motive(s) for Involvement
86. Patience
87.Integrate Ideas-Take from Academic and Use in Counseling
88. Bring in the Stars
89. What About Discipline
90. Total School Team Interim Evaluation
91. Report Successes, Share Success Strategies, Visualize Successes
92. Associate With Positive Colleagues
93. Have a Success Discussion
94. Get Them Off to a Great Start! (The First Day of School)
95. Not Always Mr. Nice Guy
96.Be Alert to How "Customers" Feel About Them
97. What About Crisis Plans, Teams, Situations
98. Get Out There
99. Maintain Focus/Ask the Right Questions .
100. Be a Great Manager and Coach
101. Know You Can Do It and Do It Now
Attachment I ~ Sample Grid
Attachment II ~ Log of Guidance Services
Attachment III ~ Numerical Report on Counseling Activities
Attachment IV ~ Fog Index
Attachment V ~ Adam & Alice's Magic Tips for Talking to Adults