REFERRALS FOR SCHOOL COUNSELING

The counseling referral process is explained here. Scroll down to find and complete referral forms if you know of a student that could benefit from counseling services.

Who can refer

• A student may refer themselves or another student.

• A teacher at HMS may refer a student.

• A student's parent may refer his/her child.

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Why make a referral

• If you have concerns with your child's attitude toward school, academic growth, relationships with peers at school, personal development, or your child's reactions to changes within the family that may be effecting his/her learning at school.

 
Reasons why referrals should be done

• When referrals are made, it provides students with more one on one help, support, and intervention and increases the specificity of interventions and supports.

• Referrals can increase privacy for the student by removing the student from the situation or circumstance and gives them the opportunity to discuss solutions for it.

• Seeking counseling services can make students feel secure, allows an adult to give a student undivided attention, and frees the teacher up to continue teaching the rest of the class without having to stop to speak or counsel a student in the hall or away from the class.

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When referrals should be done

• When students are over emotional and cannot calm down in an appropriate and brief amount of time.

• When a student’s needs are greater than those the teacher can provide in the classroom setting.

• When a student requires more support and attention to address or solve a problem, issues, etc.

• When students need more specific and individualized help, solutions, and plans to address issues.

• When a student needs more privacy than a teacher can provide in the classroom.

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How referrals can be done

• Referrals may be planned or spontaneous

• For planned referrals, have the student set up a day or days and times to meet with the counselor ahead of time and provide the student with reminders.

• For spontaneous referrals, where an incident occurs and the student unexpectedly requires counselor support, a teacher should send the student down to the counselor and call to explain to the counselor the issue at-hand.

  • In some circumstances, a teacher may walk the student down or send another student to walk down with the student to the counselor. The counselor may also come to the classroom to retrieve the student.