VCC Summer-Fall 2021

V irginia C apitol C onnections , S ummer /F all 2021 18 B ERNIE H ENDERSON President Emeritus Funeral Celebrant Phone: (804) 840-8586 Bernard.L.Henderson@gmail.com Thank you. Due in large part to your willingness to answer a call two years ago, Virginia continues to lead the way for model school counseling programs in our country. In 2019, there was an article t hat appeared in this publication and a large group of school counselors, in matching T-shirts, in the hallways of the Pocahontas building.We asked for a fully-funded ratio of one school counselor to every 250 students, and that 80% of a school counselor’s time be mandated in the direct service of, or on behalf of students.With your help, ratios are lower and HB1729 is law. Thank you for answering the call and using your power to help bring our advocacy efforts closer to reality. This progress is essential tomoving the profession forward, but there is still work that needs to be done in order to equitably serve Virginia’s rural students and their mental health needs. Research proves time and again that students with access to school counselors and comprehensive school counseling programs are more likely to achieve academically and behaviorally, particularly students in high-poverty schools (Lapan, Gysbers, Bragg, & Pierce, 2012). As a resident and school counselor in rural Virginia, I know how difficult it can be for students and families to access resources that are more prevalent in other areas of the state. While challenges exist for the rural school counselor, the challenges for rural students are arguably greater. The reality is, for multiple reasons beyond the scope of this article, in rural areas, the school counselor is sometimes the only mental health practitioner available or accessible to students and families. One of the many barriers that students in rural areas face is locating appropriate mental health services. This might not sound like a big deal, until we look at some important data. According to the VDH, the highest rates of suicide are in the Southwest region of Virginia. During the period of 2014-2018, deaths by suicide among youth and younger adults aged 15-24 years increased 37%. Data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), hospitalization discharge reports, and death certificates show that those living in more rural areas, particularly the Southwest health region, had a greater number of frequent poor mental health days, were hospitalized at higher rates for self-harm (49.0 per 100,000 population) and died by suicide at higher rates (21.8 per 100,000 population) compared to the other four health regions inVirginia. Ultimately, community and other systemic changes need to occur in order to better serve all rural residents including our youth in the Commonwealth. In the meantime, let’s use what we have and make sure everyone is aware of the opportunities for help that do currently exist. If increasing accessibility is a logical first step to improve mental health in rural areas, we should be utilizing school counselors as the trained mental health professionals they are instead of piling on, “extra duties as assigned.” A large barrier that exists for rural school counselors is lack of awareness of their role and training. The role of the school counselor is still not completely understood by all stakeholders, in large part due to the “other duties as assigned” that some school divisions include in employee contracts. Even if the role of the school counselor is understood by administration, the lack of resources that plague rural areas require “someone” to fill in the gaps. InVirginia, school counselors must hold a minimum of a master's degree in counseling from an accredited college or university. School counselors are educators who are trained mental health professionals. The role of the school counselor is to implement a data-driven, comprehensive school counseling program that meets the needs of every student in the building. Those needs can encompass everything from improving students’ executive functioning skills and academic planning to ensuring students have the necessary prerequisites for graduation and helping students become “life ready” for whatever their life after high school might look like. School counselors assist students to develop an understanding of themselves, the rights and needs of others, how to resolve conflict and to define individual goals, reflecting their interests, abilities and aptitudes. School counselors’ work is preventative in nature and responsive to more severe needs as they arise. And they arise often. Data from a VDOE report demonstrate that school counseling positions, not unlike other job opportunities, may be difficult to fill in some rural areas of the state. If that is true, a short-term solution may be to remove “other duties as assigned” so school counselors can focus on implementing and maintaining comprehensive school counseling programs that can include mental health services we are trained to provide for all students. Due to lack of resources in rural areas, the role of the school counselor has become quite complex. Even with HB 1729 now law, not all school counselors are able to spend 80% of their time directly serving students, or working on students’ behalf. Assigned non-counseling duties like school testing coordinator, 504 case manager, registrar, and attendance officer are necessary for daily operations at a school, and often fall on school counselors in areas without funding to hire people for these specific positions. It is financially prudent for districts to hire other employees to perform these tasks and allow school counselors to use their expertise to provide mental health services for students. As lawmakers, you helped move the school counseling profession forward. From the “guidance” counseling of the past to the goal of state- wide, comprehensive, proactive, professional school counseling, we pushed the needle in the right direction and for that we are grateful. Thank you for supporting the policies that we know are needed for Virginia’s students, especially those in our rural communities. Lauren Kershner, M.Ed., Ed.S., is a rural school counselor and Chair of the Board of Directors of theVirginia School Counselor Association. The Future of Rural School Counseling By LAUREN KERSHNER Parking available adjacent to building Phone: 804-644-1702 FAX: 804-644-1703 E-Mail: catering@whitehousecateringva.com Web Site: www.whitehousecateringva.com V