School Counseling

School counselors support students and families in need by connecting them to community resources.  Please use this page as a reference for resources available in Washington County.  Contact the school counselor for assistance with backpacks, school supplies, clothing vouchers, food boxes and any other resource. 

District Resources:

• School Counseling
• Mental Health & Wellness

Food Resources:

• Free & Reduced Lunch
• Utah Food Bank

Housing:

• Switchpoint 
• Dove Center
• St. George Housing Authority

Medical / Mental Health Resources:

• Safe UT
• National Suicide Prevention
• Southwest Behavioral Health Center
• Fourpoints Health
• Life Launch Centers
• Kids Health
• Doctor’s Volunteer Clinic

Individual counseling services are provided to students who may need additional support because of a crisis, a concern, or who simply who need to talk.   Individual sessions are short-term and solution focused and are not therapy.  The student typically meets with the school counselor 6-8 times for about 15 minutes each session.  Individual counseling services may be scheduled with parent permission.

• Many times, students will request a visit with the counselor regarding a situation at school and we will meet briefly to try to resolve the situation, particularly if there has been a problem on the playground, the hallway, or the playground with another student(s).  These types of visits do not require prior permission from a parent, however as school counselors we always encourage students to go home and share with parents and guardians that we spoke and explain why we met.

• If the problem or situation resulted in some type of consequence, the student will meet with the principal.  The school counselor does not see students for discipline, but rather to assist in conflict resolution so that the student may return to class and learning.  If a student requires on-going counseling, the school counselor will contact the parent to discuss the issues.  Serious behavior problems or certain family issues may require more in-depth counseling with a licensed professional at an outside agency.  I can assist you with more information about resources in the community for counseling, including a Mental Health Assistance Program (MHAP) through Washington Count School District.

Small group counseling can help students learn valuable cooperation and friendship skills, teach empathy, offer anger management strategies, support coping with grief and loss, help adjustment to divorce, and many other life experiences.  Parent permission is required before a student participates in small group counseling sessions.

• Small group counseling is a service provided to kindergarten through fifth grade students.  Students may be invited to join a small group during the course of the school year.  A school counselor can cover many issues in small group counseling such as friendship, social skills, family change/divorce, grief, self-esteem, etc…

• Each year is a bit different and the needs of the current groups usually dictate what types of groups are offered. Parents will always be asked for written parental permission before including a student in a small counseling group.  Confidentiality is an important part of small group work, but it can be a difficult concept for kids. They are welcome to share the topics learned in group, however they should not be sharing what other students are saying. Students who break the confidentiality of group and discuss things outside of group with others may be asked to leave the group.  Small groups are for sharing and problem-solving and all students should feel safe in their group.

All students are taught social/emotional guidance lessons in the classroom.  These lessons focus on helping students develop character traits that will enable them to achieve academic and social/emotional success.  These lessons include topics such as resilience, gratitude, kindness & empathy, problem solving, decision making, growth mindset, college & career, and other life skills.  

• Second Steps Website