9
A FRAMEWORK FOR SAFE AND SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLS
Roles of School-Employed Mental Health Professionals
Many professionals within a school help to support students’
positive mental health. This includes school counselors, school
psychologists, school social workers, school nurses, and other
specialized instructional support personnel. For the purposes of
these recommendations, however, we are focusing on the mental
health professionals who should serve in critical leadership roles
in terms of school safety, positive school climate, and providing
school-based mental health services: school counselors, school
psychologists, and school social workers. Their training and
expertise help link mental health, behavior, environmental
factors (e.g., family, classroom, school, community), instruction,
and learning. Each of these professionals helps to create school
environments that are safe, supportive, and conducive to learning.
Each may deliver similar services such as counseling, social–
emotional skill instruction, and consultation with families and
teachers; however, each profession has its own unique focus
based upon its specializations, which result in different, albeit
interrelated, services. The specific services and expertise of
individual practitioners may vary, but the following describes the
core competencies and specialized instructional services of each
profession.
School counselors.
Have a minimum of a master’s degree in
school counseling. School counselors are generally the first
school-employed mental health professional to interact with
students as they commonly are involved in the provision of
universal learning supports to the whole school population.
School counselors have specialized knowledge of curriculum and
instruction and help screen students for the basic skills needed
for successful transition from cradle to college and career. School
counselors focus on helping students’ address their academic,
personal/social, and career development goals and needs by
designing, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive school
counseling program that promotes and enhances student success.
School counselors work to promote safe learning environments
for all members of the school community and regularly monitor
and respond to behavior issues that impact school climate, such
as bullying, student interpersonal struggles, and student–teacher
conflicts. Effective school counseling programs are a collaborative
effort between the school counselor, teachers, families, and
other educators to create an environment promoting student
achievement, active engagement, equitable access to educational
opportunities, and a rigorous curriculum for all students.
School psychologists.
Have a minimum of a specialist-level
degree (60 graduate semester hour minimum) in school
psychology, which combines the disciplines of psychology and
education. They typically have extensive knowledge of learning,
motivation, behavior, childhood disabilities, assessment,
evaluation, and school law. School psychologists specialize in
analyzing complex student and school problems and selecting
and implementing appropriate evidence-based interventions to
improve outcomes at home and school. School psychologists
consult with teachers and parents to provide coordinated
services and supports for students struggling with learning
disabilities, emotional and behavioral problems, and those
experiencing anxiety, depression, emotional trauma, grief,
and loss. They are regular members of school crisis teams and
collaborate with school administrators and other educators
to prevent and respond to crises. They have specialized
training in conducting risk and threat assessments designed
to identify students at-risk for harming themselves or others.
School psychologists’ training in evaluation, data collection,
and interpretation can help ensure that decisions made about
students, the school system, and related programs and learning
supports are based on appropriate evidence.
School social workers.
Have master’s degrees in social work.
They have special expertise in understanding family and
community systems and linking students and their families
with the community services that are essential for promoting
student success. School social workers’ training includes
specialized preparation in cultural diversity, systems theory,
social justice, risk assessment and intervention, consultation
and collaboration, and clinical intervention strategies to
address the mental health needs of students. They work to
remedy barriers to learning created as a result of poverty,
inadequate health care, and neighborhood violence. School
social workers often focus on providing supports to vulnerable
populations of students that have a high risk for truancy and
dropping out of school, such as homeless and foster children,
migrant populations, students transitioning between school
and treatment programs or the juvenile justice system, or
students experiencing domestic violence. They work closely
with teachers, administrators, parents, and other educators to
provide coordinated interventions and consultation designed
to keep students in school and help their families access the
supports needed to promote student success.
Roles of School Resource Officers
The presence of school resource officers in schools has become
an important part of the duty to protect students and staff on
campus. Families and school officials in communities around
the country benefit from a more effective relationship with local
police as part of a school safety plan. Specialized knowledge