School Counselors

School Counselors are professional educators with a mental health perspective who understand and respond to the challenges presented by today’s diverse student population. Their role is to develop a comprehensive school counseling program that supports students’ academic and social/emotional needs, promotes college and career readiness, and is aligned with the standards set by the American School Counseling Association.

They don’t work in isolation, rather they are an integral part of the total educational program. School counselors are able to provide early identification and intervention of children’s academic and social/emotional needs which are essential in removing barriers to learning.

School counselors support teachers by helping to develop behavioral strategies, understanding emotional and social needs, and working as a collaborative team.

School counselors support parents by sharing information about developmental stages, school services, community agencies, and mental health resources to ensure school success.

• ASCAMindsetsBehaviors.pdf
• CherryRunCopingStar.pdf
• CommunityResourcesList.pdf
• ProblemSolvingSTAR.pdf
• TalkingAboutDifficultSubjects.pdf
• TipsforDealingwithAnxiety.pdf

School Psychology Services

School psychologists are mental health specialists with knowledge of child development, the psychology of learning, behavior management and intervention, monitoring the progress of students, and program evaluation. School psychologists apply this knowledge using a problem-solving approach to help bring about positive changes in the learning environment, attitude, and motivation. Services offered by the school psychologist may be provided directly to the student or indirectly by working with teachers, parents, and other caregivers; however, all services provided by the school psychologist are intended to enhance the academic and social-emotional success of students. Minimum requirements to be a school psychologist include a 60-hour master's degree program and a one-year full-time internship; many FCPS school psychologists hold doctoral degrees.

Social Work and Support Services

School social workers focus on family and community factors that influence learning. They provide intensive services for students facing issues that pose risks to their academic success such as parent divorce and separation, poverty, truancy, chronic illness, mental health problems, conduct problems, child abuse, etc.

All FCPS social workers hold a Master of Social Work (MSW) or Master of Social Science (MSS) degree; many have earned a Doctorate of Social Work (DSW) degree. All school social workers are licensed by the Virginia Department of Education. The majority of the staff is clinically licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia Board of Social Work (LCSW) or in other jurisdictions and trained to provide mental health services in any setting.