How to Provide School Counseling Resources for Distance Learning

As we are in an unprecedented time due to the Coronavirus pandemic, educators worldwide are having to get creative with developing remote learning opportunities on short notice. As counselors, this can be even more tricky. My admin's instructions were to not overwhelm parents with non-essential learning. While I certainly think counseling is essential, a big part of our programs are proactive and preventative so where does that leave us? Each district likely has different expectations of the counselor's role during this time, but here are some suggestions to get you started.

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how to provide school counseling resources for distance learning

How to reach students with tier 1 interventions (class lessons) virtually:

You can send out a PowerPoint for the class lessons you had planned for parents to review with their child.
You can send out a parent letter with information on how to talk to their child about their feeling of anxiety, stress, and fear during this time along with some stress-reducing resources. This is the one I sent. Download a free copy here.

How to reach students with tier 2 interventions (small group counseling) virtually:

I don't see the benefit of sending home activities related to small groups as the point of the small group is for students to collaborate and problem-solve together. **Update: I started seeing a small group over Zoom.
If youd like you can still send home some activities you were planning on doing as a group for them to do individually. You could later review the work as a group once school resumes.

How to reach students with tier 3 interventions (individual counseling) virtually:

You can email the parents of the students you see individually and send home some activities they can work on with their child.
You can use Skype or Zoom to do virtual counseling sessions over video. Be sure to check with your district's policy on video and confidentiality. ASCA is providing a free webinar covering ethical considerations on March 23, 2020. Sign up here. If you are reading this after March 23rd, hopefully, they have a recorded version.

For my complete guide on counseling during distance learning, read this blog post.

You can present this information to your admin and while it may be assigned as optional work, hopefully, it is reaching the kiddos who need it most. Mental health needs are at an all-time high in a state of crisis.