ASCA...Here I Come!


After three years of attending ASCA on my couch, I can say that I am finally getting to attend one of the best conferences on Earth (my first time was in 2014)!  Not only am I going to attend the conference, but my proposal was selected as well!!  If you are interested in stopping in, here is a spoiler!

Learning Objectives...

-Participants will be prepared to provide leadership in designing an effective peer program that is a 
valuable component of a school’s mission and vision.
-Utilizes the NAPPP Programmatic Standards and Ethics regarding establishing, supervising, and
 evaluating peer programs.
-Incorporates peer helping as Tier 1 support in prevention, intervention, and postvention.
-Bridges peer helping from middle to high school to college.
-Incorporates an evaluation process that effectively measures the success of the program. 
-Provides students with a variety of social and emotional skills instrumental to the developmental
process of middle and high school students.
-Leave with a framework to develop or implement a sustainable peer helper program.

So, what does ASCA say about incorporating peer programs in schools?

"ASCA believes peer support programs are a means of helping students develop social/emotional 
 competencies, define positive values including personal responsibility and learn pro-social behaviors
 (Varenhorst, 2004). Furthermore ASCA believes the effectiveness of school counseling programs is
 enhanced by the informed implementation of a peer support program, which can provide increased
 outreach and expansion of services."

What is the counselor's role in incorporating a peer led program?

The school counselor is responsible for determining the needs of the school population and for 
implementing a peer support program designed to meet those needs. 

School counselors:

 • Have unique responsibilities when working with peer helper or student assistance programs and 
safeguard the welfare of students participating in peer-to-peer programs under their direction 
• Are ultimately responsible for appropriate training and supervision for students serving as peer 
support individuals in their school counseling programs (ASCA, 2010) (Latham, 1997) 
• Create a selection plan for peer helpers reflecting the diversity of the population to be served 
• Develop a support system for the program that communicates the program’s goals and purpose
 through positive public relations
 • Monitors, evaluates and adjusts the program and training on a continual basis to meet the assessed
 needs of the school population the program serves 
• Reports results to all school stakeholders (e.g., students, teachers, administrators, parents, 
community)

Want to know more? Please plan to attend our session on Sunday, July 15th from 3:30-4:30 in room
503.

Looking forward to meeting you if you can attend!!


Comments