Counseling and Guidance Department

A licensed professional counselor (LPC) is a mental health professional who provides professional therapeutic services to individuals and groups that involve the application of mental health, psychotherapeutic and human development principles to facilitate human development and adjustment throughout the life span.  Individuals must possess a master’s degree in counseling or a counseling related field and have completed 3,000 hours of supervised experience.

Licensed professional counselors treat individuals with mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders.  This process includes utilizing assessments and evaluations to establish treatment goals and objectives; and plan, implement, and evaluate treatment plans using counseling treatment interventions that include:

1. "Counseling" which means assisting one or more clients through the therapeutic relationship, using a combination of mental health and human development principles, methods, and techniques;
2. "Assessment" which means selecting, administering, scoring, and interpreting instruments designed to assess an individual's aptitudes, attitudes, abilities, achievements, interests, personal characteristics, disabilities, and mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders;
3. "Consulting" which means the application of scientific principles and procedures in counseling and human development to provide assistance in understanding and solving current or potential problems that the person seeking consultation may have with regard to a third party, including an individual, group, or an organization; and
4. "Referral" which means determining the advisability of referral to other specialists, informing the counselee of such judgement, and communicating as requested or deemed appropriate.

Social & Emotional Learning (SEL)

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which individuals acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

Wraparound Services

Wraparound is a process of working with students and their families to build and enhance social emotional growth by connecting them to resources that meet their basic needs to succeed in school, careers, and life.

Philosophy

We believe in the need to serve every student, parent, and our community in any time of crisis by committing to provide systems of support. We will collaborate to assist families in need with a comprehensive plan to connect non-academic resources that will improve the well-being of all students.

Vision & Mission

Vision

To empower PSJA students with meaningful connections to excel  academically and interpersonally through social emotional learning skills essential to succeed in school, career, and life. 
 
Mission

 
To provide a system of care and support through a dedicated and committed team of school support professionals including School Counselors, LSSPs, LPCs, and Wraparound Specialists. The PSJA team will build positive and trusting relationships with students and families to identify and address non-academic concerns related to basic needs, social emotional learning, and over-all well-being.

Services Offered

• Mental health and health needs,
• Food insecurity,
• Lack of stable housing,
• Recreational services,
• Domestic violence,
• Student’s emotional stability by parents’ unemployment
• Experiences by the impact of COVID-19
• Legal and crisis support,
• Self-actualization, relationship and soft skills,
• Trauma, coping support systems for students and families impacted by COVID-19, and;
• Many other challenges that can have adverse effects on a student’s readiness and ability to learn.