Secondary School Counsellors facilitate the educational, personal, social and emotional development of students in our VSB Secondary schools.  Secondary School Counsellors provide support to individual students, groups of students and classes in response to the current need in their schools.  In addition, they might provide social emotional and mental health literacy classes to students at varying grade levels. The Secondary School Counsellor provides course planning and selection, career exploration and post secondary supports. They are a resource for families and provide consultation for school staff.  The Secondary School Counsellor also liaises with district services and community agencies.

Support includes:

• counselling for individual students on a variety of personal and school issues
• developing students’ self awareness, self regulation, social awareness, social skills and problem solving skills
• supporting students and families in distress
• targeting social skills or issues such as anxiety, stress, and depression through individual, small group and full class intervention
• consulting and collaborating with other school and District staff including participation in School-Based Team meetings
• liaising with parents and community agencies to facilitate access to services and ensure ongoing communication with schools
• organizing and facilitating referrals for special education services, Grade 8 articulation and Alternate Program placements
• providing input into development of individualized education plans
• organizing and participating in case conferences and grade group conferences
• organizing and implementing the process of course selection for their grade groups