Guidance Department
MSC Guidance Department
School Counselors
School counselors are certified/licensed educators with a minimum of a master’s degree in school counseling. School counselors have specialized knowledge of curriculum and instruction and help screen students for the basic skills needed for successful transition from preschool to college and career. School counselors focus on helping students address their academic, personal/social, and career development goals and needs by designing, implementing, and evaluating a comprehensive school counseling program that promotes and enhances student success. School counselors work to promote safe learning environments for all members of the school community and regularly monitor and respond to behavior issues that impact school climate, such as bullying, student interpersonal struggles, and student-teacher conflicts. Effective school counseling programs are a collaborative effort between the school counselor, social workers, teachers, families, and other educators to create an environment promoting student achievement, active engagement, equitable access to educational opportunities, and a rigorous curriculum for all students. In Center Grove school counselors serve at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
School Social Worker
School social workers are certified educators/licensed mental health professionals who hold a minimum of a master’s degree in social work with a specialization in school social work practice. They have special expertise in understanding family and community systems and linking students and their families with the community services that are essential for promoting student success. School social workers’ training includes specialized preparation in cultural diversity, systems theory, social justice, risk assessment and intervention, consultation and collaboration, and clinical intervention strategies to address the mental health needs of students. They work to remedy barriers to learning created as a result of poverty, inadequate health care, and neighborhood violence. School social workers often focus on providing supports to vulnerable populations of students that have a high risk of truancy and dropping out of school, such as homeless and foster children, migrant populations, students transitioning between school and treatment programs or the juvenile justice system, or students experiencing domestic violence. They work closely with teachers, administrators, counselors, parents, and other educators to provide coordinated interventions and consultation designed to keep students in school and to help their families access the supports needed to promote student success. In Center Grove school social workers are at every level.
MSC Guidance Department Staff
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Tonya Brooks, MA, MS
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