Blog
ONE-STOP SHOP FOR COUNSELING RESOURCES
- By: CASC
- On: 04/22/2020 22:54:37
- In: CASC Blogs
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I am pleased to announce the launching of a website designed to provide key educational and school counseling resources to support students during the COVID-19 outbreak.
This website was designed in partnership with leaders from the California Association of School Counselors and Wisconsin School Counselors Association. This team was comprised of a multidisciplinary team of over 50 school administrators and counselors organized to provide a platform where information can be consolidated into a one-stop website. The website addresses issues specific to virtual PreK-12th grade counseling, mental health and economic trauma. The guiding questions the team considered before undertaking this project were, "What are the range of needs for students and their families and how can we make information for counselors comprehensive, and easy to access?" The concerns were consolidated into three areas: 1) Practical considerations such as tele-counseling, online platforms, best practices and ethical considerations, 2) educational and college/career transitional services, and 3) information for families during Covid-19 stay-at-home guidelines.
A big thank you to the volunteers from California and Wisconsin who worked tirelessly, setting-aside time for this project, while also addressing their work-related responsibilities. We hope this website provides readers with the information needed to better navigate issues facing school-age children and youth during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
In addition, CASC will be hosting a webinar on Tuesday, April 28 at 2 p.m. to walk through some of the resources included in this new website. Facilitating the webinar is Lezya Weglarz, with other members of the Covid-19 Emergency Taskforce. To register go to CASC website.
Final note: Each week I have continued to update you on the issues facing these unprecedented times. Later this week we will be sending out a notice regarding Student Mental Health Week – May 4-8 with links to activities, lessons and other resources to draw attention to the mental health needs of our children and youth. I will also follow-up with an article as to the tremendous importance to this campaign. Additionally, I will keep you updated on the economic impact California and the nation are facing, and some ideas on how to mitigate lay-offs and draw attention to the importance of school counseling when district budgets are considered. Lastly, CASC has operated in a fiscally conservative manner for a number of years and I will keep you updated on the financial health of our association in future publications. Some of you are aware that I had submitted my resignation/retirement notification to the CASC Board and was planning on leaving on June 30. Because of the enormity of this crisis, I have rescinded my notification and will stay on as long as required. Thank you all for your years of confidence in my leadership and we will get through this together.