What is the role of the guidance department in your High School?

[Dattebayo, RN]

I'm new to high school this year.  Was elementary up until this school year.  The guidance department at the high school seems to be almost wholly focused on scheduling and career things.  They don't really "follow" and "check-in regularly" with kids. I'm used to elementary, where the kids that needed help were scheduled each week or month to chat with the counselor and touch base and see how they were doing.  That doesn't really seem to happen at all here unless it is a crisis situation.  I see a lot of mental health in my office, which is fine.  I honestly love the mental health part of my job, and want to go on to get my PMHNP eventually. How is mental health handled in your high school by the guidance department?  Thanks!

[Nurse Trini]

Guidance primarily does student curricular advising:   helping students pick courses, apply to colleges, etc.    They also have a generic "advice" function to students that the students/parents request themselves.  That advice may redirect students to the school psychologist (who is attached to the guidance office and not student health) or to the nurse.

Guidance does play a strong role in coordinating  plans for the "exceptional students"  when we do IEP, 504s, IDPs, etc...

The "normal" students don't get "checked on" regularly.

 

[seedanurse]

I have always wondered why they have licensed counselors in those roles. They don't seem to function as counselors except in very limited situations.  Our guidance counselors do manage the 504s, but more from a paperwork aspect. If there is clinical input needed they would call in the applicable clinician. 

 

[jbassLPN, LPN]

I also work at a high school. I am new to this job, and it is unbelievably how many students come to the clinic daily with mental health issues such as depression, thoughts suicide or self harm, anxiety, etc.. I do my best to empathize and defuse any situations, but I am not equipped for that in my scope/skillset. I always call their guidance counselor or walk them to the office for the counselor. I communicate with them regularly about students. I recently found out that we have a program for students (I think they have to be on gov't insurance) where counselors from outside the school from a local psychiatric office that come to the school as needed for them. Does anyone else have a program like this for mental health solutions at their school? 

[Nurse Trini]

Ooops.