Counseling Services:

• Individual Counseling - Students may be referred to individual counseling by the classroom teacher, school staff member, or parents.  Students may also self-refer.  Individual counseling sessions are brief, and last 6-8 regular sessions or less.  If a student would benefit from longer term counseling, an outside referral will be made.
• Group Counseling - Small groups (typically 10 students or less) take place throughout the school year, with a broad range of topics.  There are two general types of groups: skill-building and adjusting to life events.
  • Skill-building groups focus on skills that directly help students to be successful in the classroom (social skills, emotional management, etc.).
  • Life events groups are designed to provide an opportunity for students to express their feelings surrounding what's happening in their lives outside of school (such as the loss of a loved one, moving, parental divorce, etc.) in order to help them focus on learning when they're in the classroom.  If you think your student would benefit from such a group, please contact the counseling office.
• Student Support - Throughout the school day, many students may benefit from talking through a problem, developing and brainstorming strategies, or having a calming space away from the classroom.  In these cases, the counselor works to respond and provide necessary support to students.
• Classroom Guidance - Every 6 to 8 weeks, each class receives a classroom counseling lesson based on building non-academic skills such as social skills, empathy, managing emotions, and solving problems.  Classes may receive additional lessons based on student needs.  These classroom lessons are designed to develop competencies outlined in the Georgia Student Competencies for School Counseling and ASCA student standards.
• Section 504 Coordination - Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a national law that protects qualified individuals with disabilities from discrimination based on their disability.  Section 504 requires that school districts provide a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to qualified students in their jurisdictions who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity.  If you believe your student may require reasonable accommodations as outlined under section 504, contact the counseling office to discuss an evaluation for 504 services.  You can find more information about Section 504 on RCSS's Student Services Page.
• Crisis Response - The school counselor serves on a school-based team trained to respond to crises within the school, district, and community. 
• RTI/MTSS services - When a classroom teacher or parent has a concern about a student's academic achievement, behavior, health, or social competence, either party may request the support of the RTI/MTSS team.  Through this process, new strategies and interventions are developed, implemented, and monitored over several weeks. For more information, visit RCSS's Response to Intervention Webpage.
• Parent/Teacher Consultation - The counselor serves both as an advocate and a resource for families and teachers, as well as students.  In this capacity, counselors can help develop plans to use both at home and at school to help a child be successful in implementing new social, behavioral, emotional, and academic learning.

*Please contact the counseling office if you have any concerns, questions, or updates regarding your child.