School Board of the City of Virginia Beach
Regulation 6-44.1

INSTRUCTION

Guidance and Counseling Policy

A.  Notification

Annually, the school division shall provide written notification to parents about the academic, career, and personal/social guidance and counseling programs which are available to their children. The notification shall include the purpose and general description of the program, information regarding ways parents may review materials to be used in guidance and counseling programs at their child's school, and information about the procedures by which parents may limit their child's participation in such programs.

In addition, at the beginning of each school year, the local school shall provide written notification of an overview of its program, including a brief description of the guidance services and the counseling services that may be offered during the school year.

Guidance and counseling materials shall be made available at each school for review by any interested person.

B.  Participation

No student shall be required to participate in any guidance and counseling program to which the student's parents object. However, parental consent shall not be required for short duration counseling needed to maintain order and discipline, or for those situations which may require the immediate attention of the counselor.

C.  Techniques

School guidance counselors shall not use techniques which are inappropriate to the school setting. Examples of these techniques include, but are not limited to, hypnosis, progressive relaxation and guided imagery and/or visualization, or other psychotherapeutic techniques that are normally employed in medical or clinical settings and focus on mental illness or psychopathology.

School guidance counselors shall not use techniques which are beyond the scope of the counselor's professional certification.

D.  Confidentiality

Any information and records of personal/social counseling shall be kept confidential and separate from a student's educational records and not disclosed to third parties without prior parental consent or as otherwise provided b y laws.

Source:Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 34 CFR Part 99

E.  Personal/Social

Classroom Guidance

No counseling techniques shall be used in the classroom guidance program that are not described in the annual notification provided to parents or that require children to disclose sensitive or personal information.

A student may be withdrawn from classroom guidance at anytime. This request must be in writing from the student's parent/guardian.

Individual Counseling

Counselors are able to meet with students without written parental consent to discuss incidental or normal developmental concerns and to assess a situation for possible recommendation for counseling. If, however, a counselor determines that a structured ongoing course of individual counseling is indicated, the counselor will obtain informed written parental consent before proceeding with personal, social, or sensitive issue counseling.

Each school shall require informed written parental consent before a structured ongoing course of individual counseling involving personal, emotional, and sensitive issues is initiated. Notification shall include the following :

A.  Purpose and goals of the individual counseling

B.  Estimated frequency of sessions and duration

A student may be withdrawn from structured ongoing individual counseling at anytime. This request must be in writing from the student's parent/guardian.

Group Counseling

Each school shall require informed written parental consent prior to a student's participation in group counseling activities. Notification shall include the following:

A.  Purpose and goals of the group counseling

B.  Estimated frequency of sessions and duration

C.  A statement that all materials and supplemental media used in whole or part shall be available for review by parents

A student may be withdrawn from structured ongoing group counseling at anytime. This request must be in writing from the student's parent/guardian.

F.  Advisory Committee

1.  Each school shall have, in conjunction with the School Planning Council, a Guidance Advisory Committee consisting of parents, teachers, counselors, and administrators.

2.  The purpose of the committee shall be

• to assist in the development of an annual school guidance plan following an assessment which reflects the needs of the individual school community.
• to provide an annual notification to parents which shall include the purpose and general description of the program, information regarding ways parents may review materials to be used in guidance and counseling programs at their child's school, and information about the procedures by which parents may limit their child's participation in such programs.
• to provide for the evaluation of the school's guidance program.

 

Approved by Superintendent:  June 18, 1996