A Comprehensive School Counseling Program is designed to meet the needs of all students and to be inclusive, preventive, and developmental in nature. Parents may opt their child(ren) out of personal/social counseling to which they object.
Parents have the option to withdraw their child(ren) from the personal/social portion of the Comprehensive School Guidance and Counseling Program by obtaining an opt-out form from the school counseling office or by printing the School Counseling Services Opt-Out Form (PDF) (Regulation 651-1, Attachment I) and returning it to the school counselor. This request should be appropriately filed in the student's educational record, and school counseling staff should be advised of the student's non-participation.
An opt-out request does not transfer from school to school. Parents must initiate an opt-out request form each time a student changes schools.
The opt-out provision excludes short-duration personal/social counseling, which is needed to maintain order, discipline, or a productive learning environment. In such situations, affirmative parental consent is not required.
Materials used with students in the Comprehensive School Guidance and Counseling Program shall be made available for parent review and comment through arrangements with the school counselor. The selection and review of such material shall be in compliance with Regulation 653-1, "Evaluation and Selection of Instructional Materials."
A student meets with the school counselor when he/she requests a meeting; parents/teachers, administrators, and other school staff members refer the student, or the school counselor initiates contact.
As noted in Section III of Regulation 651-1, parents may opt their child(ren) out of counseling to which they object. Parental consent shall not be required for any counseling which is needed to:
Parental permission shall be obtained when it has been determined that a student would benefit from meeting with the school counselor to address issues that are impeding a student's progress in school.
A student may be included in a small group counseling without parental consent when the school counselor and the appropriate administrator have documented attempts to contact the parent and the parent has not responded.
A Parental Permission Letter For Small Group Counseling (PDF) (Regulation 651-1, Attachment II) or Short-term Individual Counseling Sessions Letter (Regulation 651-1, Attachment III) shall be sent to parents and include the following: