1. Saving School Counselors marketing and branding your program
All
Budget Cuts
Carla MacDougall, MA, PPS Poway Unified School District
Kelsey Arsenault, MA, PPS
Beth Huppert, MA, PPS
Hilary Ramirez, MA, PPS

2. Hilary

3. Marketing and Branding is just for business. Not true!
Marketing = advocacy
Advocating for program goals, students, parents, and other stakeholders
Branding = increased awareness
Awareness creates a strong comprehensive program, an increase in direct services, and job security!
Carla
Marketing is your voice.
Branding is about perception. We know you work hard! But what do other people think? Roles have shifted over the years, creating confusing and different understandings. Professional school counselors are important members of school teams, but they face challenges when fellow educators and other stakeholders are unclear about their current position in schools.

4. Starting with the ASCA national model
Probably already doing some form of marketing BUT…
“Branding is what people say about your program when you aren’t in the room.” Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon
Carla
-When we don’t make our roles clear we become subject to differing expectations and demands, we can result in neglect of the appropriate counseling programs and services
An important part of advocacy efforts should include promoting appropriate roles and responsibilities as recommended by professional organizations, and advocating for the reduction of clerical, administrative, and other responsibilities that do not make the best use of school counselors’ training and skill set. Principals trained with school counselors supported appropriate roles to a higher degree than their colleagues and this support persisted over time. If your principal isn’t aware, they need to be.
It is not one elses job to make them aware. And if you find yourself doing things that you shouldn’t be, make an even bigger effort to educate. Before turning to complaining and becoming overwhelmed. This is EXTREMELY important when first starting at a new school. School Counseling is a unique career in that we get so much freedom in how our programs are run, who we see, curriculums we use etc. Don’t assume that you are doing things the same way as a predeccesor.

5. Dreaded Questions What do you do? Who do you see?
Would my student benefit?
I know you are busy… but with what?
Aren’t you special ed?
I can take care of it in the classroom
Do we need counselors?
Are kids different because of them?
You mean… guidance counselor?
We have a counselor?
Beth: This is what we are trying to avoid! If you are hearing these things, it is time to re BRAND!

6. Beth

7. How do we create buy-in and support from all stakeholders?
Beth we need to be intentional about sharing teh work we do and educating others. We need them to relize how much we support THEM just as much as we support the students. The highest form of job security for for stakeholders to RELY on you. to really NEED your skills and services. You want to be solving problems, sometimes that they may not even realize are tehre. How many referrals are you getting, for what? how many conflicts are you assisting with on the playground before they make it into the classroom. KEEP TRACK! and share share share

8. Administrators and District Personnel
Weekly meetings with Principals
Visibility on campus
Presenting to the School Board
Hilary
using data to show how students are positively impacted, this study found the approach to be less effective in impacting administrative support for appropriate counselor roles. The administrators who expressed the most support for appropriate school counseling activities viewed an overview of the ASCA National Model. Despite this finding, little mention is made in the school counseling literature of the importance of explaining the ASCA National Model and promoting recommended roles and responsibilities of school counselors to various audiences.

9. End of the year report Carla
one in staff lounge, via to principal/staff, to district - got 3rd day at site from foundation

10. Developing Staff Buy-In
Quarterly Staff Updates
Visibility
Staff Meeting Presentations
Social gatherings
Interventions based on teachers’ needs and feedback
Peace patrol
Buddy bench
Hilary
School counselors frequently address students to describe school counseling programs and services and explain how to access their counselor. Similarly, school counselors can inform colleagues, administrators, parents, and other stakeholders about the ASCA National Model and recommended counselor roles in a variety of settings. Parent-teacher organization and back-to-school meetings, school or district pre-service and professional development sessions, faculty meetings, grade level or team meetings, and meetings with administrators are some of the various options that school counselors might use to introduce national recommendations and demonstrate how their school counseling program incorporates these guidelines.
welcome wagons

11. Educating Teachers Empathize with them Maintain a sense of humor
Explain importance of class lesson curriculum
Kelsey

12. Parent Community Workshops Trainings Speakers Monthly Newsletters
Welcome Back Letters
Student Updates
Back To School Night Displays and Brochures
Presentations at PTA meetings/Foundation
Kelsey
military families- knowledgeable about community
parent phone calls/ s
parent ed courses
send home newsletters, etc.

13. Social Media @simplyschoolcounseling @bright_futures_counseling
Kelsey- advertise and collaborate!
@bright_futures_counseling

14. Thank you
Contact Information
Carla MacDougall -
Kelsey Arsenault -
Beth Huppert -
Hilary Ramirez -
we hope this gives you some usable strategies for advocating for your elementary counseling program