Principals’ and Counselors’ Lens of the School Counselor’s Role

Exploring school counseling during the first wave of COVID‐19

“…Consultation activities include consulting with school staff, parents, community members, and administrators, coordinating referrals, and participating in team meetings. Previous research has indicated that principals and school counselors share similar views of the school counselors’ role related to consultation (Ruiz et al., 2018). Furthermore, within the context of the pandemic, it is reasonable to assume that educators, parents, and administrators would call upon the school counselor to share their expertise on how best to address students’ academic, behavioral, social, emotional, and mental health needs.…”

“…For example, the ASCA model requires that school counselors hold an annual administrative conference to discuss program priorities, goals, use of time, ratios and caseloads, advisory council dates and members, roles, and responsibilities, as well as professional development plans (ASCA, 2019). Addressing these professional areas with administrators at the start of the school year helps reduce role ambiguity, conflict, and occupational stress (Ruiz et al., 2018; Wilder, 2018).…”

“…Leveraging these new insights can be used when discussing the school counselor's role. Crafting new job descriptions and clearly delineating the roles and responsibilities of the school counselor can elevate feelings of burnout stemming from role ambiguity and conflict, thereby reducing occupational stress (Bardhoshi et al., 2014; DeKruyf et al., 2013; Fye et al., 2018; Kim & Lambie, 2018; Ruiz et al., 2018). To be successful, school counselors need to have positive and supportive relationships with their school leaders and engage in advocacy to promote more student‐centered services rather than adult‐centered needs (Ruiz et al., 2018; Wilder, 2018).…”

“…School counseling researchers suggest that role ambiguity, role conflict, and occupational stress are significant factors contributing to school counselor performance, job satisfaction, and burnout (Bardhoshi et al., 2014; Kim & Lambie, 2018; Wilkerson & Bellini, 2006). Role ambiguity occurs when a school counselor has vague or inconsistent expectations regarding which duties to perform (DeKruyf et al., 2013; Ruiz et al., 2018). When school counselors' roles are ambiguous, they report performing more clerical and administrative services (e.g., responding to informal or drop‐in meetings, making schedule changes upon requests, acting on the principal's directives) and noncounseling‐related duties (Blake, 2020).…”

“…Role conflict can arise from multiple and opposing expectations about school counselor responsibilities. These competing expectations may also differ from the skills and competencies school counselors taught in their preparation programs and the reality of their duties assigned in schools (Ruiz et al., 2018). In addition, role ambiguity and role conflict contribute to occupational stress, which stems from perceived stress in the workplace and one's inability to effectively cope with personal and professional demands (Kim & Lambie, 2018).…”