School Counseling Overview 

Omaha Public Schools counselors play a vital role in supporting students' academic, social, and emotional well-being. Here's a brief overview of their typical responsibilities: 

• Work alongside teachers and families to help students develop socially and emotionally, and to help remove barriers to learning
• Classroom lessons teaching social, emotional, and academic skills and career development
• Small group counseling
• Short-term individual counseling
• Consultations with families and teachers
• Referrals to community partners (including longer-term therapy services)
• Schoolwide programming

School counselors provide proactive lessons throughout the school year regarding the following topics:

• Growth Mindset & Goal-Setting
• Emotion Management
• Problem-Solving
• Career & Education Awareness
• Safety/Personal Advocacy 
• Healthy Coping Skills
• Academic and Post-Secondary Planning

The role of a school counselor includes supporting our students' families in matters such as:

• Help with social and emotional concerns about your child
• Improving family/child communication
• Family difficulties that impact your child's schoolwork
• Referrals to community resources
• Understanding the developmental changes of childhood
• Helping with school attendance
• Discussing concerns about academics

To start working with your school counselor, they may be contacted in the following ways:

• Student or parent/guardian request
• Teacher or staff referral
• Referral by friends/peers

Counselor Confidentiality Statement

Information students share with the Counselor is confidential. The student's right to privacy is guarded as much as permitted by law, ethics, and school rules. All meetings held with the Counselor will remain confidential unless the student or parent gives permission to share information with related parties. As Professional School Counselors, we respect the rights of confidentiality of personal information disclosed during the course of a conversation between ourselves and students, except in the following cases:

· If the student presents a danger to themselves.

· If the student presents a danger to others.

· If the student has been neglected or abused by others

· If required to do so by court order.

· If the parent or adult student gives permission for the information to be shared.

As mandated reporters, we are bound by Federal and State law to break confidentiality in the situations mentioned above and will do so to protect our students and to remain legally and ethically true to our profession. The Professional School Counselor may consult with other school professionals but will only share information necessary for achieving the goals of the consultation.