School adjustment counselors understand how to foster therapeutic relationships with students and their families. They possess a developed knowledge of normal and abnormal intellectual, social, and emotional development and facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of student learning, behavioral, and emotional disorders.
School adjustment counselors advocate for students through the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders, physical and sexual abuse, mental illness, and violence to self and others.
School counselors and school adjustment counselors have developed an understanding of federal, state, municipal, and school laws and regulations to uphold the legal rights of students and families. They also connect students and families with needed resources within the school and community and utilize consultation and data-driven research to bring about systemic change.
Responsibilities unique to school counselors include the successful implementation of school counseling core curriculum, group counseling, and individual counseling for the student populations they serve. School counselors also understand, organize, implement, and interpret academic testing for students, teachers, and parents, such as the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), the SAT, and the ACT. Career and college counseling is also an essential responsibility for secondary school counselors.
School adjustment counselors have specialized knowledge to serve students involved with the juvenile justice system. School adjustment counselors also have knowledge of medical conditions and related medications for students with physical, emotional, behavioral, and learning disorders. This knowledge of severe psychopathology allows school adjustment counselors to support students dealing with depression, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and autism spectrum disorders, among others.
