School Adjustment Counselor

The roles and responsibilities assigned to school counselors and school adjustment counselors share many similarities, but the variances between these roles cannot be overlooked and must be addressed through advanced training and coursework

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.

The Master of Education in School Counseling/School Adjustment Counseling program offers an incredibly intensive study of the knowledge and skills required of these essential school-based counselor roles.
 

Students who enroll in this program will need to devote a minimum of 2½ to 3 years of full-time study to complete the extensive program requirements. Students will complete two separate practicums. One 450-hour practicum will be completed to earn school counseling initial licensure (k-8 or 5-12) and one 900-hour practicum (k-12) will be completed to earn school adjustment counseling initial licensure, totaling a combined 1350 practicum hours. Both practicum experiences must be completed in a K-12 public school setting and may be completed separately or simultaneously. If completed simultaneously, it is highly recommended that students are supervised by a professional school counselor and a professional school adjustment counselor who work at the same practicum site. Students completing their practicums simultaneously will be required to work full-time, devising a schedule to ensure they are accruing adequate hours for each counselor role.

Earning dual-licensure makes this intensive program extremely worthwhile to ensure the best career possibilities

Developing the combined knowledge and skills required of school counselors and school adjustment counselors enables program graduates to support the holistic development of all K-12 students.

Program graduates can leverage their skills to span their role across the entire school, facilitating collaboration between teachers, administrators, parents, and themselves to promote maximum academic, career/professional, personal/social, emotional, and physical development of their students.

In an increasingly competitive job market, graduates with dual-licenses are highly marketable, as they can support the school districts they serve in multiple capacities.

For graduates seeking elementary-level counseling positions, dual-licensure ensures eligibility for schools that offer only one school counselor or school adjustment counselor position.

Lastly, this 60-credit program makes graduates eligible for their professional license after three years of employment in the role of school counselor or school adjustment counselor.

The extensive time and effort required to complete the Master of Education in School Counseling/School Adjustment Counseling program empowers graduates to procure gainful employment and enact positive change for the students they serve.