February - March 2003 Edition

Student Assistance Counselor The Student Assistance Counselor (SAC) position has recently been added to most schools throughout the county. This position is designed to provide a wide range of service for all students. These services include: prevention and education; psychological assessments; crisis intervention; short-term counseling and referrals. Students may see the SAC for assistance with any personal issue. Most students who seek professional assistance from the SAC are dealing with issues related to peer pressure, relationship difficulties, drug and alcohol involvement, family problems, self-esteem issues, depression, suicidal thoughts, bullying and victimization, anger management problems, behavioral problems in the classroom, eating disorders, communication difficulties, grief and loss issues, and any other issues that young adolescents are faced with in today’s complex world. Most students who see the SAC are self-referred, however students may also be referred by guidance counselors, teachers, administrators, parents, and even other students. The SAC is not only a resource for the students. Family members frequently enlist the support of the SAC for education, intervention and referral services. Faculty members also enlist the support of the SAC in order to identify particular students in need of help or in developing behavior management plans. The SAC also provides on-going training to the teaching staff on a wide variety of issues that may impact student behavior and performance in the classroom. Many schools are aware that most students run into difficulties at some point during their school years, but there was no one particular staff member who was trained in addressing all the psychological, emotional, social and behavioral issues mentioned above. Regular education students in particular had limited access to the school psychologist and social worker. Now, there is one staff member who can respond to these needs. In Fair Lawn Middle Schools, this position is held by Eileen Yeager. In the High School, the Student Assistance Counselor is Matthew Markman.     Questions and Answers with Eileen Yeager, Middle School's Student Assistance Counselor (SAC) 1) What kind of privacy does the counselor offer? Students need to trust their counselor. Certain federal laws--especially those that center on issues of substance abuse--ensure that students have a confidential resource when coming to see the SAC. All students are made aware of the specific issues that are NOT protected by federal confidentiality laws: suicidal/homocidal thoughts or intent; physical or sexual abuse, or any situation in which a person's life is in danger. 2) How can people contact the counselors? I can be reached at (201) 703-2148.  Mr Markman can be reached at (201) 794-5443. 3) What is the difference between an SAC and Guidance Counselor:  Although there is some overlap, the main difference between the SAC and the Guidance Counselor is that the SAC is mostly focused on the social and emotional aspects of teens. Guidance Counselors are primarily focused on testing, parental contact regarding academic performance, college planning, scheduling, and other school- and career-oriented issues. The SAC focuses on how all issues outside the classroom might effect what goes on in the classroom, where the guidance counselor focuses on how classroom performance effects all issues outside the classroom. It is a very effective combination. 4) When can parents and kids conact the SAC?  This varies. All sessions occur during school hours. Most SACS have kids that they check in on regularly. But a day does not go by that you do not hear someone shouting down the hall to you "Mrs. Yeager, set up an appointment for me; I need to talk". Kids are referred by various channels. Teachers or parents will refer a student when they notice a change in behavior, friends, or an unusual drop in performance. Parents may call when their is a problem at home. But the largest source of referals are from the kids themselves--either for themselves or out of concern for a friend. 5) What kind of training do the SAC's have? SAC's have either a Masters degree in Counseling, Social Work or Psychology. All possess State Certification as a Substance Awareness Coordinator. This certificate allows us to work with students on prevention, intervention and recovery of substances use and abuse. 6) What resources can the SAC's access? Some of our resources for referals include: Private psychiatrists and psychologists, Community Mental Health Agencies (based on sliding scale), County Family Guidance/Crisis Intervention, Out-Patient and In-Patient Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Centers, Eating Disorder Centers, as well as working with insurance companies list of mental health providers. 7) Has this program been helpful to Fair Lawn? Our jobs cannot be measured in the same way as the standardized tests such as eighth grade GEPA or eleventh grade HSPA. Our role is to guide our kids around the black holes that may await them through their teenage journey, or be their to lend a hand and pull them out if they fall. Problems outside the classroom will have a major impact on school performance. Whether it is an emotional, psychological, social, or familial problem, students need help in either resolving the problem or developing compensatory strategies to cope with a life event that cannot be changed. 8) Does Fair Lawn have problems that are different than other towns? The problems of adolescence are fairly consistent among students of all backgrounds and locations. Fair Lawn is actually a prototypical town because of its size and diversity. The specifics may change from town to town, but the underlying dynamics of adolescence and the common obstacles to success are unchanging. Our challenge is to address the unique characteristics of the student in Fair Lawn within this larger context of what makes kids successful, how to reinforce those that are successful while intervening and assisting with those that are having difficulty.