Therapeutic Counseling Programs
The Department of Counseling administers three programs aimed at allowing students with extraordinary needs to access their education.
- School Based Counseling (SBC) – designed for students participating in general education facing potentially acute situations such as the loss of a loved one, self-harming behaviors, or anxious and/or depressive symptoms
- Designated Instructional Services (DIS) – designed for students participating in special education students who struggle with various facets (e.g., social skills, executive functioning, motivation, mood management) that interfere with accessing their education and make progress toward IEP goals in the least restrictive environment
- Educationally Related Intensive Counseling Services (ERICS) for Special Educational students with impairments in social, emotional, and/or behavioral functioning that warrants ongoing and frequent parent/caregiver involvement as a part of the counseling process. Typically, ERICS is understood as more appropriate for a student whose social-emotional and/or behavioral needs are documented to be more significant in frequency, duration, or intensity, thus requiring a higher level of counseling intervention to maximize the student’s ability to benefit from their special education program.
DIS and ERICS counseling are designated on a student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP). Services and goals are formulated consistent with a student’s level of functioning at school and determined by the IEP team. School Based Counseling often occurs weekly, or as appropriate, and the therapist remains aware of appropriate referrals that may more sustainably meet the student/family's ongoing needs.