In this book, Alice Healy Sesno's experience as a counselor and administrator provides powerful insights to both counselors and administrators. Start right, stay right, and build a distinguished counseling program in your school. Avoid the mistakes that can put an essential service in jeopardy. Discover how to win respect—and hearts—of students, parents, and other school personnel for a valuable service. With individual strategies for counselors and principals, Dr. Sesno seeks to blend these two professional groups together to forge a counseling program that can withstand budgeting attacks and downsizing demands.  

Table of Contents:
The Counselor's Role 1. Know Who You Are! 2. Manage Your Boss 3. Meet Your Colleagues 4. Set up a Professional Office 5. Become a Master Planner 6. Get Your Plan Approved 7. Meet Your Constituencies 8. Maintain a Working Schedule 9. Create a Network of Advocates 10. Understand the Budgeting Process 11. Maintain a Log of Activities/Results 12. Master the Memo 13. Speak Effectively with Others 14. Plan Ahead for the Help You Need (Finding a Mentor) 15. Build Your Program, Step One 16. Build Your Program, Step Two 17.Maintain a "Suicide Watch" 18. Beat the Bullies! Maintain Gang Awareness 19. Self-Esteem is a Success Secret 20. Provide Career-Building Experiences 21. Become Your Teachers' Ally 22. Keep Teachers Involved! 23.Dress for Success—and Rapport! 24. Consider Outreach Services 25. Cover Your Assets! 26. Maintain Your Morale 27. Master the Interviewing Process 28. Learn Psychological First Aid 29. Confront Cheating 30. Interrupt Academic Self-Destruction 31. Prepare Kids for Relocation 32. Develop Peer Mentoring Skills 33. Build Social Skills Among Students 34. Encourage Stress Reduction 35. Develop Threat-Assessment Awareness 36. Overcome Personal Depression and Despair 37. Work With Parents! 38. Promote Financial Fitness 39. Nourish Thinking Skills 40. Understand the Power of Culture 41. Master Listening! 42. Understand Discipline! 43. Recognize Generational Values 44.Promote Joy and Happiness 45. Confront Child Abuse! 46. Incorporate Ethics into Your Professional Activities 47. Support Beginning Teachers 48. Speak Well and Convincingly 49. Maintain High Expectations 50. Know How to Say Goodbye The PRINCIPAL's Role 51. Participate Early in the Hiring Process 52. Use the Interview as a Launching Pad 53. Use Staff Meetings as Inclusionary Tool 54. Have a Formal First Meeting 55. Do your Homework (Office, Mission Statement) 56. Schedule Counseling Staff Development Meetings for Entire Staff 57. Have Counselor as Part of Your Advisory Team 58.Share Information 59.Express Approval of Counselor's Area of Expertise 60. Spend Some Time in Their Office 61. Invite Counselor to Sit in on Selected Conferences with Parents 62. Be As Involved As You Can Be 63. Share Budget Information 64. Take to Administration Meeting(s) 65. Provide Time and Funds for Their Attendance at Professional Development Meetings 66. Support Your Head Counselors 67. Be Aware of Duty Assignments 68. Share Counselor Efforts as Part of Total School Plan 69. Make Counselor Aware of Your Goal Regarding Counseling 70.Suggest or Join a District or Superintendent's Committee Regarding Counseling 71. Request Minutes of Counselor Meetings to Ascertain Needs 72. Provide Cadre of Retired Counselors for Emergency Times 73. Listen 74. Publish 75. Support Emotional Intelligence 76. Support Bibliotherapy 77.Be Sure They're Part of a Team 78. Remember to Motivate 79. Focus Each Day (The Power of 5) 80. Are They Modeling You? (Who Are They Modeling?) 81.Highlight Importance of 'Mothering' (Promoting Students' Mothers!) 82. Have Interim Evaluation/Progress Assessment Meeting(s) 83. Be Aware of Occurrences in Counselor's Personal Life 84."It's Always Been Done That Way" (Support Necessary Changes) 85. Clarify Your Motive(s) for Involvement 86. Patience 87.Integrate Ideas—Take from Academic and Use in Counseling 88. Bring in the Stars 89. What About Discipline 90. Total School Team Interim Evaluation 91. Report Successes, Share Success Strategies, Visualize Successes 92. Associate With Positive Colleagues 93. Have a Success Discussion 94. Get Them Off to a Great Start! (The First Day of School) 95. Not Always Mr. Nice Guy 96.Be Alert to How "Customers" Feel About Them 97. What About Crisis Plans, Teams, Situations 98. Get Out There 99. Maintain Focus/Ask the Right Questions . 100. Be a Great Manager and Coach 101. Know You Can Do It and Do It Now Attachment I ~ Sample Grid Attachment II ~ Log of Guidance Services Attachment III ~ Numerical Report on Counseling Activities Attachment IV ~ Fog Index Attachment V ~ Adam & Alice's Magic Tips for Talking to Adults