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Counseling Services » Guidance & Counseling

Guidance & Counseling

Mission Statement

The mission of the RFISD Guidance and Counseling Department is to create, sustain and provide effective comprehensive developmental counseling and guidance programs and services for all students. We are dedicated to fostering a safe, inclusive and supportive environment that empowers students to achieve academic success, develop essential life skills, and become responsible, productive citizens.

Purpose

The purpose of the school guidance program is to promote and enhance the learning process. School Counselors work closely with administrators, teachers, parents and community members to support the RFISD mission and accomplish goals with focus on three strands of guidance: academic success, post-secondary readiness, and personal/social/emotional development.

We believe that every student needs to feel cared for, capable, and connected, 

and that nothing can replace the importance of human connection.

Counseling Services

RFISD School counselors are professional, dedicated to implementing a comprehensive school counseling program aligned with the Texas Model for Comprehensive Guidance Counseling framework that serves the entire campus community. This program aims to proactively foster a safe and supportive campus culture, empower students to actively participate in school programs and utilize available resources, and identify and support students facing social or emotional challenges who may be disengaged from the school system. All students benefit proactively from the comprehensive program through classroom meetings and guidance lessons that cover state-mandated topics such as character development.

In accordance with Texas Legislature guidelines, RFISD School Counselors collaborate with faculty, staff, students, parents, and the community to plan, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive Developmental Guidance and Counseling program. This program includes:

  • Guidance Curriculum: Designed to help students reach their full educational potential.
  • Responsive Services: Provides intervention for students facing immediate personal concerns or problems that may jeopardize their educational, career, personal, or social development.
  • Individual Planning: Assists students in planning, monitoring, and managing their educational, career, personal, and social development, as well as their academic success.
  • Indirect Student Services: Supports the efforts of teachers, staff, parents, and community members in promoting the educational, career, personal, and social development of students.

Some students may require additional support from a school counselor. Those supports are outlined below.

School Support

As part of a comprehensive program, counselors regularly meet with students who are struggling in areas related to academic achievement. This includes issues such as:

  • School Attendance: Addressing barriers, including social services, that may prevent a student from attending school.
  • Academic coursework support: Assisting students in successfully completing courses or grade-level work.
  • Responsive Services: Providing support for students who become dysregulated and need to leave class.

Legally Required Supports

Counseling interventions and supports are sometimes mandated, including screening for bullying and harassment, suicide prevention, and the Safe and Supportive Schools Program, which includes behavioral threat assessments (when a student poses a danger to themselves or others). The Texas Education Code and legislative priorities do not require parental permission for these interventions. However, communicating the outcomes of these interventions is part of our protocol.

Districts must seek parental consent separately for programs and interventions such as the school counseling program, instruction on abuse, special education assessments, and evaluations for disability-related accommodations.

Additional Supports

Under Texas Education Code section 37.115 (g), mental health care services may be provided to students under 18 only with written consent from the parent or guardian. The required consent must be submitted on a form developed by the school district that complies with all applicable state and federal laws. Counselors will send permission forms to parents when such services are recommended.

In these situations, parents must be informed about the nature of the services. Mental health services may be delivered individually or in group settings. In either case, counselors must provide parents with information on:

  • The purpose of the services
  • The goals of the intervention
  • The techniques used
  • Any limitations of the services
  • Potential risks
  • The nature of all services provided

Additionally, any issues related to the purposes, goals, techniques, procedures, limitations, potential risks, and benefits must be clearly communicated to parents.

Please note: The school will not conduct a psychological examination, test, or treatment without first obtaining the parent’s written consent, unless required by state or federal law for special education purposes. (See policy FFE.)