In today’s world, school counselors have a variety of responsibilities that incorporate test results and data to make data-informed decisions. It is the school counselor’s responsibility to know how to effectively incorporate the data to meet the needs of all students while achieving data-driven decisions.
Allocate at least 3 hours in the field to support this week’s field experience. Two of these field experience hours will be satisfied when you complete the CALM: Counseling on Access to Lethal Means training located on the Suicide Prevention Resource Center website. After completing the training, upload your certificate of completion as an additional document, along with your weekly assignment.
In addition to special education students, other at-risk student populations include those who experience trauma, abuse, suicidal ideation, etc. With your clinical site supervisor, discuss an at-risk student who is currently having specific behavioral issues. Discuss testing and observational data that has been gathered on this student, as well as interventions that have been implemented. Ask your clinical site supervisor if you can observe this student in the classroom.
As you observe the student, create a chart that details the behavior patterns. Observe the antecedents, the behavior, and the consequence for the behavior. The chart should include the frequency, duration, and intensity of the behavior. From the observation, identify the function of the behavior (e.g., to escape something, to avoid something, wanting a desired activity/item, to gain control and power, to gain attention, and/or revenge).
Spend any remaining field experience hours observing or assisting your clinical site supervisor.
Based on your chart and the assessment data provided by your site supervisor, develop a 500-750-word behavior plan that could possibly reduce the problem behaviors and encourage positive behaviors. Consider any ethical and legal considerations from your CALM training as you develop the behavior plan.
Include the following in your behavior plan:
- CALM training certificate of completion (Include the screenshot or a separate document in your behavior plan)
- The characteristics, risk factors, and warning signs of mental health and behavioral disorders you observed with this student.
- Interventions and approaches that have been implemented to increase the potential for promotion, student achievement, and academic development. How effective have they been?
- The desired student behaviors that would increase potential for promotion, student achievement, and academic development.
- How the positive behavior would be reinforced (e.g., verbal praise, tangible rewards). How will the behavior be tracked?
- Community resources and referral sources that could assist with interventions, based on the data you collected.
Cite the CALM training when completing your behavior plan.
APA style is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.