What is a Family School Liaison Counsellor? Family School Liaison Counsellors (FSLCs) are an integral member of the collaborative school team and offer professional services providing emotional, social and spiritual supports to our students and their families. Counsellors provide professional services that include individual counselling, peer support programs and support groups, while liaising with the students’ parents/guardians. FSLCs are employed by Palliser Regional Schools and play an integral role in ensuring the overall success of our students through effective collaboration with administration, teachers and non-certified staff.
What will happen in counselling?
For individual counselling, students and their family will meet with the counsellor to discuss the concerns and presenting problems. The counsellor will assess the situation and then work with the student and their family to develop a treatment plan. The treatment plan will be made up of goals, strategies and/or plans to assist the student. The counsellor will facilitate sessions that work toward reaching these goals. These goals will be discussed and reviewed regularly.
What are the rights of students and their families?
The student and/or family members have the right to ask questions or get clarification at any time in the counselling process. The student and/or family members have the right to refuse any technique or activity he or she does not wish to participate in. As well, involvement in the Family School Liaison Program is completely voluntary and the student and/or family members have the right to stop receiving counselling sessions at any time, upon notifying the counsellor.
Who do I talk to if I have a concern about the services my child is receiving?
Complaints or concerns may be discussed directly with the counsellor. Additionally, you may contact the Family School Liaison Counsellor Supervisor, Erika Publow, at 403.328.4111
This information brochure aims to answer questions most often asked about the family school liaison counselling program. Please read through this information carefully and ask your school’s counsellor if you have any questions about this information. Please keep this document for your personal reference.
What are the benefits of counselling? Counselling provides many benefits for the student. Students report counselling helps them to gain various skills to deal with many different problems, and that they like having someone safe and private to talk to. Counselling also has risks. Talking about concerns or problems may cause uncomfortable thoughts or feelings to come up. Although this is normal, it sometimes does not feel very good. Please discuss these feelings with the counsellor.
How is counselling accessed?
- Make a request through a school staff member.
- Drop into the counsellor’s office.
- Leave a note in the counsellor’s school mailbox.
- Call the counsellor at the school office.
Who else does the counsellor talk to about counselling services?
To assist in providing the best possible service to students, with student’s welfare being the top priority, Family School Liaison Counsellors participate in a variety of supervision and consultation practices. Family School Liaison Counsellors have regular consultation from their supervisor, a clinical consultant, their Family School Liaison Counselling team, and other professionals as deemed necessary and beneficial. Whenever possible, names and identifying information is removed from consultations about students. It can also be helpful for the counselling to video tape sessions or have someone observe sessions. This will occur only with written permission from a legal guardian.
Are the counselling services private?
All notes and discussions about the student and the counselling service provided are kept secure and private. Confidentiality is a very important part of the Family School Liaison Program.
Counsellors have a professional obligation under the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, to keep private information shared in counselling sessions. Only under certain circumstances, outlined below, will the information be disclosed to others:
- If the counsellor feels it is in the student’s best interest, information may be shared with legal guardians. For older students this will occur only after consultation with the student.
- If the counsellor feels it is in the student’s best interest, information may be shared with school staff or other professionals. This will occur only with written consent by the legal guardian.
- If there is an emergent risk of physical and/or emotional danger to the student or anyone else, the counsellor is legally obligated to report this information.
- If the student shares any information of physical, emotional or sexual harm to him or her or any other minor or dependent person, the counsellor is legally obligated to report this information.
- If the counsellor is subpoenaed by the court of law.
- Principals are provided a list of names of students seen by the counsellor and are appraised of situations which place the student or others at imminent risk of harm.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss potential support options for your child please contact the Family School Liaison Counsellor at RI Baker Middle School.
