Hello SCCA Members!
I am very excited to announce our entrance into the SC Coalition for Safer Schools! The Coalition is a collaboration with other advocacy groups in SC focused on the safety, health and well-being of children in our schools. We have developed a school safety agenda that calls on legislators to take action for our students. Part of this agenda involves fine-tuning the role of school counselors. School counselors are often utilized in an administrative capacity, reducing their effectiveness in the counseling role. Adoption of this agenda would also mean an effort to meet ASCA’s model for effective counselor-to-student ratios.
Governor Henry McMaster has stated that a “mental health crisis exists in South Carolina, especially among our young people.” The mental health challenges facing our children cannot be understated. 1 in 5 children struggle with their mental health, and 50% of them do not receive necessary mental health services.
Our schools are one of the spaces where intervention can be delivered swiftly and with precision. School Counselors will play a vital role in managing the mental health crisis Governor McMaster spoke of. School Counselors are often an under-utilized school resource for children’s mental health needs. For this reason, the SC Counseling Association has joined the SC Coalition for Safer Schools. We vow to work collectively with other members of this Coalition to support and protect the children our school counselors serve every day. We are calling on policy makers to take action on this agenda and advocate for the mental and emotional well-being of our students, and to make our schools a safe space once again.
What can you do? Alert your representatives and tell them to Support Safer South Carolina Schools! If you click here, we have form that you can use to find your representative and send them an email!
Want to know more? We've already been featured on multiple news outlets including The State, WISTV, WLTX News 19, WACH Fox 57, and WSPA!
Yours In Service,
Chandler Cox
Chandler Cox
SCCA President
SCCA Advocacy In Action Team Chair