The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) is a national organization that provides frameworks for school counseling programs. ASCA developed a national model that outlines a comprehensive school counseling program. The purpose of the model is to help school counselors do more school counseling, do fewer non-school counseling activities, and provide expert-level tools. This chapter explores the history of virtual schools and the various forms of distance education. Practitioners will learn the benefits and barriers to a virtual school counseling program. Additionally, the chapter presents best practices and highlights special considerations. This chapter is not necessarily an implementation guide; it is a resource for professionals who consider using virtual school counseling and those who already provide a virtual program.
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In 2020, the world experienced the beginning of a global pandemic due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19). According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Covid-19 is a respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, a variation of the coronavirus identified in 2019 (CDC, 2021). The pandemic became a shared traumatic experience with detrimental mental health consequences (Sanchez-Gomez, et al., 2021). The virus spread quickly worldwide, causing a ripple effect of lifestyle changes. One such change was in the education system. When the pandemic hit and schools responded to the needs of their respective communities, ASCA also responded with tools and resources for implementing virtual school counseling into existing programs. The Covid-19 pandemic brought attention to the market and value of virtual school counseling. However, virtual school counseling is not a new concept.
The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) is a national organization that provides frameworks for school counseling programs. ASCA developed a National Model that outlines a comprehensive school counseling program (American School Counselor Association, 2019). The purpose of the model is to help school counselors do more school counseling, do fewer non-school counseling activities, and provide expert-level tools.
This chapter explores the history of virtual schools and the various forms of distance education. School counselors will learn the benefits and barriers to a virtual school counseling program within a virtual school setting. Additionally, the chapter presents best practices for school counselors and highlights special considerations. This chapter is not presented as an implementation guide; it is a resource for professionals who consider using virtual school counseling and those who already provide a virtual program. Virtual school counseling is a valuable option for students and their families. Additionally, the virtual format serves as a trauma-informed practice as well. School counselors and school counselor leadership are advised to explore resources, tools, and techniques to find the most appropriate format for each school district’s vision.