iv 1 TPC Digest TPC Digest Read full article and references: Lancaster, C., & Brasfield, M. W. (2023). School counseling in the aftermath of COVID-19: Perspectives of school counselors in Tennessee. The Professional Counselor, 13(2), 60–76. doi: 10.15241/cl.13.2.60 1 C OVID-19 restrictions adversely affected youth in multiple ways: unhealthy eating habits, increased screen time, reduced physical activity, sleep disturbances, academic delays, social problems, and an overall escalation in their mental health concerns. For students experiencing COVID-19– related distress, symptomology has reportedly persisted beyond school reentry. School counselors are the most accessible mental health professionals in schools and are trained in crisis counseling, yet they face high counselor caseloads and onerous non-counseling duties that compromise service provision. This study used an exploratory survey design to investigate the perspectives of 207 school counselors in Tennessee regarding (a) students’ COVID-19–related mental health, academic functioning, and interpersonal skills; (b) interventions school counselors have deployed to support students; and (c) barriers they have encountered. To answer the research questions, we developed a 64-item survey disseminated electronically to 207 predominantly White female school counselors in Tennessee, the majority of whom worked in Title I schools. Of the responding Tennessee school counselors, nearly 94% reported negative changes to students’ mental health. Depression and suicidality were signi ficant concerns for middle and high school counselors, and substance abuse was signi ficant at the high school level. A large majority (90%) of school counselors also reported negative changes to students’ academics. Our results expand previous research by explicitly connecting stalls in students’ academic progress to psychological factors. Alongside academics, 87% of school counselors reported negative changes in students’ social skills. Although the ability to get along with peers may be uniquely linked to social isolation during lockdown, the increase in all forms of bullying has implications for overall school safety , with victimization and perpetration both positively associated with school violence. The preponderance of school counselors relied on individual counseling, consultation, referrals, collaboration with other school-based helpers, and coping skills instruction, all of which are consistent with crisis-level support. Nonetheless, only 44% of the sample, primarily elementary school counselors, had used small-group counseling, despite its proven e fficacy with children exposed to trauma. Our state-level findings resonate with studies that indicate school counselors’ non-counseling duties increased during the pandemic while administrator support declined. Chloe Lancaster, PhD, is an associate professor at the University of South Florida. Michelle W. Brassfield, EdD, LPSC, is an assistant professor at the University of Memphis. Correspondence may be addressed to Chloe Lancaster, 422 E. Fowler Ave, EDU 105, Tampa, FL 33620, clancaster2@usf.edu. Chloe Lancaster, Michelle W. Brasfield School Counseling in the Aftermath of COVID-19: Perspectives of School Counselors in Tennessee
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