Working in a school counseling office is a lot like an open mike night at a comedy club. You drive to work with a mental list of what the day needs to bring — but then a student is waiting for you. Or a parent. Or an administrator.
And it’s goodbye list.
That’s especially true this October. It’s usually busy enough getting students to submit college applications with early deadlines. This year, the government shutdown has the added bonus of students and families who are looking at unemployment, payless workdays, not eating, spiraling healthcare costs, or — arguably worse — waiting for those things to happen to them.
Grad school didn’t teach you how to handle caseloads of 600, and they sure didn’t teach you how to handle a constitutional crisis. Here’s an approach to build off of:
Start with you Stephen Covey’s parable about keeping the saw sharp couldn’t be more true — counselors can’t help others if they don’t take care of themselves. So start with you. Make a list of things, times, and events you’re going to need to be at your centered best. And if that doesn’t include all those things counselors are allegedly known for in self-care — candles, yoga, or big salads for lunch — that’s OK. Some things can only be healed with a chicken parm sub, extra sauce.
Alert Your Boss This is the time of year students come to you with a college application on October 31 and say “It’s due tomorrow”, expecting the only thing you had on your calendar was car waxing and bonbon consumption. Once you tell them you’ll do what you can, but you can’t make any promises — and that is what you should tell them — someone’s going to share their displeasure about you with your boss. Tell them ahead of time that your office is being flooded with requests. That will help them help you.
About Those College Apps You likely told juniors last spring that requests related to college applications — transcripts, counselor letters, meetings to review student essays — needed to be done a month before the deadline. And you told them again this fall. And their parents. Four times.
And yet.
In the interest of your sanity, and your department, stick to your guns — no midnights in the office or checking email November 1, unless you promised you would do that (here’s hoping you didn’t). “Make sure your part of the application is in by the deadline, and I’ll do my best” is all you can really promise. Truth is, many colleges give adults a little extra time to submit their supportive materials, because they know kids can be kids. Some don’t, but that’s not your fault. You told them.
Shutdown issues Their parents don’t have jobs, or they have jobs but no paycheck. State-based food supplement programs have no federal money, and everyone is looking at healthcare costs going up as much as 400%.
Plan ahead. An hour with your office door closed allows you to do an Internet search of local and state resources designed to help people suddenly in need — and if you work in a multi-counselor office, their hour behind closed doors strengthens the list. Post it on your Web site, email it to students, parents, and faculty, and get the word out there. Send a second email to faculty, reminding them students are at risk, and to please send any student to you who seems to need a word of support. They’ll know.
Ask for help A student has a need you can’t help with. Chances are you know someone who can. Don’t be proud. Call.
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