101 Solutions for School Counselors and Leaders in Challenging Times

School counseling strategies that promote student success!

So much is expected to prepare today’s students for success—academic achievement, career and college readiness, emotional and social competency, to name a few. School counselors can make an enormous positive difference in children’s lives. Yet, school counseling programs are in crisis because of undefined roles, skyrocketing student-counselor ratios, and decreasing budgets.

Leaders and counselors must move away from outdated roles and embrace school counseling programs that ensure readiness for ALL students. In a succinct Q&A format, the authors provide school counselors and educational leaders with

• 101 solutions to common counseling issues across the K–12 spectrum on topics ranging from data-driven counseling to bullying, , collaboration, and equity
• Stories of school counselors and educational leaders who have successfully implemented these solutions
• Numerous print and digital resources for further exploration, including online supplements

Discover a wealth  of affordable counseling practices that make your job easier and more effective, demonstrate the power of a school counselor, and help all students succeed. 

 "101 Solutions for School Counselors and Leaders in Challenging Times is an invaluable resource for all professional school counselors developing a comprehensive school counseling program to ensure college and career readiness for all K–12 students."
—Diane Smith, School Counselor
Smithport Area School District, PA

"With a focus on core standards, social justice, and evidence-based programs and services, this book is a must-have for anyone interested in a comprehensive, practical approach to school counseling strategies that promote student success."
— Tamara Davis, Professor
Marymount University, Arlington, VA

Stuart F. Chen-Hayes, Ph.D., is Program Coordinator and Associate Professor of Counselor Education/School Counseling at Lehman College of the City University of New York. He is also a part-time dissertation chair for Oregon State University’s Counselor Education/School Counseling Ph.D. program. Stuart has middle school, college student affairs, sexuality, family and couple, community mental health, and addictions counseling experience, and he is an equity-focused school counseling program consultant in K-12 school districts. Stuart also taught at National-Louis University in Chicago and at National Changhua University of Education in Taiwan.  He is a co-founder and past-president of Counselors for Social Justice, a past-president of the North Atlantic Region Association for Counselor Educators and Supervisors (NARACES), a past-president of the Illinois Counseling Association, and on the editorial boards of the Journal of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues in Counseling, the Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision, and the Journal of International Counselor Education. Stuart has written and/or co-authored 50 refereed publications and 3 streaming videos including  "Equity-focused school counseling: Career and college readiness for every K-12 student" (2009), and "Counseling LBGT youth in schools and families, Vols. 1, 2" (2000). He is a mentor for the Counselor Educator Transforming School Counseling Coalition and co-chairs a monthly Association for Counselor Education & Supervision (ACES) Transformed School Counseling/College Access Interest Network (TSCCAIN). Stuart has delivered 225+ school counseling and social justice education presentations. He received his Counseling and Human Development Services Ph.D. from Kent State University and Counseling and Counselor Education M.S.Ed. from Indiana University. Dr. Melissa Ockerman is a Professor of Counseling at DePaul University. She has written about and presented extensively both nationally and internationally on topics such as trauma-informed counseling, integrating Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) into school counseling programs, and cultivating systemic change in schools.  Dr. Ockerman participated in an expert panel at the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference Anti-Bullying Braintrust where she advocated for bi-partisan school safety strategies. She was also selected to participate in White House convenings regarding the advancement of underserved populations in post-secondary settings. Dr. Ockerman is on the Board of Directors for the Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago and serves on the Advisory Council for the Evidence-Based School Counseling conference. She is the co-author of the text, 101 Solutions for School Counselors and Leaders in Challenging Times, and has received awards for her scholarship, service and leadership in the field of school counseling. Erin Mason, Ph.D., is a career-long advocate for the School Counseling profession. Erin’s accomplishments and contributions to the field derive from her 13 years of experience as a Middle School Counselor in her home state of Georgia. A proponent for modeling and supporting professional involvement and productivity, Erin fuels her passion for School Counseling through state and national leadership opportunities. Erin served in multiple positions for the Georgia School Counselor Association (GSCA), including being the Government Relations co-chair for several consecutive years, and she was the 2012-2013 President of the Illinois School Counselor Association (ISCA). At the National level, Erin serves as a Lead RAMP Reviewer for the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), as one of four mentors for the Transforming School Counseling (TSC) Counselor Educator Coalition and as an Advisory Council member for the Evidence-Based School Counseling conference. As a presenter, scholar, trainer and consultant, Erin’s particular interests in School Counseling lie in the areas of technology use, comprehensive program implementation and the professional identity development of School Counselors. Erin is an Assistant Professor at DePaul University in Chicago and received her M.Ed., Ed.S. and Ph.D. from Georgia State University.