Supervision of School Counselors. THE NEED Professionally appropriate supervision is emerging as a highly effective means of nurturing school counselors' professional development. New challenges in schools and increased understanding of the complexity of professional development dictate the need for increased attention to and use of effective supervision practices. Today's children and youth need highly skilled help in managing the complicated situations in which they live.
School counselors see an increasing number of suicidal children as well as adolescents.
The upsurge in substance abuse, gang involvement, and violence are well publicized. Increasingly, parents turn to the schools to help them solve problems that face them, including those posed by their children. In order to effectively help children in their classrooms, teachers seek consultative help from counselors. Focused and constructive supervision is of benefit to all practitioners whether they are novices or experienced, highly competent or insufficiently trained. Due to reductions in caseloads, renewed commitment to elementary counseling, and retirement of counselors who entered the field in the 1960's, the number of new school counselors is increasing.