With significant challenges in rural schools such as limited mental health resources, poverty, high visibility, and physical isolation, rural school counselors face a set of unique experiences and challenges. We present an ecological framework to conceptualize the roles, responsibilities, and challenges of rural school counselors and provide intervention strategies to address these challenges that are contextually aware and could be tailored to the communities they serve.
AlangS. M. (2015). Sociodemographic disparities associated with perceived causes of unmet need for mental health care. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 38(4), 293–299. https://doi.org/10.1037/prj0000113
2.
AmateaE. S.DanielsH.BringmanN.VandiverF. M. (2004). Strengthening counselor-teacher-family connections: The family-school collaborative consultation project. Professional School Counseling, 8(1), 47–55.
3.
American School Counselor Association. (2019a). ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (4th ed.). American School Counselor Association, 2019.
Anderson-ButcherD.HoffmanJ.RochmanD. M.FullerM. (2017). General and specific competencies for school mental health in rural settings. In MichaelK. D.JamesonJ. P. (Eds.), Handbook of rural school mental health (pp. 49–62). Springer.
6.
BeckM. J.WikoffH. D. (2020). “Professional development is really key”: Experiences of school counselors engaging in professional development focused on LGBTQ youth. Professional School Counseling, 24(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X20952062
7.
BouldenR.BrownC. (2022). “We’re kind of forgotten”: An initial investigation of Appalachian school counselors’ lived experiences responding to the opioid crisis. School Community Journal, 32(2), 113–138. https://www.adi.org/journal/2022fw/BouldenBrownFW22.pdf
8.
BouldenR.BrownC.CoffieldE. (2022). “The single fish in the sea”: Exploring the lived experiences of rural school counselors earning RAMP. Professional School Counseling, 26(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X211044145
BronfenbrennerU. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard University Press.
12.
BrottP. E.DeKruyfL.HyunJ. H.LaFeverC. R.Patterson-MillsS.Cook SandiferM. I.StoneV. (2021). The critical need for peer clinical supervision among school counselors. Journal of School Based Counseling Policy and Evaluation, 3(2), 51–60. https://doi.org/10.25774/nr5m-mq71
13.
ChandlerJ. W.BurnhamJ. J.RiechelM. E. K.DahirC. A.StoneC. B.OliverD. F.DavisA. P.BledsoeK. G. (2018). Assessing the counseling and non-counseling roles of school counselors. Journal of School Counseling, 16(7), 1–33. http://www.jsc.montana.edu/articles/v16n7.pdf
14.
ConyneR. K.CookE. P. (2004). Understanding persons within environments: An introduction to ecological counseling. In ConyneR. K.CookE. P. (Eds.), Ecological counseling: An innovative approach to conceptualizing person–environment interaction (pp. 3–36). American Counseling Association.
15.
CroweA.AverettP.Avent HarrisJ. R.CrumbL.LittlewoodK. (2019). In my own words: Exploring definitions of mental health in the rural southeastern United States. The Professional Counselor, 9(4), 381–395. https://doi.org/10.15241/ac.9.4.381
16.
CrumbL.ApplingB.JonesS. (2021). Don’t wait, communicate: Rural school counselors and disaster mental health. Professional School Counseling, 25(1), 2156759X2110231. http://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X211023119
17.
CrumbL.HaskinsN.BrownS. (2019). Integrating social justice advocacy into mental health counseling in rural, impoverished American communities. The Professional Counselor, 9(1), 20–34. https://doi.org/10.15241/lc.9.1.20
18.
CurtinK. A.SchweitzerA.TuxburyK.D’AoustJ. A. (2016). Investigating the factors of resiliency among exceptional youth living in rural underserved communities. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 35(2), 3–9. https://doi.org/10.1177/875687051603500202
19.
DuncanK.Brown-RiceK.BardhoshiG. (2014). Perceptions of the importance and utilization of clinical supervision among certified rural school counselors. The Professional Counselor, 4(5), 444–454. http://doi.org/10.15241/kd.4.5.444
20.
DuslakM.GeierB. (2016). Communication factors as predictors of relationship quality: A national study of principals and school counselors. Professional School Counseling, 20(1), 115–126. https://doi.org/10.5330/1096-2409-20.1.115
21.
FitzpatrickS. J.PerkinsD.LulandT.BrownD.CorvanE. (2017). The effect of context in rural mental health care: Understanding integrated services in a small town. Health & Place, 45, 70–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2017.03.004.
22.
GagnonD. J.MattinglyM. J. (2016). Most U.S. school districts have low access to school counselors: Poor, diverse, and city school districts exhibit particularly high student-to-counselor ratios (No. 108). Carsey Research Briefs. https://scholars.unh.edu/carsey/286/
23.
GriffinD.FarrisA. (2010). School counselors and collaboration: Finding resources through community asset mapping. Professional School Counseling, 13(5), 248–256. https://doi.org/10.5330/PSC.n.2010-13.248
24.
GriffinD.HutchinsB. C.MeeceJ. L. (2011). Where do rural high school students go to find information about their futures?Journal of Counseling and Development, 89(2), 172–181. http://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6678.2011.tb00075.x
25.
GrimesL. E.HaskinsN.PaisleyP. O. (2013). “So I went out there”: A phenomenological study on the experiences of rural school counselor social justice advocates. Professional School Counseling, 17(1), 40–51. http://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X0001700107
26.
GrimesT. (2020). Exploring the phenomenon of rural school counselors’ professional identity construction. Professional School Counseling, 24(1), 2156759X20965180. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759x20965180
HolmanL. F.WattsR.Robles-PinaR.GrubbsL. (2018). Exploration of potential predictor variables leading to school counselor burnout. Journal of School Counseling, 16(9), 29. http://www.jsc.montana.edu/articles/v16n9.pdf
KitzmillerE. M.BurtonE. (2021). The threat of visibility and state-sanctioned violence for rural Black Lives Matter youth activists. Journal of Research in Rural Education, 37(7), 57–66. https://doi.org/10.26209/JRRE3707-07
LapanR. T.WellsR.PetersenJ.McCannL. A. (2014). Stand tall to protect students: School counselors strengthening school connectedness. Journal of Counseling and Development, 92(3), 304–315. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.2014.00158.x
LonborgS. D.BowenN. (2004). Counselors, communities, and spirituality: Ethical and multicultural considerations. Professional School Counseling, 7(5), 318–325.
36.
LookerE. D.NaylorT. D. (2009). ‘At risk’ of being rural? The experience of rural youth in a risk society. Journal of Rural and Community Development, 4(2), 39–64. https://journals.brandonu.ca/jrcd/article/view/274
37.
MaruG. (2016). Advocacy for and with LGBT students: An examination of high school counselor experiences. Professional School Counseling, 20(1), 38–46. http://doi.org/10.5330/1096-2409-20.1a.38
38.
McLeroyK. R.BibeauD.StecklerA.GlanzK. (1988). An ecological perspective on health promotion programs. Health Education & Behavior, 15(4), 351–377. https://doi.org/10.1177/109019818801500401
39.
McMahonH. G.MasonE. C. M. (2018). Ecological school counseling. In DollarhideC. T.Lemberger-TrueloveM. E. (Eds.), Theories of school counseling for the 21st century (pp. 241–342). Oxford University Press.
40.
McMahonH. G.MasonE. C. M.Daluga-GuentherN.RuizA. (2014). An ecological model of professional school counseling. Journal of Counseling and Development, 92(4), 459–471. http://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.2014.00172.x
41.
Monteiro-LeitnerJ.Asner-SelfK.MildeC.LeitnerD. W.SkeltonD. (2006). The role of the rural school counselor: Counselor, counselor-in-training, and principal perceptions. Professional School Counseling, 9(3), 248–251. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X0500900307
42.
MorrisE. W. (2008). “Rednecks,” “rutters,” and ’rithmetic: Social class, masculinity, and schooling in a rural context. Gender & Society, 22(6), 728–751. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243208325163
43.
MorrissetteP. J. (2000). The experiences of the rural school counselor. Professional School Counseling, 3(3), 197–207.
44.
MullenP. R.ChaeN.BackerA. (2019). Comparison of school characteristics among RAMP and non-RAMP schools. The Professional Counselor, 9(2), 156–170. https://doi.org/10.15241/prm.9.2.156
PatelP.ClinedinstM. (2021). State-by-state student-to-counselor ratio maps by school district. National Association for College Admission Counseling. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED615227.pdf
47.
PetrinR. A.SchafftK. A.MeeceJ. L. (2014). Educational sorting and residential aspirations among rural high school students: What are the contributions of schools and educators to rural brain drain?American Research Journal, 51(2), 294–326. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831214527493
SchafftK. A. (2016). Rural education as rural development: Understanding the rural school–community well-being linkage in a 21st-century policy context. Peabody Journal of Education, 91(2), 137–154. https://doi.org/10.1080/0161956X.2016.1151734
SuttonJ. M.Jr.PearsonR. (2002). The practice of school counseling in rural and small town schools. Professional School Counseling, 5(4), 266–276.
55.
SwankJ. M.TysonL. (2012). School counseling site supervisor training: A web-based approach. Professional School Counseling, 16(1), 40–47. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X1201600105
56.
TiekenM. C.San AntonioD. M. (2016). Rural aspirations, rural futures: From “problem” to possibility. Peabody Journal of Education, 91(2), 131–136. https://doi.org/10.1080/0161956X.2016.1151733
57.
WaalkesP. L.DeCinoD. A.HaugenJ. S.DalbeyA. (2019). The relationship between job roles and gender on principal–school counselor relationship quality. Professional School Counseling, 22(1), 1–9. http://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X19861105
58.
WilsonT. A.SchaefferS.BruceM. A. (2018). Supervision experiences of rural school counselors. Rural Educator, 36(2), 27–37. http://doi.org/10.35608/ruraled.v36i2.341
WoodC.KaszubowskiY. (2008). The career development needs of rural elementary school students. The Elementary School Journal, 108(5), 431–444. http://doi.org/10.1086/589472