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A Cabarrus County Schools Survival and Couhseling Program ~ ¢ ACcording to a ~ecent report by the N. C. Department of Public Instruction, many stddents are not graduating or achieving competency levels because among other reasons, they "lack adequate counseling for their needs and lack strategies to survive in the world in which they exist." For many of the learning disabled, the emotionally handicapped, the mentally handicapped, and the disadvantaged, among others, the missing element in the school program is a comprehensive plan of counseling and survival which encompasses the family, peers, comunity and school life. This Survival and Counseling Program will serve and benefit these students. This program will incorporate school personnel, a certified Counselor, community resources, other contracted personnel and good peer models to help meet the students' needs. The counselor will have skills in social work, stress management, family counseling, and job counseling. The counselor will meet at least five times on an individual basis with students who have been referred because of truancy, suspension, court referral, child abuse, and/or other problems. The counselor will lead five or more student group counseling sessions where role playing, group discussion, situational problems, etc. may be videotaped and critiqhed along with other learning experiences. The use of good peer models will be necessary in the group counseling and survival activities. A student support group will become available through the experiencing of survival activities and other learning experiences. These situations and experiences will result in the students' growth in loyalty, support, carihg, and trust and in their becoming more involved with positive school and community activities. Social and comunication skills will be positively increased. The survival activities will take place during the school year. Students and peer models will experience these activities (such as white water rafting, over-night camping, outdoor programs, etc.) which will be designed to help individuals evoke courage and independence. At the same time they will begin growing socially and become caring, sharing members of the group instead of being loners simply from lack of social and communication skills. Measurement for progress will entail the use of a self-concept instrument such as the Tennessee Self-Concept Test. Observation and constructive evaluation will be used in conjunction with the video cassette recorder in some classes, in individual and group counseling sessions, and on survival excursions, where possible. Counselor, teacher, peer student and self-analysis will be a major part of the students' program. A parents' support group will be initiated as a part of the program with a minimum of three sessions throughout the year where and when possible. This group will discuss meeting and solving common problems of their children as they relate to school, community, and family. Students will remain in the program through completion of specified activities or until the end of the school year.