Guidelines for Comprehensive Guidance and Counselling in Manitoba

The following is excerpted from the complete publication, Guidelines for Comprehensive Guidance and Counselling in Manitoba.

Society, families and children evolve continuously and the guidance and counselling programs in our schools need to constantly renew themselves to better respond to changing needs. The last document outlining the roles and responsibilities of counsellors was released in 1991 and reflected the realities of those times. The present document was developed by a group of counsellors and counsellor educators from four different Manitoba Institutions and Organizations. The purpose of the document is to bring forth the changes that have been developing throughout the province and to provide school divisions, individual schools, staffs, and counsellors with clear and consistent direction for the future.

A comprehensive guidance and counselling program is an essential and integral part of the educational system. Guidelines for Comprehensive Guidance and Counselling in Manitoba promotes an integrated, comprehensive guidance curriculum for all students that is the shared responsibility of all school staff.

A comprehensive guidance and counselling program:

• is a planned, developmental program with an integrated curriculum, based on regular systematic identification of needs and the pursuit of identified goals and objectives to meet those needs;
• promotes student learning for personal/social, educational and career development for all students from Kindergarten to Senior 4;
• responds to unique and special needs of all students from Kindergarten to Senior 4;
• provides a range of guidance/counselling services from a developmental/preventive focus to a responsive/remedial focus;
• uses a team approach, wherein all staff members have specified roles to play;
• is provided with adequate resources;
• requires trained counsellors to implement the program;
• uses high quality, well-organized materials; and
• is evaluated on a regular basis.