An effective school counseling program has to have a strong foundation; building a solid foundation for a school counseling program supersedes all components, without it the others cannot exist successfully. An incredibly important aspect of the foundation is to establish a set of beliefs that govern the overall program; it is important for school counselors to have a good understanding of how school counselors meet their students’ needs, what each component of their program should look like, how they will use and evaluate data, and how the ASCA competencies and standards for both students and counselors will affect the program’s implementation. School Counselors should have this belief statement saved somewhere they can always access it as a quick reminder of the program’s core. School counselors must also develop mission statements and vision statements that identify the focus of the program and reflect the mission of the school they represent as well. An effective school counselor develops program goals that are both short and long term. The goals should seek to close gaps in student achievement, whether the gaps are academic, social/personal, or college/career related. All of these aspects of the foundation should also be readily accessible as fast reminders of what the program should do.
A strong foundation for a school counseling program also includes all four of the themes of the ASCA national model. The themes often overlap and relate to each other; leadership and collaboration go hand-in-hand as school counselors should share the vision, mission, and belief statements with the administrators and faculty at their school. By involving the faculty of the school in the foundation of the program, school counselors can pave the way for faculty participation in other components of the program. In other words, by advocating for the program through collaboration with the staff, school counselors can set the stage for system-wide change through a shared mission to meet student needs.