Links

Links

American School Counselor Association
Category: Counseling Related Associations
The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) is a worldwide nonprofit organization based in Alexandria, Va. Founded in 1952, ASCA supports school counselors' efforts to help students focus on academic, personal/social and career development so they not only achieve success in school but are prepared to lead fulfilling lives as responsible members of society. The association provides professional development, publications and other resources, research and advocacy to more than 15,000 professional school counselors around the globe.

SchoolCounselor.com
Category: Counseling Technology
SchoolCounselor.com was created by Russell Sabella, PhD for the purpose of advancing solution focused technology literacy among counselors. This site contains links and updated information for his book, SchoolCounselor.com: A Friendly and Practical Guide to the World Wide Web. In addition, school counselors can subscribe to a free newsletter which focuses on technology issues, resources, and activities; and explore free and almost free resources. Finally, you will want to definitely check out our continually expanding counseling technology resources.

Student Support Services Project
Category: Counseling Related Associations
The Student Support Services Project is a joint venture between the University of South Florida and the Florida Department of Education. The Project is dedicated to facilitating the development of critical support services to students in schools so that observable and measurable indicators of success are achieved. The Project provides four basic services to local and state educators, parents, agencies, associations, and training programs. These services include technical assistance, training, research and resource development, and policy development and interpretation.

Florida Gulf Coast University School Counseling Program
Category: School Counseling Degree Programs
The master's program in Counselor Education: School Counseling prepares students for certification as school counselors. Graduates in school counseling are prepared to work in preK-12 settings. Program goals are reflective of national standards and include the development of professional competence, respect for clients, self-awareness, individual growth, professional identity, an effective professional philosophy, and a research orientation. In addition, unique to the FGCU experience are goals including accountability, advocacy, technological literacy, professional leadership and field-based learning. This program provides a broad theoretical base for practice as well as an appreciation of how social and economic factors impact individuals, families, communities, and social institutions (e.g. schools, agencies, self-help organizations). Likewise, the program promotes acquisition of appropriate counseling, appraisal and assessment, consultation, and referral skills for use in helping interventions.

MyFlorida.com
Category: Other Resources
The official portal of the state of Florida.

Florida Department of Education
Category: Other Resources
A must visit!

Florida Bright Futures
Category: Counseling Related Associations
In 1997, the Florida Legislature created the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program. This Florida Lottery-Funded scholarship rewards students for their academic achievements during high school by providing funding for them to pursue postsecondary educational and career goals in Florida.

Florida Smart
Category: Counseling Related Associations
A list of links which include Florida educational organizations & information.

NPG Insurance Center
Category: Other Resources
ASCA extends Lloyd’s of London insurance benefit to state school counselor association members.

Barry University
Category: School Counseling Degree Programs
CACREP accredited school counseling program. Visit the site to learn more about the five innovative counseling specializations for the M.S. and Ed.S. degrees, designed to meet the needs of both practitioners and clients in the new millennium.

Center for School Counseling Outcome Research
Category: Accountability
The Center for School Counseling Outcome Research is dedicated to improving the practice of school counseling by developing the research base that is necessary for responsible and effective practice. The Center provides national leadership in the measurement and evaluation of the outcomes of school counseling interventions and programs. In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Center helps K-12 leaders and practitioners use research findings and methods to improve school counseling practice by enabling them to set standards, establish benchmarks, implement evidence-based interventions, measure student learning outcomes, and evaluate program effectiveness.

University of North Florida
Category: School Counseling Degree Programs
CACREP Accredited. The University of North Florida Master of Education program consists of 51 semester hours of preparation from three components: COEHS Core, Major Requirements, and Major Electives. The program allows opportunity for concentration in one of two major areas: School Counseling or Mental Health Counseling.

University of Florida
Category: School Counseling Degree Programs
The MED/EDS (or MAE/EDS) program in School Counseling and Guidance (SCG) is designed to equip students with the pre-professional competencies required for Florida Department of Education Certification in School Counseling. The entry-level, 72 Credit Hour MED/EDS School Counseling and Guidance program is accredited by CACREP (the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs) and by NCATE (the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education).

University of Central Florida
Category: School Counseling Degree Programs
CACREP accredited. This program includes two tracks. The Master of Education degree program is designed to meet the needs of students who have a baccalaureate degree in education and have completed course work for regular Florida State Teaching Certification and plan to seek certification in school counseling. The second option is a Master of Arts degree program for the student who has a baccalaureate degree in a discipline other than education. All program tracks require clinical experiences in the UCF practicum clinic and on-site in the community. The Mental Health track requires an internship of 900 clock hours. The School Counseling track requires an internship of 600 clock hours.

Stetson University
Category: School Counseling Degree Programs
CACREP accredited. THE MASTERS OF SCIENCE DEGREE (M.S.) IN SCHOOL COUNSELING prepares school counselors for positions in public or private elementary, middle or secondary schools. The program is systemically oriented and designed to promote a family strength focused approach and collaborative assessment and intervention model between parents, children and the school system. This program is intended to enable program graduates to obtain Florida Department of Education Certification in School counseling.

Beacon Learning Center
Category: Other Resources
Beacon Learning Center is an online educational resource and professional development center currently funded through a Technology Innovation Challenge Grant from the U. S. Department of Education. The resources posted in the Beacon database are products of professional development activities teaching a standards-based planning model. The Beacon Website offers curriculum resources currently based on Florida's Sunshine State Standards. Beacon is in the process of expanding to include resources and activities to address standards of other states and national standards.

CASEL: Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning
Category: Counseling Related Associations
CASEL's mission: CASEL will enhance children's success in school and life by promoting coordinated, evidence-based social, emotional, and academic learning as an essential part of education from preschool though high school.

Federal Resources for Educational Excellence (FREE)
Category: Other Resources
More than 30 Federal agencies formed a working group in 1997 to make hundreds of Federally supported teaching and learning resources easier to find. The result of that work is the FREE web site.

Florida Information Resource Network (FIRN)
Category: Counseling Related Associations
Tons of resources.

Crisis Advisory to Schools: Crisis Counseling Guide
Category: Crisis Response
If an emergency/disaster occurs, it is important to recognize normal reactions of children to the event. Reactions of children are generally age related and specific. This section provides an overview of normal reactions within determined age groups and helpful hints for enabling children to cope with the disaster-precipitated stress. Also included is a list of symptoms which may warrant referral to a mental health professional.

Hurricane Charley in the News (Google)
Category: Crisis Response
Links to newspaper articles about Hurricane Charley.

International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc. Research Articles
Category: Crisis Response
ICISF, Inc. publishes printable documents using Adobe Acrobat. You will need Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print these documents. You can download Acrobat Reader by clicking on the icon below. There is no charge for Acrobat Reader.

CIS - Helping Children cope with Disaster
Category: Crisis Response
From the Search and Rescue Society of British Columbia.

Children's Reactions and Needs after Disaster (PDF)
Category: Crisis Response
By the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc. September 2001.

Brief Recovery Program (BRP) For Trauma Survivors (PDF)
Category: Crisis Response
This manual (71 pages) is designed for mental health professionals who have been trained to deliver the specific procedures included in the Brief Therapy Program. It presents a brief (4 session) psychological intervention to be delivered 2-12 weeks after an exposure to a trauma with the goal of facilitating recovery and preventing chronic post-trauma reactions such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Resource Guide for Critical Incident Stress and Debriefing in Human Service Agencies (PDF)
Category: Crisis Response
The resource guide (57 pages) has been developed by the Department of Human Services (Melbourne, Australia) as a learning tool for non-government organisations. The guide describes critical incidents and the critical incident stress approach that is currently used throughout the Department, discusses strategies to mitigate critical incident stress, and offers management models to assist human services agencies in the support of staff involved in stressful and traumatic incidents in the workplace.

Children's Reaction to Trauma: Suggestions for Parents
Category: Crisis Response
From the National Mental Health and Education Center.

ASCA Crisis Links (requires membership)
Category: Crisis Response
From the American School Counselor Association.

Disaster Connection: Kids to Kids
Category: Crisis Response
From FEMA. If you have been through a disaster, this is a place where you can tell your story with poems, artwork and essays. You can also hear what other kids have to say about disasters.

FEMA Publications
Category: Crisis Response
You can get posters, videos and other fun things for free from FEMA.

FEMA: Response & Recovery Library
Category: Crisis Response
From FEMA. Articles are in both PDF and Word formats.

Managing Traumatic Stress: Tips for Recovering From Disasters and Other Traumatic Events
Category: Crisis Response
From the American Psychological Association.

Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Violence and Disasters
Category: Crisis Response
A booklet that describes the impact of violence and disasters on children and adolescents, with suggestions for minimizing long-term emotional harm from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

Resource Guide for Crisis Management in Virginia Schools (PDF)
Category: Crisis Response
This Resource Guide (249 pages) includes a compilation of the most “user Friendly” examples of policies, procedures, guidelines, checklists, forms and background information.

Crisis Communications Guide & Tool Kit
Category: Crisis Response
The NEA Crisis Communications Guide and Toolkit provides resources to empower members facing crises and to guide their school communities toward hope, healing, and renewal.

Classroom Activities to Help Children Express Feelings
Category: Crisis Response
Giving children outlets for them to share their experiences and express their concerns and fears can sometimes make them feel better.

American Red Cross
Category: Crisis Response
Information and an easy way to donate money.

Disaster Preparedness Coloring Book (PDF)
Category: Crisis Response
This coloring book (26 pages) from the American Red Cross is designed for adults and children to work on together. Children can learn about fire, earthquakes, floods, tornados and other disasters, as well as how to protect themselves — all while having fun.

Disaster Preparedness Coloring Book in SPANISH (PDF)
Category: Crisis Response
Este libro del colorante (26 páginas) de la Cruz Roja americana se diseña para que a los adultos y a los niños trabajen encendido junto. Los niños pueden aprender sobre el fuego, los terremotos, las inundaciones, los tornados y otros desastres, así como cómo protegerse - todos mientras que teniendo diversión.

Volunteer Florida
Category: Crisis Response
Volunteer Florida, the Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, encourages all citizens to get involved in their community through volunteerism and service. Now, more than ever, Floridians are needed to help rebuild their communities.

Disaster Relief: How You Can Help
Category: Crisis Response
From the Florida Division of Emergency Management: By following guidelines for providing help, you can assist the victims of disaster without hindering the response of the agencies involved.

Children, Stress, and Natural Disasters
Category: Crisis Response
Children, Stress, and Natural Disasters from the University of Illinois Extension is a set of resources for teachers and other child-care or youth workers that helps prepare them for working with children who have been through a disaster. It includes A Resource Guide for Teachers that describes what teachers can do to help during the recovery period, a set of Classroom Activities for Teachers that can be used following a disaster, and a Disaster Bibliography of children's books on floods and natural disasters compiled by Lynn Blinn Pike at the University of Missouri.

Tips for Talking About Disasters
Category: Crisis Response
Tips for Teachers, Children and Adolescents, Adults, Families, & Emergency and Disaster Response Workers. Also in Español.

Helping children after a disaster.
Category: Crisis Response
From the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Crisis Counseling Guide to Children and Families in Disasters
Category: Crisis Response
This guide is intended for use by persons who respond to the disaster mental health needs of children in emergencies and disasters. Human service workers, emergency personnel, community members, and elected officials are responsible for planning and organizing services to meet the needs of children and families impacted by emergencies and disasters. This guide is the result of the efforts of the New York State Office of Mental Health staff experienced in disaster mental health services for children. In collaboration with the New York State Emergency Management Office, New York State Education Department, American Red Cross, and disaster agencies and organizations, the Office of Mental Health is committed to the continued development of local and state capacity to aid children and families impacted by natural and man-made disasters.

Strategies to Assist Children Manage Stress
Category: Crisis Response
Strategies for Parents and Teachers.

Helping Children Handle Disaster-Related Anxiety (PDF)
Category: Crisis Response
Fourteen page article.

Florida Jobs
Category: Crisis Response
Whether you are an employer, job seeker or partner, you will find important and useful information.

Helping Children Cope After a Disaster (PDF)
Category: Crisis Response
Short booklet you can print and handout to families.

National Organization for Victim Assistance Library
Category: Crisis Response
Several informative and useful materials in PDF format.

Career Voyages
Category: Career Resources
This web site is the result of a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Education. It is designed to provide information on high growth, high demand occupations along with the skills and education needed to attain those jobs.

What Does a School Counselor Do?
Category: Career Resources
This section of ASCA's Web site contains a wealth of information on the roles of school counselors, how to become a school counselor, promoting your school counseling program, research on the effectiveness of school counseling and more.

The Career Key
Category: Career Resources
The Career Key is a free service to help you with career choices, career changes, and career planning, job search, and choosing a college major or training program.

Back-to-School Teen Health Kit
Category: Personal/Social Resources
In an effort to help parents meet the challenge of keeping their teens healthy and safe, the National Women's Health Resource Center has developed a handy online back-to-school kit packed with new fact sheets, tips, resources and advice from leading adolescent health experts. Topics include: How to raise healthy, drug-free teens, Tips for Helping Your Teen Eat a Balanced diet, Teen Depression and Eating Disorder Warning Signs. It's also got the latest information on New Trends in Teen Drug Abuse and Fast Facts about Teen Health Checkups, and much more!

American Red Cross Facing Fear Curriculum
Category: Crisis Response
Facing Fear was developed to address a demand by educators and caregivers of children for materials to help children cope in uncertain times. The curriculum is a supplement to Masters of Disaster™, children's natural hazard safety curriculum. The format and components are similar, including ready-to-go lesson plans, activities and demonstrations that can be incorporated within core subject areas.

American Red Cross Fire Prevention and Safety
Category: Crisis Response
Masters of Disaster®: Fire Prevention and Safety was developed to help reduce unintentional deaths and injuries to children caused by residential fires. Fires and burns are the leading cause of residential death for children under the age of 15 and one-third of fire-related deaths of young children result from children playing with fire. The curriculum is a supplement to Masters of Disaster, children's natural hazard safety curriculum. The format and components are similar, including ready-to-go lesson plans, activities and demonstrations that can be incorporated within core subject areas.

American Red Cross: Disaster Preparedness Materials
Category: Crisis Response
The American Red Cross provides this information to help you help your children cope. Ultimately, you should decide what's best for your children, but consider using these suggestions as guidelines.

FEMA: Helping Children Cope with Disaster
Category: Crisis Response
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the American Red Cross have prepared this brochure to help you help your children cope. Ultimately, you should decide what's best for your children, but consider using these suggestions as guidelines.

How To Ride Out a Hurricane (DOC)
Category: Crisis Response
Helpful tipsheet and links.

Tips for Helping Kids Feel Safe in Stressful Times
Category: Crisis Response
Variety of articles and links from the NYU Child Study Center.

Health & Health Care in Schools ejournal
Category: Other Resources
The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools (CHHCS) is a nonpartisan policy and program resource center located at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services.

National Resource Center for Child Traumatic Stress Resource Center
Category: Crisis Response
Various articles and resources: The National Resource Center for Child Traumatic Stress (NRC-CTS) supports the mission of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network by providing relevant, practical information and resources to professionals and the public, including survivors of childhood trauma, their families, and communities.

Studies, Reports, and Statistics about School Violence Links
Category: Special Issues in School Counseling
Various reports and handouts.

Florida Colleges and Universities Page
Category: Career Resources
Welcome to the 2004 Florida Colleges and Universities Page. Students, parents, and educators may use this page to request college and university catalogues, admissions applications, and information about scholarships and financial aid. When contacting colleges and universities, we would appreciate your mentioning that you found their email addresses and telephone numbers here.

U.S. Department of Education
Category: Other Resources
The U.S. Department of Education site provides information for students, parents, teachers and administrators.

FCAT Explorer
Category: Academic Resources
This Web site, produced by the Florida Department of Education, provides information about the FCAT. It also provides skills practice for both reading and math, and passage and question topics from Social Studies, Science, and the Arts. A school-provided sign-in name and password are required to access the student materials. Ask your child's teacher for this information. There are materials in the Parent and Family Guide section that do not require a sign-in name and password.

School Locator
Category: Other Resources
Official listing of the public elementary and secondary schools and school districts in the U.S. Also contains basic information and descriptive statistics on public schools.

Florida KidCare en Español
Category: Special Issues in School Counseling
Seguro medico para ninos.

Kids Health
Category: Special Issues in School Counseling
This web site is maintained by the Nemours Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to Children's health and pediatric care. The site has special links for kids, teens, and parents.

Merck Manual
Category: Special Issues in School Counseling
Brought to you as a public service by Merck & Co., this site is an online version of the Merck Manual - Home edition. The Merck Manual provides a layman's explanation of diseases, medical conditions, and other health issues. This site is searchable by table of contents as well as through the site's search engine.

The “Back to School” kit
Category: Personal/Social Resources
Preparing children for a new school year typically involves buying new clothes, replacing last year’s backpack, and stocking up on new school equipment. Often overlooked are other important issues such as a child’s feelings and emotions about starting or returning to school. The theme for this year’s campaign is “15+ Make Time to Listen, Take Time to Talk.” The 15+ program was developed by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to help parents and kids talk about everyday issues and tough topics. NMHA is working to adapt and promote the program for community use. The 15+ theme stresses the importance of positive parent-child communication in the emotional development and educational success of children.

Judaism 101
Category: Personal/Social Resources
Judaism 101 is an online encyclopedia of Judaism, covering Jewish beliefs, people, places, things, language, scripture, holidays, practices and customs. My goal is to make freely available a wide variety of basic, general information about Judaism, written from a traditional perspective in plain English. This web site is constantly growing, with new information added every few weeks.

Responding to Tragedy: An Annotated List of Web Sites
Category: Crisis Response
This site was developed by the Shared Services Network Resource Center,University of South Florida, through the Student Support Services Project, funded by the State of Florida, Department of Education, Bureau of Instructional Support and Community Services, through federal assistance under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B.

Internet Safety
Category: Counseling Technology
Through its Internet Safety Web site, the SBC family of companies aim to empower you with information about some of the most common issues surrounding safety, privacy and security on the Internet.

Help with the Healing on the Web
Category: Crisis Response
Even with the healing passage of time, children can have trouble handling the emotions of fear, anger and grief, and the continuing national war on terrorism raises the emotional stakes. Connect for Kids has compiled resources to help.

Developmental Considerations Concerning Children's Grief
Category: Special Issues in School Counseling
A chart of developmental stages/tasks related to grief.

Children's Understanding of Death
Category: Special Issues in School Counseling
Children's understanding of Death is provided by Hospice of Southeastern Connecticut Bereavement Program. This chart is meant to be used as a guideline and not a checklist. All children develop at different rates and it is important to remember that the parents know their own child the best.

Marriage and Family SuperSite ASSESSMENTS
Category: Other Resources
These questionnaires are used for clinical or research purposes.

Learning Resources
Category: Other Resources
Links to learning resources brought to us by Fujifilm.

Crisis Management Institute
Category: Crisis Response
At CMI our greatest expertise is in the school setting, addressing Crisis response, peaceable schools and violence prevention.

The Best Places to Work in the Federal Government [Macromedia Flash Player, pdf]
Category: Career Resources
For those looking for a career change, and thinking about public service, they may be asking: "What are the best places to work in the federal government?". This site, developed by the Partnership for Public Service and the Institute for the Study of Public Policy Implementation, answers that very question in copious detail. The study uses data from the Office of Personal Management's 2002 Federal Human Capital Survey, in which a "Best Places to Work" index was created to measure overall employee satisfaction. A FAQ section is a good place to start as it features information about searching the rankings, what the rankings mean, and how the rankings were done. Getting down to the rankings, visitors can search rankings for 28 cabinet-level departments, independent agencies, and subagency level rankings as well. Visitors can also find out which places are best to work at for persons under 40, or by looking at places ranked by gender or minority status.

Parent's Toolbox
Category: Other Resources
A host of links for parents.

National Career Development Association (NCDA)
Category: Counseling Related Associations
The National Career Development Association (NCDA) is a division of the American Counseling Association (ACA). The mission of NCDA is to promote the career development of all people over the life span. To achieve this mission, NCDA provides service to the public and professionals involved with or interested in career development, including professional development activities, publications, research, public information, professional standards, advocacy, and recognition for achievement and service.

The American Student Achievement Institute
Category: Counseling Related Associations
The American Student Achievement Institute is a nonprofit organization focused on raising educational achievement for all students and closing achievement gaps between rural, minority and low-income students and their more advantaged peers.

National Center for School Counseling Outcome Research
Category: Crisis Response
The National Center for School Counseling Outcome Research is dedicated to improving the practice of School Counseling by developing the research base that is necessary for responsible and effective practice. The Center provides national leadership in the measurement and evaluation of the outcomes of school counseling interventions and programs. In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Center helps K-12 leaders and practitioners use research findings and methods to improve school counseling practice by enabling them to set standards, establish benchmarks, implement evidence-based interventions, measure student learning outcomes, and evaluate program effectiveness.

Covina-Valley Unified School District Guidance Program Checklists (Middle Level; PDF)
Category: Personal/Social Resources
Competency checklist according to the ASCA National Model Standards and Domains.

Covina-Valley Unified School District Guidance Program Checklists (High school; PDF)
Category: Personal/Social Resources
Competency checklist according to the ASCA National Model Standards and Domains.

SPARC Examples
Category: Accountability
The Support Personnel Accountability Report Card (SPARC) is a continuous improvement tool that gives a school site an opportunity to demonstrate effective communication and a commitment to getting results. Modeled after the School Accountability Report Card (SARC), the SPARC has been developed by an advisory group of Los Angeles County counselors, counselor supervisors, counselor educators, and California Department of Education (CDE) consultants.

The Guidance Channel
Category: Crisis Response
The Guidance Channel is website designed for school counselors on topics ranging from At-Risk youth to Special Education to Parent Education. It offers reviews of books, excerpts from articles and links to resources on a variety of issues.

America's Career Resource Network
Category: Career Resources
America's Career Resource Network has links to a broad range of other career development websites.

National Center for Learning Disabilities
Category: Special Issues in School Counseling
National Center for Learning Disabilities hosts a website designed to inform about learning disabilities and how they affect both youth and adults. The site provides information on issues which include educational and career choices, studying and interviewing skills, job hunting, support accommodations, LD testing, disclosure, self-advocacy, legal rights, and social relationships.

Families and Schools Together (FAST)
Category: Other Resources
Families and Schools Together (FAST) is a project that encourages family-school community collaborations to enhance the academic, social and career opportunities and development of children.

The Johns Hopkins Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Category: Other Resources
The Johns Hopkins Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships conducts and disseminates research, development, and policy analyses that produce new and useful knowledge and practices that help families, educators and members of communities work together to improve schools, strengthen families and enhance student learning and development.

Partnership Against Violence
Category: Counseling Related Associations
Partnership Against Violence, is a collaboration of several federal agencies and many school systems. Successful schools programs have been placed on the PAVNET web site.

Early Warning, Timely Response
Category: Special Issues in School Counseling
Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools. This site was developed by the US Dept. of Education and includes sections on characteristics of a safe school, identifying early warning signs of aggression and violence, intervention for troubled children and development of a prevention and crisis response action plan including a checklist of what to include in your school's plan.

Safe and Drug Free Schools
Category: Special Issues in School Counseling
Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools offers publications and resources.

GROUP-BASED MODELS OF PARENT EDUCATION AND SUPPORT
Category: Other Resources
Review of several parent education models/programs.

National Adolescent Health Information Center
Category: Counseling Related Associations
The National Adolescent Health Information Center has published the 2004 Best Practices Brief. Adapted from Improving the Health of Adolescents and Young Adults: A Guide for States and Communities, this brief provides an overview of Best Practices and a comprehensive listing of resources available in adolescent health. The resources are organized according to the health areas represented by the 21 Critical Health Objectives for Adolescents and Young Adults, including unintentional injury, violence, mental health & suicide, reproductive health and nutrition & physical activity.

SRA/McGraw-Hill - "The Big Wave"
Category: Crisis Response
The site includes lesson plan ideas using the book "The Big Wave" - the story of a Japanese boy's survival of a tidal wave and his subsequent struggle to deal with the significant loss of his community. Written by Pearl Buck, an American raised in China, the story is included in SRA's Open Court Reading (c) 2005 Grade 4 Student Anthology. It is also available for purchase from retailers such as Amazon or through local libraries.

Tsunami-Relief Groups Advise K-12
Category: Crisis Response
As American schools pitch in with an array of charitable projects in response to the tsunami in South Asia, experts say educators and students should consider carefully how they can most effectively support relief groups, avoid fund-raising scams, and incorporate their efforts into service-learning programs.

Florida Abuse Reporting
Category: Special Issues in School Counseling
Very informative and resourceful site.

Scholarship Help
Category: Academic Resources
Great advice about how to succeed in winning scholarships.

Florida College Directory
Category: Academic Resources
Excellent resource.

America's Career InfoNet
Category: Career Resources
America's Career InfoNet is a resource for making informed career decisions to support a demand-driven workforce investment system.

Executive Summary: Evaluation Report for the Study of Alternatives to Suspension August 2004 (PDF)
Category: Special Issues in School Counseling
The purpose of the Study of Alternatives to Suspension is to work collaboratively with the Florida Department of Education to document best practices in Florida and across the nation in providing alternatives to suspension, document current practices in Florida, and create a continuum of outcome-based best practices that can be used by school districts in Florida in implementing appropriate and effective alternatives to suspension.

Child Abuse Source Book for Florida School Personnel (PDF)
Category: Special Issues in School Counseling
From the website, "Reporting child maltreatment is thought by some to be one of the most unpleasant experiences and difficult responsibilities for any educator. However, reporting child abuse is crucial to protecting the most vulnerable students. We hope this source book will provide you with the necessary information to help facilitate this important process in an effort to aid in the protection of children."

Self-Assessment Resources
Category: Career Resources
There are a number of Internet sites where users can complete online questionnaires and inventories. These "tests" will help users to focus on possible areas to explore based on their particular interests and abilities. Users should understand that the results of such activities should be considered as guides for further research, not as final answers. Students might find it helpful to print their results and discuss them with their guidance counsellor and/or parents.

Résumé-Writing Resources on the 'Net
Category: Career Resources
Need help with your résumé? There is a wealth of information available whether you are a high school student writing your first résumé for a summer job or an experienced résumé-writer looking for ways to improve.

Study Tips on the 'Net
Category: Academic Resources
Some good resources on study skills.

Parent Guide (PDF)
Category: Other Resources
This “Parent Guide” helps parents pull together all of the information on services available to help your children gain the most from his or her school career. From school volunteer and community involvement to remedial and enrichment opportunities, you’ll find everything needed to become an active partner in your child’s learning experiences. Your child will thank you for your interest in education – and the rewards will come in the form of a happy and successful student!

Safe & Orderly Schools
Category: Crisis Response
From the NASSP website, "As administrators, we are obligated to ensure a safe environment for our students and faculty. Although research indicates our schools are safe environments for learning, we are obligated to do everything possible to prevent violence or harassment and address it quickly if it does occur. The principal's association provides information about safe schools and what you can do to ensure safety in your school."

After The Storm: A GUIDE TO HELP CHILDREN COPE WITH THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF A HURRICANE (PDF)
Category: Crisis Response
After The Storm contains information, activities and coping strategies to help parents and children cope with their reactions and feelings resulting from a hurricane and its aftermath. The material is designed in an interactive format, with adult and child-specific pages containing information and activities targeted for the intended audience. In some sections, "joint" activities are included to further enhance resilience by encouraging positive coping interactions between children and adults. The book is designed for use with children 6-12 years of age, but much of the information and activities can be adapted for use with older or younger children. To download After The Storm, click on the link below.

Florida's Partnerships in Character Education
Category: Personal/Social Resources
Through a statewide model partnership, programs are being developed or enhanced that will foster the development of positive character attributes such as caring, civic virtue and citizenship, justice and fairness, respect, responsibility, trustworthiness and other traits identified by partners as important for Florida's youth. Four thematic curricular strands are included as an integral part of the partnership: character education, law-related and civic education, conflict resolution training, and service learning.

PREVLINE
Category: Other Resources
SAMHSA's National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) is the Nation's one-stop resource for information about substance abuse prevention and addiction treatment. Lots of free publications and posters!

School Counselors and Principals: Partners in Support of Academic Achievement (Carolyn B. Stone and Mary A. Clark, 2001)
Category: Academic Resources
Available in PDF and Microsoft Word, this article discusses how school counselors can become central players in ensuring academic success for all students by partnering with principals. Gives specific examples showing how counselors took a leadership role in changing attitudes and beliefs, developing high aspirations in students, career guidance, coursework assignments, data analysis, staff development, collaboration and team-building, and promoting a safe learning environment.

Does Implementing a Research-based School Counseling Curriculum Enhance Student Achievement? (Center for School Counseling Outcome Research, 2004)
Category: Academic Resources
Reviews a 2003 study that used a rigorous research method and found that a comprehensive guidance program had strong positive effects on student achievement. Includes recommendations for increasing the use of research-based counseling programs in schools.

Improving Academic Achievement in Primary Students Through a Systemic Approach to Guidance and Counseling (Washington School Research Center, 2003)
Category: Academic Resources
Results of a study that looked at whether elementary-age students in schools with strong guidance and counseling programs did better on standard measures of academic achievement. The researchers found that students who had spent several years in schools with strong programs did do better on achievement tests. They suggest that schools use these findings to bolster comprehensive counseling programs that foster career, academic and personal competencies.

Elementary and Secondary School Counseling under NCLB (Department of Education)
Category: Academic Resources
Section of the "No Child Left Behind Desktop Reference" that deals with the major changes in counseling programs under the new law. Includes the purpose of the counseling program, what's new under NCLB, and how it works.

School Counselors and No Child Left Behind (Idaho School Counseling Association)
Category: Accountability
Includes a document outlining the provisions of NCLB that apply to counselors and counseling, and a grid matching topics of importance to counselors to sections of the law. Also includes the NCLB desk reference produced by the Department of Education in 2002.

Summary Report for: 21-1012.00 - Educational, Vocational, and School Counselors
Category: Career Resources
Occupational Information Network (O*Net) Online page for School Counseling.

Idaho's School Counseling Toolkit docment (PDF; 555kb)
Category: Other Resources
Nicely done!

SEX OFFENDER/PREDATORS DATABASE
Category: Special Issues in School Counseling
From the FDLE.

MedlinePlus: Mental Health
Category: Personal/Social Resources
MedLinePlus is a joint collaboration between the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health which has received strong marks during the past few years for providing high-quality health-related materials to the Web-browsing public. This particular area of the MedLinePlus site is devoted to providing materials about mental health. Here visitors can learn about various related topics by browsing through the top-level sections that include Alternative Therapy, Coping, and Nutrition. Within each area, visitors will be directed to links provided by a host of sources, including the Mayo Foundation, the Surgeon General, the American Psychiatric Association, and a number of other reputable institutions. The News section is also a fine way to keep abreast of recent developments in the field of mental health, as it culls news releases from some of the major international press agencies.

Journal of Online Behavior
Category: Counseling Technology
The Journal of Online Behavior (JOB) "is concerned with the empirical study of human behavior in the online environment, and with the impact of evolving communication and information technology upon individuals, groups, organizations, and society." The peer-reviewed articles cross science and social science disciplinary boundaries as well as geographical boundaries. The electronic version of the journal, which is available free of charge, includes an interactive discussion space. Some topics addressed in the articles and research reports include comparative media effects on communication processes and outcomes; social-cognitive dynamics and their effects presented by online interaction; temporal and longitudinal analyses of media influences and adaptation; and media usage and effects by and among ethnic and cultural groups.

Links to Florida Newspapers
Category: Other Resources
Links to Florida Newspapers.

Florida Electronic Library
Category: Other Resources
The Florida Electronic Library is a gateway to select Internet resources.

Publications Index lists Florida Department of Education Publications
Category: Special Issues in School Counseling
Publications Index lists Florida Department of Education Publications related to Exceptional Student Education, Early Intervention and School Readiness, Intervention and Prevention, Student Support Services, Dropout Prevention, Juvenile Justice Education, and more. Unless noted differently, documents listed on this site are in PDF file format and require free Adobe Acrobat Reader software to view or print.

Education Online Search
Category: Career Resources
Education Online Search is a free college portal online, helping you learn about careers and the colleges offering career education and degrees for the fields you choose. The site offers a collection of career articles and education articles to guide you through many aspects of your search, including career descriptions, financial aid tips, advice for adult learners, an overview of standardized college tests, a directory of colleges, and more.

All Pro Dad
Category: Other Resources
All Pro Dad is the ultimate resource for men who want to become better fathers. This program offers practical fathering assistance--updated daily--available 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. The All Pro Dad website’s premier offering is a free daily e-mail service called Play of the Day. This service provides dads with hard-hitting information, advice and inspiration to make them better husbands and fathers. Best of all, it's free!

GenYES - Youth and Educators Succeeding
Category: Counseling Technology
GenYes students learn to collaborate with teachers throughout the school to create unique projects that integrate technology into the curriculum.

Teacher Guidelines for Helping Students after a Hurricane (PDF)
Category: Crisis Response
Children's reactions to the hurricane and its aftermath are strongly influenced by how their parents, teachers, and other caregivers cope during and after the storm. They often turn to these adults for information, comfort, and help. There are many reactions to hurricanes and other frightening events that are common among children. These generally diminish with time, but knowing that these reactions are likely - and normal - can help teachers be prepared.

Childhood Traumatic Grief Educational Materials for School Personnel
Category: Crisis Response
This guide does not call for educators to take responsibility for providing therapy for children with traumatic grief. That task falls to qualified mental health professionals. School personnel, however, play important roles in observing children, understanding how to create a supportive school environment, and knowing when it is best to suggest referral to a professional.

Trauma Information Pamphlet for Teachers (Word)
Category: Crisis Response
This pamphlet includes suggestions for teachers taking care of themselves during stressful times, as well as tips on working with traumatized children. Resumption of schooling is important to promote the welfare of children and their families. Teachers play an important role in this process.

NCTSN for School Personnel
Category: Crisis Response
Information tailored for school personnel, including General Information on School Safety, the Effects of Trauma on Schools and Learning, the 3 R's of School Crises and Disasters, Service Intervention Programs, and guidelines for staff members of schools that are currently in crisis. The information is not specific to hurricanes but is applicable to numerous crises.

NPP Database
Category: Accountability
Military Recruitment data for Fiscal Year 2004 are available at the State, County, School, and Zip Code level searches. Begin your search at the geography level that interests you, and then choose "military" for an issue area. You will then be able to choose the recruitment datasets you wish to view (the limit is 8 datasets per search), followed by the state or states, and then the location for the level of geography you are in. When prompted to choose years, choose "2004" if you are only interested in viewing military recruitment data.

Florida Department of Health Substance Abuse
Category: Special Issues in School Counseling
The Florida Department of Health partners with DCF in seeking to prevent and reduce substance abuse and its negative effects on health. Providing this website is one of many ways we hope to educate the public and health care providers.

Crystal Star Awards of Excellence
Category: Other Resources
The Crystal Star Awards of Excellence in Dropout Recovery, Intervention and Prevention are open for nominations from anyone active in the field of dropout prevention. Please take the time to nominate an outstanding program or individual.

Florida Course Code Directory
Category: Other Resources
This file contains a listing of all the courses currently available for use, certification and graduation requirements, and other information important to school districts and individuals.

Bailey’s Guide to life after high school
Category: Career Resources
Bailey’s Guide to life after high school is a one-stop shop for all students, whether going on to college, going into a trade, or going directly into the workforce. Every Bailey’s Guide contains a combination of editorial content and “listings” customized for each state. Bailey’s “print edition” is designed to work in conjunction with our online content to provide the most comprehensive, yet easy-to-access, information that every graduating high school student needs.

Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC)
Category: Crisis Response
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) provides prevention support, training, and resources to assist organizations and individuals to develop suicide prevention programs, interventions and policies, and to advance the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention.

FACTS.org
Category: Other Resources
FACTS.org is the Florida Department of Education’s statewide one-stop student advising web site. FACTS.org offers information and tools that enable students to plan their high school courses, track their progress toward graduation and Bright Futures scholarships, explore careers, learn about Florida’s postsecondary opportunities, apply online to colleges or vocational-technical institutions, and apply for financial aid.

Managing Anxiety in Times of Crisis
Category: Crisis Response
For children, adolescents, and adults. Also in Spanish.

NATIONAL HURRICANE SURVIVAL INITIATIVE
Category: Other Resources
After the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, a group of organizations (including the National Hurricane Center and the National Emergency Management Association) decided to band together to crate the National Hurricane Survival Initiative. Along with their other public outreach programs, they created this website to bring information about hurricane preparedness to the general public. The site includes a storm readiness checklist, a hurricane questionnaire, and basic hurricane evacuation procedures. The “Storms Stats” area provides a primer on what exactly hurricanes are, along with concise summaries of the wind and water damage that hurricanes can inflict. The site’s materials are also available in Spanish, and it is worth noting that the music that is synchronized with the homepage is rather loud.

Florida College Access Network (FCAN)
Category: Counseling Related Associations
The FCAN exists to promote partnerships among the college access and readiness programs in Florida that are committed to increasing the numbers of college-bound students in Florida. The network includes programs that address the needs of racial and ethnic minority students, students with limited English proficiency, students with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged students. Previously there has been no statewide system to coordinate these efforts, resulting in an often-fragmented approach to meeting student needs. FCAN will bridge the gaps, help maximize resources, and help create a seamless network of communication for the benefit of students.

Support Personnel Accountability Report Card
Category: Other Resources
The SPARC (Support Personnel Accountability Report Card) is a continuous improvement document that gives a school counseling program an opportunity to demonstrate effective communication and a commitment to getting results. Modeled after the School Accountability Report Card (SARC), the Support Personnel Accountability Report Card (SPARC) has been developed by an advisory group of Los Angeles County counselors and consultants, counselor administrators, counselor educators and California Department of Education consultants.

10 homework helpers
Category: Academic Resources
Make the grade with 10 homework helpers Take a look at this list of terrific Web sites for students Published: September 27, 2005 By Marc Saltzman Today's students are far more likely to turn to the Internet for research and homework help than to visit the library. The problem is, there are so many Web sites in cyberspace that it can be difficult to find what you're looking for—and trust what you're reading. Here are 10 terrific sites that provide homework help, reference guides, and imaginative projects for a range of grades and subjects.

DailyMed
Category: Other Resources
DailyMed: Current Medication Information This website provides U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) labels and other material for over 1,200 approved prescription drugs. Searchable, or browse by drug name. Listings include professional and consumer-level information, such as precautions, adverse reactions, and dosage. From the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.

National Research Center for College & University Admissions
Category: Academic Resources
Creating a brighter future for America's youth, with integrity... through a unique process that captures and shares educational and career aspirations...one dream at a time.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP
Category: Special Issues in School Counseling
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is the only national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research and education, and to reaching out to people with mood disorders and those affected by suicide.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 - Online Tutorial
Category: Other Resources
Welcome to the Florida Department of Education's online introductory tutorial to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This tutorial is provided by the Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services. Please proceed to the Introduction or choose a module from the drop-down menu.

MedlinePlus: Phobias
Category: Special Issues in School Counseling
Collection of links to material about phobias, which are known as anxiety disorders in extreme cases. Topics include treatments and coping, specific conditions (such as social phobia), related issues (such as panic disorders and agoraphobia), and fears and phobias in children and teens. From the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Jed Foundation
Category: Other Resources
The Jed Foundation is committed to reducing the young adult suicide rate by furthering understanding of the underlying causes of suicide, by increasing awareness of the issue of college student mental health and suicide, and by creating effective prevention programs on college campuses.

CollegeParents.org
Category: Other Resources
We compile the most valuable and up-to-date information and resources we can find in our Parent Resource Center. From scholarship listings, savings calculators, summer enrichment programs and admissions tips for future college parents - to internship guides, study abroad programs, financial aid options and career planning advice for current college parents, the Parent Resource Center is your one-stop shop for vital information and resources.

New York University Child Study Center
Category: Other Resources
The New York University Child Study Center is dedicated to advancing the field of child mental health through evidence-based practice, science and education.

Important Web Links for School Counselors
Category: Other Resources
A nice reference (PDF file) developed by the Hillsborough County Guidance Services.

Learn CPR
Category: Crisis Response
Learn CPR is a free public service supported by the University of Washington School of Medicine. Learn the basics of CPR - cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Updated with new CPR Guidelines issued by the American Heart Association and published in Circulation, Dec 13 2005.

University of South Florida
Category: School Counseling Degree Programs
CACREP-accredited. The University of South Florida offers a Master's degree in Counselor Education, with three separate tracks including career counseling, mental health counseling and school counseling. Graduate certificates are also available for career counseling, mental health counseling and play therapy. Ed.S. and Ph.D. programs in counselor education are also available.

Help Promote Hope: Suicide Prevention
Category: Personal/Social Resources
The Statewide Office of Suicide Prevention functions as a unit of the Office of Drug Control within the Executive Office of the Governor. The creation of the Office is a vital step in having this issue recognized by the Legislature and will serve as a model to other states that the prevention of suicide needs to be a priority. The Office plays a critical role in integrating the statewide effort but it is the partnerships around the state through which change occurs and the work gets done.

The RTI Action Network
Category: Special Issues in School Counseling
The RTI Action Network is dedicated to the effective implementation of Response to Intervention (RTI) in school districts nationwide. Our goal is to guide educators and families in the large-scale implementation of RTI so that each child has access to quality instruction and that struggling students – including those with learning disabilities – are identified early and receive the necessary supports to be successful. The RTI Action Network is a program of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, funded by the Cisco Foundation and in partnership with the nation’s leading education associations and top RTI experts.

Directory of Education Degree Programs
Category: Academic Resources
Directory on the web of teacher education degree and certificate programs. It includes over 20,000 teacher education degree and certificate programs, offered by over 1,700 colleges and school districts across the US, reviewed and compiled by hand from the college and district websites.

Nursing Schools Guide
Category: Career Resources
This site has at last count over 10,000 nursing scholarships listed for Florida students. The service is 100% free (with no personal information needed to use out tool) and the site does not have ads.

Resources for the Haitian Community
Category: Crisis Response
Various resources and information (in both English and Creole).