What is a peer counselor?
A trained Peer Counselor does:
• Accept people as they are.
• Listen with full attention.
• Give support and encouragement to take positive action.
• Respect confidentiality.
• Realize that not all problems are solved and not all people want to be helped.
• Refer troubled students to a professional person: school counselor, psychologist, community agency, or school health services.
A trained Peer Counselor does not:
• Judge people or try to change them.
• Give advice, offer solutions.
• Put people down.
• Gossip about what is said in group or counseling sessions.
• Expect all problems to be resolved quickly and easily.
• Work with seriously disturbed people.
Responsibilities of trained Peer Counselors
• To work with teachers and parents to explain the program and to solicit their support and understanding of the program.
• To help recruit students for the future of the program.
• Using skills learned, each trained peer will make presentations in his/her school or school
district or community.
• Accept people as they are.
• Listen with full attention.
• Give support and encouragement to take positive action.
• Respect confidentiality.
• Realize that not all problems are solved and not all people want to be helped.
• Refer troubled students to a professional person: school counselor, psychologist, community agency, or school health services.
A trained Peer Counselor does not:
• Judge people or try to change them.
• Give advice, offer solutions.
• Put people down.
• Gossip about what is said in group or counseling sessions.
• Expect all problems to be resolved quickly and easily.
• Work with seriously disturbed people.
Responsibilities of trained Peer Counselors
• To work with teachers and parents to explain the program and to solicit their support and understanding of the program.
• To help recruit students for the future of the program.
• Using skills learned, each trained peer will make presentations in his/her school or school
district or community.