Culturally Proficient Collaboration
Use and Misuse of School Counselors
- Diana L. Stephens - Self-employed, California Lutheran University, California
- Randall B. Lindsey - California State University Los Angeles, USA
Foreword by Trish Hatch
Optimize school counselors and raise your school's cultural competence
The authors make a compelling case for recognizing professional school counselors as leaders of 21st-century change rather than "gatekeepers" of the status quo. Today's school leaders need to acknowledge counselors' value in the necessary work of providing equitable resources and opportunities for children in today's multicultural environment. Aligned with the American School Counseling Association National Model for school counseling programs, Culturally Proficient Collaboration provides a conceptual framework and practical protocols for utilizing school counselors as:
- Change agents for school improvement
- Creators of results-based programs
- Advocates for equity among demographic groups
Included are case stories and reflective activities for building educators' skills in serving as leaders, advocates, collaborators, and systemic-change agents. Readers will find a clearly outlined path for empowering counselors to transform your leadership team and your school for the benefit of all students.
“Culturally Proficient Collaboration is a much-needed contribution to the discussion of our past, current, and future practices in school counseling. This is more than a portrait of the culturally proficient educator, it’s a book about change. A must read for anyone in education.”
“At a time when many schools do not seem to know what to do with the growing diversity in their populations, this book offers tools for transforming schools into collaborative cultures of care. Stephens and Lindsey are grounded in current best practices promoted by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and the Transforming School Counseling Initiative (TSCI), and they recognize the need for school counselors to understand and use data to promote greater equity, genuine cultural appreciation, and vibrant opportunities for all students.”
"With this book, the authors have bestowed a significant gift. Counselors, school leaders, and teachers now have a clear map to guide our journeys toward equitable service. And all of us receive leadership with this clear application of cultural proficiency, as we work to apply this conceptual model to our specific areas of service."
"This is a book that every school counselor, social worker, administrator, and teacher should read and keep on their bookshelves. The authors challenge readers to look within themselves and reflect upon ways they perpetuate and support current counseling practices. The authors leave the reader with a heightened sense of awareness related to Cultural Proficiency Counseling practices and a desire to move beyond traditional methods."
"Culturally Proficient Collaboration provides a framework for serious reflection for successful implementation of a comprehensive guidance program."
"This timely book from Diana Stephens provides the perfect tool set for teachers, counselors and school leaders. It provides practical strategies for delivering necessary counseling services to the marginalized students who need them the most. An indispensable resource for educators who want to make a difference."
"A number of factors contribute to our children feeling disconnected within their families, schools and communities. This disconnect in our culture can sometimes end in acts of violence by word or deed. Culturally Proficient Collaboration will help administrators, teachers and counselors maximize their talents and professional training."
