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 2.1 Counseling

 Requirements

R1. Organization

Centers must provide personal counseling services with the following features:

a. Designated counseling staff or qualified professionals

b. Assigned caseloads

c. Personal counseling sessions

d. Availability of counseling services on weekends and in the event of emergencies

R2. Personal Assessment and Counseling Services

Centers must provide intensive ongoing personal assessment and counseling services early within the first 60 days of the student’s stay on center. These services will continue as needed throughout the student’s enrollment to identify, assess, and assist students to address personal barriers to progress in academic and career technical training programs, with the following features:

a. An intake assessment, including student history, conducted during the first 48 hours of enrollment (see Chapter 3, Section 3.4, R7 and R8​​). A copy of this assessment must be submitted to the Health and Wellness center for review and inclusion in the student’s health record

b. Ongoing structured, scheduled, and documented individual social development and adjustment counseling

c. Group support sessions designed to identify and address specific issues, such as abuse, relationships, child care, homesickness, language and cultural barriers, etc.

d. Identification of students who need more intensive services and referral to such services

e. Intervention, implementation, and documentation of strategies to address personal issues, including mental health, medical issues, and challenges for those who are Limited English Proficient (LEP)

f. Support services, to include assisting with Unauthorized Absence (UA) retrieval; conferring with parents, Admissions Counselors, Career Transition Specialists, and social service agencies; and providing referrals to community resources, as appropriate

g. Availability of counseling services on weekends and in the event of emergencies

R3. Career Assessment and Counseling

Centers must provide career assessment and counseling services throughout the student’s enrollment with the following features:

a. Ongoing structured, scheduled, and documented individual career counseling sessions, which may be scheduled as part of a student’s career development activities

b. Management of students’ career development through collaboration among the student, counselor, and interdepartmental Career Management Team (CMT) to assist the student in:

1. Setting and updating incremental short-term, mid-term, and long-term personal and career goals by ensuring Pathway Achievement Record (PAR) completion progress is current

2. Developing strategies and identifying actions necessary for students to prepare for and attain academic credentials and industry-recognized certifications

3. Identifying personal strengths and career challenges

4. Resolving personal issues affecting career readiness

5. Assessing transitional support needs and developing strategies to meet those needs

c. Counselors must know and remain current on industry certifications offered and requirements for attainment

d. During the Career Preparation Period, staff will assist students in identifying initial career goals and developing personalized strategies to reach those goals through:

1. An individualized schedule of appropriate academic, career technical training, and evening/weekend studies

2. Exposure, practice, and experiences to meet the Career Success Standards

3. Personal and career counseling to develop appropriate strategies and identify resources to address issues

e. A review and confirmation of the student's initial My Pathway to Achieving Career Excellence (MyPACE) Career Plan and mid-term career pathway goals, within 30 days of entry into the Career Development Period

f. Trained staff who can assist students, for whom a change of mid-term career (placement) goal is determined appropriate to:

1. Modify the MyPACE Career Plan and reassign the student to a revised PAR.

2. Submit the revised Career Plan to the Center Director or senior management designee for review and ​approval.

3. Retain a copy of the approved revised Career Plan and revised Pathway Achievement Record in the student's permanent personnel file. (See Chapter 6, Section 6.4, R17, Student Personnel File​.)
g. Regular assessments and evaluations of student progress in meeting career goals in academic and career technical education and training programs, reviewing, and updating the student’s MyPACE Career Plan and the PAR, in accordance with Chapter 2, Section 2.6, R1 and R2​

R4. My Pathway to Achieving Career Excellence Career Plan

a. Centers must collaborate with each student to initiate a MyPACE Career Plan that must document the student’s personal career goals, training needs, challenges, progress and accomplishments throughout enrollment and the post-center Career Transition Period.

At a minimum, the MyPACE Career Plan must include:

1. Student long-term career goal (the ultimate career that the student will progress toward)

2. Mid-term career pathway placement goals (immediate next steps upon Job Corps completion to support career progression), including one of the following:

​(a) Entry-level job placement in an in-demand industry sector on the pathway to the student's ultimate career

(b) Entry into an apprenticeship program

(c) Paricipation in one of Job Corps' Advanced Training (AT) programs

(d) Enlistment in the armed services to pursue a career in the military

(e) Enrollment in post-secondary education

​3. Student short-term specific, measurable, attainable, recorded, and time-bound (SMART) goals

4​. Desired geographic residence/work location

5. Student interests, aptitudes, values, work styles, and career technical training preferences and choices

6. Details regarding a student's prior employment, including:

​(a) employer

(b) location

(c) job title

(d) ending wage

Centers must verify the accuracy of this information.

​7. Student training needs to achieve career goals

(a) Academic

(b) Career technical training

(c) Career Success Standards

(d) Job search skills

(e) Information technology (IT) skills

(f) Driver's education and license

8. Progress/accomplishments/achievements

9. Career transition needs/challenges/strategies

(a) Housing

(b) Transportation

(c) Child care

(d) Health care

(e) Work clothing and tools

(f) Food and nutrition

(g) Budgeting/money management

(h) Counseling/mentoring

(i) Job retention skills

(j) Legal services

(k) Application for federal fudning for advanced education, as appropriate

b. Students must update their MyPACE Career Plan by completing the accompanying curriculum. Once the MyPACE Career Plan is complete, students must be assigned the appropriate Pathway Achievement Record (PAR) that matches their mid-term goal. Students must update their PARs on an ongoing basis, in cooperation with appropriate staff, no less frequently than at each student's regularly scheduled evaluation of student progress.

c. Each student's completed MyPACE Career Plan and PAR must be uploaded to the appropriate section of the Center Information System (CIS) e-Folder. Students must be provided copies of their MyPACE Career Plan and PARs whenever changes are made to the plan and at separation.

R5. Placement Readiness

​To ensure that each student is fully prepared to effectively access resources and services that assist them in making a successful transition to his/her mid-term goal the interdepartmental Career Management Team (CMT) must:

a. Collaborate with the Career Transition Service Provider and each student to:

1. Update and finalize the student's My Pathway to Achieving Career Excellence (MyPACE) Career Plan and Pathway Achievement Records (PAR);

2. Review and verify the student's mid-term career goal to:

(a) Ensure the student has completed all assigned mid-term goal PAR tasks and activities and has proper supporting documentation of completed tasks;

(b) Verify the student's understanding of the next steps needed to transition to the chosen mid-term career goal; and career pathway remains appropriate;

(c) Confirm the student's transitional support needs and strategies to address them.

​​b. Facilitate the student's connection with his/her assigned Career Transition Specialist.

c. Submit each student's final MyPACE Career Plan and PAR to the Center Director or senior management designee for review and approval.

d. Retain a copy of the approved final MyPACE Career Plan and PAR in the student's permanent personnel file. (See Chapter 6, Section 6.4, R17, Student Personnel File​.)

e. Upload a copy of the final MyPACE Career Plan and PAR in the Center Information System (CIS) e-Folder for the student's assigned Career Transition Specialist to access.

f. Ensure student has access to his/her final MyPACE Career Plan and PAR.