One of the primary goals and philosophies of the counseling team at Elfida P. Chavez Elementary is to promote and maintain a safe and positive school climate. This is achieved through various programs and counseling interventions, such as Character Counts, Guidance lessons, Red Ribbon Week, WHO (We Help Ourselves) and our ongoing district initiative, the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program.

The OBPP is a nationally known and research-based program designed to educate students, faculty, staff, and parents to reduce and prevent incidents of bullying.  The counselor has served as the OBPP campus committee coordinator since July 2011. As coordinator, my role is to hold meetings with committee members, to create and revise our campus anti-bullying plan based on campus-specific data and to coordinate our annual Olweus kick-off event. Students in grades three, four, and five complete a questionnaire regarding bullying on our campus. The program has helped our campus reduce the percentage of students involved in bullying.

Our Mission: The mission of the school counseling program at Elfida P. Chavez Elementary is to provide a comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling program that will maximize the academic, personal-social, and career competencies of all students so that they may realize personal postsecondary goals.

Individual and small group counseling: Counseling is provided in a small group setting or on an individual basis for students expressing difficulties dealing with relationships, personal concerns, or normal development tasks. Individual and small-group counseling helps students identify problems, causes, alternatives, and possible consequences so they can take appropriate action. Such counseling is normally short-term in nature. School counselors do not provide therapy. When necessary, referrals are made to appropriate community resources.

Referral process: Any student displaying emotional, behavioral or personal/social concerns may be referred to the counselor. Please complete a counseling referral form and turn it in to your counselor, Ms. Elguea. Upon receiving the referral form, the counselor will administer an intake and conduct a classroom observation if needed. The type of counseling needed will then be determined. If needed, the counselor will send home a parent letter and permission slip. Counselors may see students once or twice without parents' permission. After that, we will need a signed parent's permission in order to continue counseling services.

Suspicions of Child Abuse/Neglect: If you suspect any child of being physically, sexually, emotionally abused or neglected, it is your duty to report it to the Children’s Protective Services (CPS). You can do so by calling their hotline, 1-800-252-5400, or via the internet https://www.txabusehotline.org/Login/Default.aspx. If you need assistance in contacting CPS, please contact the counselor for assistance.