National school counselor shortage impacting Nebraska
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - At the Boys and Girls Club of the Midlands, they serve families and support schools.
“The possibilities are endless when you instill hope, when you instill motivation,” said president Richard Webb. “Ultimately what we try to do is help our youth reach their greatest potential. We do that in many different ways, whether it’s just a safe place, it’s a meal, or whether it’s opportunities to engage in programs that enrich their capabilities.”
After school programs like this are especially important since there’s a nationwide shortage of school counselors. Nebraska is not immune.
“The school counselor is really the person that brings the whole child together…the academics, the social-emotional and personal support and career and rolls them all into one,” said Doug Hauserman, a counselor and the executive director of the Nebraska School Counselor Association.
The American School Counselor Association recommends 250 students per counselor. In Nebraska, each school counselor has about 100 more students than they should.
“When the school counselor has an overburden case load, they’re not as effective as delivering those services and helping students reaching their maximum potential,” said Hauserman.
To help, the Boys and Girls Club of the Midlands is there. Just ask their current president, Richard Webb.
“I am an alumni of the Boys and Girls Club first and foremost. In my role as president, 4 years,” said Webb.
The Boys and Girls Club of the Midlands is part of a network of after-school services offered in the metro. The “Collective of Youth” has more than 30 organizations under its umbrella to step in as the national school counselor shortage persists.
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