Counseling

Counseling and Support Services Available

Children's Aid Society Counselor (group & individual):

Children's Aid Society / Helpline Office is a private, non-profit social service agency serving the youth and families of the greater North Penn and Souderton areas regardless of age, sex, race, creed or national origin. The agency provides a range of therapeutic programs designed to strengthen the individual and family by encouraging self-evaluation, responsible decision making, personal growth and commitment. They believe positive individual growth and solid families benefit the entire community. Each year we receive a counselor from the Children's Aid Society that assists in supporting Christopher Dock's Guidance Office, meeting both educational and counseling needs. If you would like to speak to Elise Artelt, our Children's Aid Society counselor, you can reach her at Christopher Dock on Mondays or Tuesdays or at Helpline at 215-362-8422.

Guidance Counseling:

The role of the Guidance Office staff is to be advocates of all students as we seek to meet their developmental needs. An important part of this process gets played out in the role of counseling. Students may stop by the Guidance Office to seek support and guidance for a variety of issues. The counseling services provided at Christopher Dock include academic, personal, and career counseling. Students who seek personal counseling may do so on a short term basis. Students identified as needing ongoing counseling are referred to outside counseling.

Student Support Team (SST):

The primary purpose of the Student Support Team is to identify, refer and support students with behavior, academic, drug/alcohol, or mental health problems. The Christopher Dock SST consists of professional staff who have received specialized training that qualifies them to identify and refer students with the above-mentioned problems. The team functions to intervene with "at risk" students in order to ensure that they receive appropriate professional assistance and continued support.

Through a systematic process school personnel identify which students are having problems and refer them for help. The heart of the program is the Student Support Team, a core group of school personnel who are specially trained to work with at-risk students.

Referrals to the Student Support Team can be made by teachers, parents, students, or church friends. You can assist at-risk students in a vital way by opening the lines of communication with someone on the Student Support Team. All information shared with the team is held in strict confidence. Please feel free to contact any member of the team for more information or assistance. Team Members: Elise Artelt, Matt Moyer, Ken Kabakjian, Jeanine Musselman, Cathi Hunsberger, Marlene Frankenfield, Elaine Moyer, Charlene Rauch, and Martin Wiens.

Family Meetings/Consultation:

The Guidance Office will meet with families to discuss a variety of school related issues. These meetings may be initiated by either the school, family or church as a means of providing support and guidance for students and families. Please contact the Guidance Office if you wish to arrange a meeting.