Compassion. According to Merriam Webster it is, "sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it,". In a time when it often feels as if compassion is a forgotten trait, the need and desire to help others is strong within those that work with children. I think we can all agree that this would be a trait a good counselor would embody. That distress pulls at our heartstrings, invoking within us a desire for things to be different, be better. It is not enough to desire the change. The Dalai Lama says “It is not enough to be compassionate. You must act,”. And so we must.
I must admit, the “acting" part is hard for me. As a conflict-hating people-pleaser, I tend to avoid ruffling feathers. As a newer counselor, I am often unsure of where to start. But for some of my students, I am their only voice, the only one making noise for them, and that is important. So where do I start?
Get Educated
Get to know your students and the social justice issues impacting them. Is it poverty? As your African American males over represented in discipline referrals or suspensions? Do you have families facing deportation? Find out. Do your research about what is going on in your school and in the world.
Start Close to Home
Social justice is not just marching in Washington and appealing to policy makers (although these are important). Oftentimes, social justice starts within the walls of our schools. According to Chung and Bemak, when our environments are safe and healthy our mental health is also improved (2012). Creating a tolerant and accepting environment within our school can be an important step. Educating our students on empathy, acceptance, and internal bias not only creates a better environment within the school, but you are also helping to change the viewpoint of tomorrow’s leaders.
Work With Your Community
Often there are resources within your community that can help break down some of the barriers that your students or their families may be facing. Are there food kitchens in your area? A lawyer who volunteers their time on family law, civil rights, or immigration cases? A free clinic or doctor who uses a sliding payment scale? Counseling services through the community center? Someone who volunteers their interpretation services? Get to know your community and what is out there. Make some calls and ask around at different centers and organizations. Oftentimes these groups work together to provide assistance. It is helpful to keep a notebook of these resources to help address barriers in the future.
Be A Squeaky Wheel
We all know the saying, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease,”. It is not a very positive illustration I’ll admit, but at times it is necessary for us to be that “squeaky wheel” in order to advocate for our students and for social justice. I recently had a student who was a foster child, he was supposed to be receiving counseling services. After several incidents at school, I called the case worker to confirm that those services were being provided. After her investigation, it turns out that the providers had the wrong contact information for the foster family and that those services were not being given yet. Had it not been for a little noise, there is no telling how long it would have been before that came to someone's attention. Make the phone calls. Send the emails. Provide the resources and then follow up. The point is to make a little noise, because sometimes you are the only person who is.
Social Justice should not be seen as rocking the boat or as creating conflict. It should be seen as empowering our students and creating an inclusive environment for all. School counselors have a responsibility to help create this type of change. According to Chung & Bemak, if we ignore the social issues within our schools, communities, and world then we are contributing to those same issues, (2012).
References
Chung, R.C., & Bemak, F. P. (2012). Social justice counseling: The next steps beyond
multiculturalism in application, theory, and practice.Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publication
compassionate. 2020. In Merriam-Webster.com.
Retrieved October 31, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compassionate
