Virtual School Counseling During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Supporting Students and Trailblazing Future Trends

Abstract

COVID-19 has transformed the K-12 education system. Many students, faculty, and staff have been required to transition from a traditional in-person school environment to a strictly virtual or hybrid setting, with little to no preparation or training. This drastic and sudden change has left students, families, faculty, and staff to navigate new or altered responsibilities related to virtual/hybrid learning. In turn, many students who are accustomed to learning in-person have experienced new stressors related to virtual/hybrid learning. Additionally, school counselors find themselves having to provide virtual/hybrid social, emotional, and academic support for their various student populations. Leading the Journal of Human Services special issue’s third section, Youth and Schools in the Current Context, we discuss in this article how school counselors can support students during and after COVID-19 using the Multi Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework—employing virtual interventions that will be useful beyond the pandemic’s duration.