Student Protection and Advocacy: Essential Training for School Counselors

Student Protection and Advocacy: Essential Training for School Counselors is a practical course designed specifically for counselors in international school settings, where external child protection services, social workers, or formal case managers may be limited or unavailable. In many countries, student protection systems vary widely, requiring school counselors to take on expanded roles when concerns arise.

This course prepares counselors to confidently lead, coordinate, and collaborate as part of a Student Protection Team. Participants will build essential skills in safeguarding, advocacy, and clear response protocols while navigating diverse cultural and legal contexts. Emphasis is placed on student-centered practices that promote safety, well-being, and the protection of students’ rights across international communities.

Intended Audience

International school counselors PK-12

ISCA Student Standards

This course will support you in providing strategies for your students to be able to do the following using the ISCA Student Standards and specifically the Social/Emotional Domain.

Standard C: Students will demonstrate personal safety skills will be followed with the specific competency C1~Personal Safety

SE:C1:1 State knowledge of personal contact information
SE:C1:2 Develop skills to utilize personal and community resources related to mental health
SE:C1:3 Recognize and advocate for personal boundaries, rights, and privacy needs
SE:C1:4 Examine the relationship between rules, laws, safety, and the protection of human rights of the individual
SE:C1:5 Distinguish between safe and unsafe physical contact, and identify ways to respond to unsafe situations
SE:C1:6 State the legal consequences for substance use, sexual activity, marriage, etc, according to the country one lives in
SE:C1:7 Explain the concept of consent and how it relates to setting and respecting boundaries
SE:C1:8 Demonstrate digital citizenship focusing on internet safety skills
SE:C1:9 Explain the emotional and physical dangers of substance use and dependency
SE:C1:10 Identify trusted adults in the school and community, and know how, when, and where to ask for help for self and others

ASCA Professional Standards and Ethical Standards and Practices

This course is aligned to the following school counselor standards and competencies (international school diverse cultural and legal contexts need to be considered):

ASCA Ethical Standards A.12 Child Abuse
School Counselors:

• Report to the proper authorities, as mandated by the state, all suspected cases of child abuse and neglect, recognizing that certainty is not required, only reasonable suspicion. School counselors are held to a higher standard regarding their absolute duty as a mandated reporter to report suspected child abuse and neglect.
• Develop and maintain the expertise to recognize the signs of child abuse and neglect. Advocate for training to enable students and staff to have the knowledge and skills needed to recognize the signs and to whom they should report suspected child abuse and neglect.
• Take reasonable precautions to protect the privacy of students for whom abuse or neglect is suspected from those who do not have a legitimate need to know.
• Know current state laws and the school system’s procedures for reporting child abuse and neglect and methods to advocate for students’ physical and emotional safety following abuse/neglect reports.
• Connect students who have experienced abuse and neglect with services provided through the local school district and community agencies.

ASCA Ethical Standards B.2 Responsibilities to the School
School Counselors:

• b. Design and deliver comprehensive school counseling programs that are integral to the school’s academic mission, informed by analysis of student data, based on the ASCA National Model. (ISCA National Model also).

Essential Questions

1. How can school counselors lead and coordinate effective student protection efforts in international school contexts where external child protection systems may be limited or unavailable?
2. What policies, protocols, and collaborative practices are essential to safeguarding students’ rights, safety, and well-being across diverse cultural and legal environments?
3. How can counselors ethically and confidently advocate for students while balancing professional responsibilities, cultural considerations, and student-centered care?

Participants will have knowledge about:

1. Core principles of student protection and safeguarding in international school settings
2. Global standards and best practices, including guidance from the AISA Child Protection Handbook and the International Taskforce on Child Protection (ITFCP)
3. The roles, ethics, and decision-making responsibilities of counselors within a Student Protection Team
4. Key components of a comprehensive student protection program, including prevention, response, and accountability

Participants will be able to:

1. Apply AISA and ITFCP frameworks to real-world student protection scenarios in their schools
2. Lead or contribute effectively to a Student Protection Team
3. Develop, implement, and evaluate clear student protection policies and response protocols
4. Advocate ethically and confidently for students’ safety, rights, and well-being
5. Collaborate with school leadership, staff, families, and community partners
6. Create an action plan to be able to design and support a comprehensive, student-centered student protection program at their schools

Chrystal Kelly

Chrystal Kelly is an international school counselor with over 20+ years counseling, teaching, mentoring and coaching that has been shaped by a strong passion for student protection, crisis planning and suicide awareness and prevention. Chrystal became devoted to strengthening school systems’ ability to protect students and families through proactive crisis response, compassionate intervention, and comprehensive mental-health support when working as a High School Counselor in Colorado, USA. She helped lead her school to become a Recognized American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Model Program and joined the international realm in 2014 where she continued to help create a comprehensive counseling and student protection program at her school in Muscat, Oman. Chrystal is committed to empowering all stakeholders to lead with confidence in creating programs that support student safety and wellbeing. Chrystal has been an ISCA Task Force member since 2016 and presented at numerous ISCA annual conferences, led two preconferences, taught an ISCA Academy Course, and been a proud member of the committees that worked on the ISCA Learning Progression and Suicide Toolkit.

ISCA Member Price: $300

Non-Member Price: $380

Dates and times of offerings: May 18 & 25, 2026 - 12:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Contact Hours: 6 hours

Time commitment between sessions: 1 hour

Required Resource(s):

• AISA Handbook
• AISA Safe Schools Self-Audit Tool
• International Task Force on Child Protection - Expectations for School Communities
• International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (Education Portal)