School counselors are eligible for the UFT's Student Debt Relief Program, an exclusive benefit for UFT members.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew praised school counselors for "keeping people calm" daily as well as in a crisis during the 16th annual School Counselors Conference at UFT headquarters in Manhattan on March 7.

The city Department of Education released this detailed guidance about non-mandated counseling during this period of remote learning.

It has been a tremendously stressful time for our students, our families and us. The Department of Education agreed with the UFT that a change of pace and focus was in order during the seven days that would have been the spring break in a normal year.

Many of you have reached out to me with questions while we are working remotely during these unprecedented times. Those of you who are mandated service providers have inquired about parent/guardian contact, specifically regarding obtaining parent consent. I've also received questions about counseling supports, group counseling, confidentiality and recording encounter attendance for remote sessions in SESIS.

Thank you again for your patience and for all the hard work you're doing during this challenging period of remote learning. I know there are still some unanswered questions about our rights and responsibilities. Here are some updates from the union's conversations with the city Department of Education.