Counseling & Wellness

Student Services

Philosophy

Aligned with the mission of Oakland Catholic High School, the School Counseling Office is committed to supporting students in the academic, personal/social, career, and college domains so that she can reach her potential and develop into a competent, ethical, and globally conscious leader.

Comprehensive in scope, the school counseling program focuses on what all students, 9th through 12th grade, should know, understand, and be able to do in the three domains of student development: academic, personal/social, and career. With a focus on academic success, the program is designed to impart skills that lead a student to good decision-making, appropriate conflict resolution, and a structured timeline of instruction and consultation that complements a student’s growth and development.

Through class instruction, small group meetings, individual consultations, parent programs, and engagement with faculty, staff, and the outside community, the School Counselors at Oakland Catholic High School strive to provide a supportive and structured program that permits each student to develop a foundation of self-awareness, confidence, and critical decision- making ability that will pave her way to success in all domains.

It is important that students take advantage of the consultation services available. These services, available to both students and parents, are listed below. Students may make appointments to see their counselor through the Counseling Coordinator and/or with a counselor personally. Appointments should be scheduled, if possible, during a study hall or lunch period.

Check out our Student Opportunities Page!

Academic Services

Social/Emotional Services

Over the course of their four years at Oakland Catholic, we strive to help our students navigate this exciting yet oft-times challenging period of growth, change and self-discovery. Through class and school-wide events, one-on-one meetings, and integrated support we are here for our students from freshman to senior year.

Personal services are provided to the student by certified counselors and may consist of:

Student assistance
Drug and alcohol prevention
Referrals to outside agencies
Liaison between outside agencies and the family

Student Assistance Program (SAP)

SAP Philosophy

The Secondary Education System within the Diocese of Pittsburgh incorporates a group of faculty in each high school who have received training in recognizing behaviors that inhibit the educational process. The primary function of the program is to identify the student whose behavior causes reason for concern and to begin a positive plan of intervention.

Concerns that may impact behavior include, but are not limited to: social impairment, suicidal thoughts, disruptive behavior, eating disorders, anxiety, drug and alcohol, depression, family problems, chronic tardiness, and chronic absenteeism.

The purpose of the program is to assist the student in dealing with a wide variety of behaviors which impair spiritual, emotional, physical, intellectual and social growth and development. This assistance may utilize available resources within the larger community as well as within the school.

Through the Student Assistance Program, each high school within the diocese, in cooperation with the family, will strive to assure that our young people are educated to assume responsibility for becoming holistic individuals living in society. The Student Assistance Team is composed of teachers, counselors, and administrators. The team follows the procedures of the Oakland Catholic High School Student Assistance Program, approved by the Diocese of Pittsburgh and the guidelines mandated by the state.

Services of the Student Assistance Program:

Be a resource for parents who are experiencing difficulty with their daughter and do not know where to turn.
Facilitate communication among concerned parties.
Intervene in a crisis.
Listen to and help students resolve problems.
Obtain teacher’s observations of student behavior and academic progress.
Refer students to in-school services, or to community resources for individual or family counseling when appropriate.

To Seek Help:

Students, parents, or teachers can personally contact a school counselor to discuss concerns.

Tutoring

The National Honor Society at Oakland Catholic offers free peer tutoring. Tutors are available for almost every subject (except AP and CE courses) and can meet with their tutees during their study halls, lunches or before/after school. If you would like to sign up to be tutored by an NHS Scholar, please sign up here.