Our School Counselor, Mrs. Brinkler, is here at PES Monday through Wednesday and offers classroom guidance, small group experiences, and individual counseling to all students.  If you would like to contact her, she can be reached through the main office at 389-1514.  Mrs. Brinkler provides a wide variety of services:
 
Small Groups
Friendship groups and Social Skill groups will be offered for students to participate in, if they wish, at different times of the year.  These groups are typically comprised of 4-6 students and meet once a week in my office for 6-8 weeks.  Small student groups are a wonderful way for your child to work on friendship skills, gain more self- confidence, and develop positive connections in a safe and fun setting.  Please contact Mrs. Brinkler if you would like your student to participate in a group experience.  Permission slips will always be sent home to parents if their child is invited to participate in a group. 

Classroom Guidance
Time will be spent in each of the classrooms delivering a series of guidance lessons to all students at Phippsburg.  Classroom activities and discussions are developmentally appropriate for each grade level, and are generally preventative in nature.  These lessons will focus on a whole variety of topics, including; friendships, communication, bullying, conflict resolution, decision making, problem solving, and teambuilding as well as personal safety skills.  Often throughout the year, teachers, parents, and students will ask that other specific topics also be addressed.

Individual Counseling
Students may also meet with the Mrs. Brinkler on an individual basis. This may be due to a number of different issues a student might present, such as friendship problems, difficulty in the classroom, on the playground, or on the bus, conflict resolution, new student orientation, difficulty coming to school, and anger management to name a few.  Referrals for students to meet individually may be made by classroom teachers and other school staff, by parents, or through student self-referrals. 

Consultation and Referrals
Parents and Teachers may also consult with Mrs. Brinkler in order to discuss specific student concerns.  She may be able to provide resources and/or referrals to outside agencies or programs, in order to give the student and family the support they need.  Although she is able to provide individual counseling, this is best utilized on  a short-term basis, and more in-depth, long-term therapy should be referred to a private therapist or outside agency.  Mrs. Brinkler can assist with this process by providing information on local private mental health clinicians or making a referral to Sweetser.  Please contact her anytime to find out more information on these resources for your child or family.  

Other Programs
Mrs. Brinkler is also the contact person for many other valuable programs and agencies that work with our students.  These include; the Sweetser School-Based Program, Big Brothers/Big Sisters program of Bath/Brunswick, the Union 47 Help-A-Kid After-School Scholarship Fund, several Summer Camp Scholarship funds, the Jeremiah Cromwell Disabilities Center, and a mandated reporter to DHHS Child Protective Services.  Please contact her for more information about any of these agencies or programs.