Student Life
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Counseling
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School counselors are here to support your family with any social, emotional, or academic need that arises. We provide individual and small group counseling, community referrals, crisis intervention, and many other services at PRMS. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns throughout the school year. We hope your family has a wonderful school year!
PRMS Counselors have created a Counselor Canvas Page to support students academically, socially, and emotionally during our remote instructional delivery and have enrolled all students. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Palin, Mr. Rainey, or Mrs. Breslin.
Meet Our Counselors
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Steven Palin (7th Grade Counselor)
About Mr. Palin
I am Steven Palin and this is my first year at Porter Ridge Middle School. I am excited to be working with the 6th grade class this year. For the past ten years I worked in the Counseling and Support Services Department at York Technical College. Before that, I worked in in a community mental health center in South Carolina.
I have lived in Union County since 1998 and have had two kids graduate from UCPS and one more coming through elementary school. I call Union County home even though I am originally from California. I received my Bachelor’s Degree from Columbia International University. After graduation, I worked with Middle and High Schoolers and their families for eleven years before pursuing counseling. I graduated from UNCC with a Master’s Degree in Community Counseling in 2009 and have been practicing ever since.
I am excited about working with middle schoolers again. There is so much change that happens in these years, and it can be incredibly tough to navigate all of it. When you get hit sideways in one area of life, it is easy for it to spill over into other areas too. I am here to come alongside and help you make some sense of it all and build on your strengths to be successful not just in school but in all areas of your life.
I look forward to an incredible year of learning along with you here at Porter Ridge Middle School.
Contact Mr. Palin
- Phone: 704-225-7555
- Email: steven.palin@ucps.k12.nc.us
- Schedule a time with Mr. Palin
Confidentiality Statement
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School counselors recognize their primary obligation for confidentiality is to the student but balance that obligation with an understanding of the family or guardians’ legal and inherent rights to be the guiding voice in their children’s lives (ASCA Code of Ethics).
The role of the school counselor in regards to confidentiality is:
- To support the students right to privacy and protect confidential information received from students, the family, guardian and staff members
- To explain the meaning and limits of confidentiality to students in developmentally appropriate terms
- To provide appropriate disclosure and informed consent regarding the counseling relationship and confidentiality
- To inform students and the family of the limits to confidentiality when: Student poses a danger to self or others, Court ordered disclosure, Consultation with other professionals in support of the student i.e. colleagues, supervisors, treatment teams, and other support personnel
- To keep personal notes separate from educational records and not disclose their contents except when privacy exceptions exist
- To seek guidance from supervisors and appropriate legal advice when their records are subpoenaed
- To assert their belief that information shared by students is “confidential” and should not be revealed without the student’s consent
- To adhere to all laws protecting student records, health information, and special services (i.e., HIPAA, FERPA, IDEA)
Report Bullying
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You can report bullying anonymously by calling the number and leaving a message, or completing the Google form linked below. Please leave as much information as possible.
- Call (704) 980-7067
- Report Bullying
