Hi there! My name is Farrah Porter. I have been in the social work/mental health field for over 10 years and in education for overs years in various capacities.  I have a Master's of Science in Clinical  Mental Health Counseling. I am married to my favorite US Army Veteran (he's in education now, too) and have two wonderful sons. Stephen, our oldest is in the US Air Force and Lukas will be attending BHS this year. I truly love working with students and have a strong passion for improving mental health. I am thrilled to be your Counselor at COE!  I'm looking forward to getting to know every one of you! 

Farrah Porter

fporter@bisdtx.org

Bastrop ISD Counselors strive to meet the needs of the whole child through advocacy, academic and social-emotional support, and providing post-secondary exploration and guidance. 

School counselors offer services designed to increase student wellness, improve academic performance, and increase participation in postsecondary education. School counselors support students in their academic, career, and social-emotional development. They help students achieve success in school, pursue post-secondary opportunities, and lead healthy, fulfilling lives. As described in Texas Education Code (TEC) §33.005 and §33.006, a school counselor works with school faculty and staff, students, parents, and the community to plan, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive school counseling program (CSCP). The school’s CSCP includes the following five components:

Guidance Curriculum

Through a guidance curriculum, a school counselor guides students in developing their full educational potential and serves as a critical Tier I support for all students. This curriculum helps students develop competencies that align with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills appropriate for their developmental level. The guidance curriculum is delivered systematically by school counselors in collaboration with other professional educators. 

Individual Student Planning 

Through Individual Student Planning, a school counselor guides each student in planning, monitoring, and managing their educational, career, personal, and social development.  To achieve this, school counselors work with other educational professionals to implement systemic activities that guide students in creating future goals and plans.  

Responsive Services

Through the responsive services component, school counselors intervene on behalf of any student whose immediate personal concerns or problems put the student's continued educational, career, personal, or social development at risk. This can include preventive, remedial, or crisis situations. Responsive services are implemented through individual or small-group counseling, as well as through crisis response.

System Support

System support is the foundation of the comprehensive school counseling program (CSCP). School counselors plan, organize, implement, manage, and evaluate their school counseling program to increase efficiency and efficacy.  In addition, school counselors coordinate with providers in the broad network of interrelated services offered in the school, district, and community to ensure individual student needs are met. -TEA, School Counseling Webpage

Advising

Effective advising supports students’ decision-making and planning for college and career after high school.  The goal of an effective advising program is that all students will be empowered to make informed decisions regarding their postsecondary plan and will graduate prepared to enter college and career, including careers in the military. 

Effective advising should begin in elementary grades and continue through middle school, high school and beyond to support students throughout their development.  An effective advisor prioritizes student relationships and is available to help students and families navigate multiple sources of information and experiences to support informed postsecondary decision making. -TEA, School Counseling, Advising, and Student Support  Webpage