Q: Is what is essentially a group of student guidance counselors legal?
I am on the student advisory board at my high school. We want to implement a peer mentoring program that would offer someone to talk to, conflict resolution, and help with schoolwork. To me, the first two sound like a guidance counselors job. Would it be legal for a student to do this on behalf of the schools district, and not just as a friend to the mentor-e? The mentors would be required to go through a training, though the specifics of those trainings have not been determined.
A: None of what you described must be done by a professional if a fee isn't being charged. For instance a good friend or relative often does many or all of these. However the school, before allowing it, will likely have some supervision, standards, and limits/boundaries. But peer-to-peer mediation is popular and spreading.
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