Rhode Island Links
Rhode Island School Counselors
Rhode Island’s school counselors are innovative, progressive, and committed to ensuring outstanding services and resources for all PreK-12 students.
Rhode Island school counselors help students by removing social/emotional barriers that may inhibit their educational success. They work to ensure that all students have what they need to succeed in school and then lead fulfilling and productive lives after graduation.
School counselors and the programs they oversee are vital to the success of Rhode Island’s educational system. These professionals work alongside families, administrators, and the community at large to support students in all areas of their lives.
- Top Picks
Featured Universities with School Counseling Programs
#1
Walden University
MS in School Counseling - General Program. Click here to contact Walden University and request information about their programs.
#2
Grand Canyon University
M. Ed in School Counseling (leads to initial Licensure) Click here to contact Grand Canyon University and request information about their programs.
#3
New York University (NYU)
NYU Steinhardt's accredited master of arts program in Counseling and Guidance: School and Bilingual School Counseling. Through this online program, you will gain the skills you need to become a professional Pre-K-12 school counselor, working with children and families in your community to foster academic achievement and success. Click here to contact New York University and request information about their programs.
#4
University of Denver
Earn a Master's degree in School Counseling online from the University of Denver. Learn from doctoral-level faculty in live classes and gain experience through mock counseling and in-field training. No GRE required. Click here to contact University of Denver and request information about their programs.
#5
Campbellsville University
Online Master of Arts in Education in School Counseling Click here to contact Campbellsville University and request information about their programs.
Positive Screen Time – How Mental Health Therapy in Rhode Island Schools Is Being Delivered Virtually
Access to mental health therapy for Rhode Island’s students remains a major focus for school counselors and psychologists across the state. While in-person therapy can be awkward for students and is not often readily available, many school districts have turned to teletherapy to provide students with on-demand therapy that’s both convenient and effective.
Therapy is now coming to the student, instead of the student coming to therapy. It’s been a gamechanger in schools across the state.
A big player in telehealth therapy is Cartwheel, a mental health teletherapy company that was founded in 2022 and now operates in schools in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, and Ohio. The company’s virtual therapy model has made its way into more than 50 schools alone in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
Cartwheel serves children between the ages of 13 and 18. According to Juliana Chen, the CMO at Cartwheel, the teletherapy services offered by the company act as a “virtual outpatient clinic.”
School counselors refer students to Cartwheel, who then works with students to secure an appointment with a mental health provider within a week’s time. This quick turnaround time to talk to a counselor is far superior to typical mental health providers, which often have months’ long waiting periods.
Telehealth counseling has also eliminated the need for reliable transportation, one of the major reasons for a lack of access to mental health services as cited by a 2023 report from KIDS COUNT.
What do Rhode Island school counselors do?
School counselors address a broad array of topics for students, and Rhode Island has adopted both national and state-specific standards that help counselors develop the most effective programs.
Here are few key things Rhode Island school counselors do:
They develop rubrics for assessing student competencies with applied learning skills.
Giving students the proper skills to succeed in school is at the top of the list for Rhode Island school counselors. They are trained to teach communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills to students so that they will be able to complete their studies successfully and graduate on time. With up-to-date testing and data-driven results, school counselors are able to address possible learning challenges and help students apply helpful learning skills to succeed.
They provide developmentally appropriate instruction and services in academic, career, and personal/social areas.
Academics aren’t the only focus for the Rhode Island school counselor. While it’s their hope that every student will excel in school and move towards a solid college/career path, they also strive to ensure every child has the best chance at succeeding socially and emotionally. This may include providing personalized tools to address social obstacles or in-class sessions to teach all students awareness of possible social challenges.
They meet immediate and crisis needs of students and schools.
With an immediate focus on school safety and the well-being of every student, Rhode Island school counselors are trained to recognize possible threats and emergency situations. They take seriously their role in crisis prevention and work hard to prepare students and school staff for possible events. Regular classroom sessions and drills may be a part of school instruction and activities to make students are aware of possible threats and teach them to act accordingly.
Why should someone consider becoming a school counselor in Rhode Island?
Job Market Trends
Rhode Island School Counselor Salary (median) 1
$71,590/year
Number of School Counselors Employed 1
1,400
Projected employment growth in Rhode Island 2
5.8% from 2022-2032
Twenty-first century school counseling programs in Rhode Island ensure equitable access to educational and career exploration for all students. For people passionate about leading the next generation into a bright and successful future, school counseling would provide ample opportunity for this focus.
Here are a few reasons why someone should consider becoming a school counselor in Rhode Island:
- School counseling professionals foster advocacy for all students.
- They are leaders in collaboration for developing and aligning school improvement strategies.
- The need for school counselors is strong, and the demand continues to increase for these professionals.
Rhode Island school counselors are some of the first to offer hope to all students within their school systems. These professionals are committed to serving as student advocates who promote achievement in all aspects of a student’s life.
Contact schools offering school counseling or mental health counseling programs and learn how you can begin a career as a Rhode Island school counselor.
Whether you are from Providence, Warwick, Cranston, Pawtucket, or anywhere else across the state, you will find school counseling to be a highly rewarding and respected career.
1.) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics job market and salary figures for Educational, Guidance and Career Counselors and Advisors represents state data not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed May 2025.
2.) School Counselor projections data retrieved from Projections Central, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Data accessed May 2025.