INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana needs more school counselors, and many states are in the same boat.
According to the American School Counselor Association, Indiana has the worst rank when it comes to student-to-counselor ratio.
To help give what lawmakers call another tool in schools toolbox, they want to allow chaplains to serve in schools as counselors.
Senate Bill 50 would allow chaplains to serve as school counselors. It will also provide a school Chaplain the option to be hired as an employee if the school chooses.
Gary Lesesne, a Reverend and Dean at Christ Church Cathedral, would qualify to be a school counselor, but the bill isn’t something he supports.
"Seminaries do not require courses in childhood development, psychosocial skills for youth academics and career management things that trained guidance counselors do on an everyday basis,” Lesesne said. “My job, my training is in spiritual conversations."
For chaplains to qualify, they must have a master’s degree and two years of counseling experience. They would be held to the same standards as other school employees.
Those who qualify, like Lesesne, feel putting chaplains in positions they aren't qualified for could create issues.
“It would be problematic to place me in a situation with a young child that was having psychosocial or developmental issues. I would not be able to diagnosis or assist that child in the way a professional guidance counselor could,” Lesesne said.
Some republicans even spoke against the bill saying they are concerned chaplains in school could infringe on people's first amendment rights.
"For us to employ chaplains in these public institutions and pay them out of the public treasury is a direct violation of the constitution and I will oppose this bill," Sen. Sue Glick (R-LaGrange) said.
Lesesne feels the legislature should focus finding ways to attract and retain qualified counselors.
The ACLU is one of the groups who opposes the idea of having chaplains serve as school counselors. They sent the following statement.
The bill passed out of the Senate 34-15. It now heads to the House for consideration. If it passes out of the house, it heads to the Governor’s desk.
