HISD votes down allowing chaplains to serve as uncertified counselors after Texas passes law

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston ISD-appointed board managers voted to prevent uncertified chaplains from serving as school counselors.

The vote on Thursday was in response to a law passed back in May allowing such hires to make up for the shortage of mental health professionals available to students.

In their resolution, however, board managers said any chaplain with the right qualifications is still eligible for hire.

"Chaplains are great, community-based, (and) they can do some outreach services after-hours with counseling services as their supervisor, but not as a replacement," Christi Brewster, who worked as a North Forest High School nurse for two decades, said.

She trained to deal with sickness of the body, but she said the mind is a whole different story.

"Because you can really make a misstep and say the wrong thing to a child in a crisis. I always have resources. If we didn't have one available (counselor), I always had a wonderful administrative staff," Brewster said.

To be qualified for a school counselor position at HISD, you have to have the following:

• A master's degree from an accredited college or university in Counseling and Guidance
• A Texas Education Agency Counselor Certification
• Two years of teaching experience
• A working knowledge of computers.

"I get to be with kids and help them on their spiritual journeys, but my job is not to be their therapist, and my job is not to be their counselor," Rabbi Josh Fixler with Emanu El of Houston said.

Rabbi Fixler added that adopting the law is also problematic for another reason.

"These are religious people being asked to come into public schools, and for me, what is deeply concerning is that is a separation of church and state issue," Fixler said.

School boards across Texas have until March 1 to vote on whether to authorize their campuses to hire chaplains to provide mental health support.

"You're dealing with other people's children in tragedy and crisis. You have to know what you are doing. You have to know the resources, and again, you have to follow policy and protocol - whatever may be in place for your particular area, state, or city," Brewster said.

SEE ALSO: Katy ISD plan to hire clergy people as school counselors is a breach of parental rights, parent says

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