GFC ACADEMY COUNSELING GUIDE

Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Counselor’s Duties
     A. Crew Member Counseling
     B. Crew Member Evaluation
     C. Crew Member Orientation
     D. First Contact Procedures
     E. Away Missions
     F. Morale Officer
     G. Middle Person Hole
     H. Advisory Position
3. Ethics
4. Conclusion
5. Sim Protocol Revisited

1. Introduction
Many people believe that the role of a counselor is a dull one and nothing can be done until somebody comes to them for counseling. This is an misinformed opinion. This course is for Counselors and would-be counselors alike. The bulk of this course is positions that can be taken by a counselor and the roles that they can play on the ship and it's missions. The aim is that by reading this guide, and taking the exam, you will be able to contribute to the plot that your ship is involved in and add inspiration to the crew and be inspired by them.

2. Counselor’s Duties
The counselor has a number of duties on a starship or a station. These are the duties a counselor must perform:

A. Counseling Crew Members
In the unlikely event that there is nothing you can do in the present situation, a Counselor can always counsel a non-player character (NPC). Counsel them about minor issues unless your CO gives you permission to make a lunatic running around on the sim.

If you are to counsel a character that is played by a person (PC) you should always check with them first or wait until they come to you. It is intolerable to just take control of another person's character and give them psychological problems. In this situation you should discuss the details with the other person first, what they want the problem to be, what has caused the problems etc. You can use this duty at anytime and can be anything from marital problems and family counseling to childhood and deep emotional trauma, and everything in between. Here is where IMing and Emailing can really come in handy. If the problem they are being counseled for is going to interfere with their duties or affect others on the SIM it should be cleared with the CO & XO first.

B. Crew Member Evaluation
The Executive Officer and the Counselor normally do this, of course you have no real say in who gets promoted, that is the Commanding Officer's duty. This is an In Character (IC) plot line you could use. To do this effectively you should coordinate the story with the XO. You should *not* mention any promotions unless the CO has already announced them. It is also possible to ask the CO if anyone is due promotion soon and you could use this as a basis for discussing promotability of that character.

In the Counselor's evaluation you should describe the crewmember's behavior during the Sim (i.e: attitude toward senior officers, interaction with fellow crewmates, etc.) Talk about their strengths and how you think they will better serve the ship at their higher rank.

C. Crew Member Orientation
When a new crew member joins your ship, it is the counselor’s job to show them around, make them feel welcomed, and make sure they have been given everything they need. This is more then just a tour. Orientation should last for a few weeks at least, integrating them into the ship's community. In SIM time this would be one or two Sims, more if time allows.

You should be available to answer any questions that the new personnel have in regards to shipboard policies, each CO is different and will have different opinions on how a ship should be run, and transferring crew will need as much attention as cadets will. This should be done when new crew arrives. During busy SIM periods it should be done as soon as time permits without interfering with the main plot. During slow SIM periods it can be used to fill the time.

D. First Contact Procedures

The main concern for you as a counselor will be advising the CO after you have observed the behavioral patterns of the species that you encountered. The CO, XO, Security, Counselor and Chief Medical Officer should all be present when greeting a new species. First contact protocols should be followed, a formal greeting should be given, the officers should be in dress uniform and the visitors given treatment of a dignitary.

If a new species attacks on sight or the first contact procedures cannot be done for some reason the counselor should help interpret the actions of the species to help the CO make the best possible decisions. Of course, only the CO can determine that the sim is meeting a new species. It is the Counselor's duty to make a report about the First Contact together with the XO and the CMO. In the report the Counselor should at least describe: The behavior patterns of the species, the appearance of the species and all special abilities the species might have (Telepathic etc.) This report can be a duty log. If you are unsure about appearance and/or special abilities, ask the CO for more detail so you can write a decent log.

E. Away Missions

In non-hostile away missions a counselor is often invited to join the team. There could be any number of reasons for this: cultural exchange; interaction with other or new cultures (Again you should write a log about this); advising the officer in command of the team of your opinions and the cultural peculiarities; etc. The CO and XO are extremely busy people and they have a lot to learn before they can effectively command a ship. A lot of that is technical, it is the counselor's' job to have studied the cultures that are in Starfleet, the Federation, and any other races they might encounter and interact with. (If you are unsure about a species request more information from your CO.) The officer in charge of the Away Team will of course, choose the members for the team.

F. Morale Officer

This is pretty self-explanatory. A morale officer is responsible for keeping the spirits of the crew up during times of stress. Things you could do to lift their spirits could range from personal attention to a specific crewman to arranging a party. Keeping an eye on crew morale is a good reason to be in places such as sickbay or anywhere else on the ship, the counselor can be where the action is when it happens. This is a good way of making sure you have something to write about, just remember you are not restricted to your quarters or the office. The Counselor is a calming influence on the crew.

G. Middle Person Role

The ship Counselor can be used as a mediator between crew members that have some kind of problem between them that needs sorting out in character. They can also act as a go between when a crew member wants to discuss a problem with the XO or CO, in so much as they can arrange appointments etc. Of course, this is all in character.

This would more likely be of a personal nature, i.e.. personality problems with the department head or complaints about the department head. All other problems should be taken to the head of the department. An appointment with the XO or CO is unnecessary unless you have already done that and no action has been taken or you have been treated poorly. This is a duty that can be preformed at any time, but as with crew member counseling it should be thoroughly discuss with the role-played characters involved.

RL-Middle Person role: i.e., when a simmer feels that he/she has been treated poorly concerning his/her rank or some sort of OOC matter it's the CO's duty to listen to him and try to solve something (By explaining him the protocols for example). If someone comes to you with RL problems in a sim you should direct them to the CO without discussing the issue with them. A Sim is just like a society you all need each other and gossip hurts everyone.

H. Advisory Position

There are many roles that a Counselor can fulfill on a ship, and one of them is the advisory role. We’ve touched on how a counselor can be advisor to the CO on a new species or to the leader of an away team but a counselor can also be advisor to a crew member in their own pursuits. It is always important that the counselor remain level headed, calm and observant.

3. Ethics
Ethics is the proper and moral use of our station and duties as ship's counselor. We are here for the benefit and use of the crew. That means what is said in the confidence of counseling shall remain private unless such information endangers the ship. Just as with any physician, doctor patient confidentiality is important.

Many of the counselor's in Starfleet are Betazed or some other form of telepathic race. This is a wonderful thing since counselors work with the inner workings of the crew's mind. It helps, it should be remembered that at no time should these abilities be abused. That means not reading minds without asking permission. This needs to be adhered to without question. Review the telepathic guidelines on your GFC application if your character is a telepath.

4. Sim Protocol Revisited

The following are the most important Sim Guidelines and are here as a refresher.

1. Once the CO or XO says, "Attention on Deck !" everyone goes to ::AA:: and stays QUIET and listens to announcements or Mission Briefing.
2. Only Commanding Officers use the ACTION: -text-, no other officer is allowed to do this unless given permission by the CO.
3. OOC during the Sim must be marked by using (( )) , ( ) , << >> , or < > .
4. Some GFC Sims use locations symbols, when not being on the bridge, so that everyone knows where a crewman is. Make sure you are familiar with the symbols if they are used in your sim.
5. Crew members are not allowed to harass crew mates :)
6. A superior officer (in uniform) must always be addressed with "Sir" or Ma'am" or by their rank.
7. Respect is the Golden word during Sims. Treat people they way you want to be treated.
8. Have fun!