Blog 11 Ethics

From an Ethics Challenge for School Counselors ( Froeschle & Crews, 2010): #5. I believed the counselor was acting ethically in the scenario in which  the teachers wanted to learn stress management techniques. This is a relevant topic for me. Being a yoga instructor, I am often asked by friends to share relaxation or stress reduction techniques. I had assumed I could share those or even teach a class before/after school to other faculty. It did not occur to me that this would cause a dual relationship or jeopardize the professional relationships (ASCA, A.4.d.) (2010). Does this also mean I must turn away teachers who may come to a class I teach in a studio outside of the school day? I understand I cannot solicit their attendance to those classes as per ASCA (2010) D.2.d, F.1.g. and ACA D.3.a.  However I do appreciate the suggestion to suggest we teach stress management to the class with the teachers’ attendance.

Froeschle and Crews (2010) offer a second vignette that challenged me. #4, I am concerned that I will have in my care that needs outside help, and parents who will not or cannot give the needed support. My initial reaction was to feel obligated to continue to check in with the student in school. According to Froeschle and Crews, the ACA ethical decision would be to discontinue the relationship. They go on to explain that parental refusal to seek further support with a more qualified professional is justification to report abuse according to the Child Welfare Gateway of 2007. I feel strongly for the clients/students I work with. I know this type of situation will challenge me. I will need to develop clear boundaries within myself for the degree of personal responsibility I feel toward the students in my school and practice self care regularly (ASCA E.1.a&b.) and use consultation connections.  ASCA E.1.a. applies to this vignette in relation to working within professional abilities as well. A.7. addresses the need to consult with other professional counselors, report the student’s self injurious behaviors to the minor’s family and understand the liability issues involved. ACA code of ethics (2005) A.11.b discusses limiting services to the professional competencies of the counselor, referring to other services if need be and termination of counseling arrangement if this referral is refused. C.2.a. readdresses this position to highlight the importance of working within one’s education, training, experiences and credentials.

In Ethical Scenarios as Examples (Thompson, 2012) #11. The middle school counselor allowed a student with a history of suicide attempts to leave the school after appearing distraught and confiding that she did not want to go home. The counselor’s judgment that the student is seeking attention is risky. One hand, there is no threat being made, there is not sufficient information to hold the student. A risk assessment and continued questioning would be wise. The bus issue provides another challenge. If there are no activity busses that will arrive later, how does one handle a late arrival to the office? ASCA’s A7 standards address the A.7.b. warns us not to underestimate the risk of harm. I feel that Duty to warn would necessitate action. The student should be under care of a professional due to the history of suicide attempts. However, if not, my course of action would be to request student agreement to include parents or another professional for consult. Assess the risk and gather facts. Offer the counselor’s phone for crisis counseling if needed. Document all steps and inform the school legal counsel. If breach of confidentiality is warranted, parents will be informed with or without consent. Referrals for qualified professional services will be made. The parent is then responsible for acquiring further counseling.

American School Counselor Association. Ethical Standards for School Counselors (2010). 

Froeschle, J. G., & Crews, C. (2010). An ethics challenge for school counselors. Journal of School Counseling, 8, 2-25.

Thompson, R.A. (2012).  Professional School counseling; Best practices for working in the schools.  New York: Routledge.