Blog 13

I found it interesting to read the questions following the vignette at the beginning of chapter 13 in Dollarhide and Saginak’s (2012, p. 230-1) text because I was definitely picturing a stereotypic suburban mother: tall, blonde, with Christian Louboutin kitten heels on, storming around Gila Vista Elementary School like she owns the place. I wish there had been an opportunity for an honest discussion in the class about what everyone else pictured, because the thought that others might have imagined something else while reading the chapter did not even cross my mind. Furthermore, I felt that the scenario played out near-perfectly, besides the violent reaction from the mother. I was pleasantly surprised that the teacher did not gossip with Erin about the mother’s behavior. I was impressed that Erin had the composure to intervene, follow up with the teacher, and create a plan to meet with the student. Of all the vignettes we have read, this one evoked the happiest reaction from me and allowed me to feel that as a counselor, I might have the same tranquility when dealing with unexpected situations.

                Erin’s reaction plays into the article by Amatea and Clark (2005) when the researchers discuss how counselors need to become much more focused on student advocacy instead of simply counseling students on a planned basis. If Erin had stayed in her office and waited for the student in the vignette to come to her with a problem, she may have never seen him. Instead, Erin chose to cultivate a relationship with the teacher and step in to advise that everything was running smoothly. She then went a step further and was proactive about making a plan for the student instead of focusing on her frustration or anger toward the mother.

                I suppose, if I am viewing the vignette in light of the article, Erin could have taken notes out of Amatea and Clark’s (2005) “Collaborative Case Consultant” (p. 22) and focused on both of the important stakeholders in the student’s life: the teacher and the parent. This could potentially create a safe space for the family to work out the school-related issues/questions and allow the mother to believe that school faculty cares about her personal frustrations.

Amatea, E. S., & Clark, M. (2005). Changing schools, changing counselors: A qualitative study of school administrators' conceptions of the school counselor role. Professional School Counseling, 9(1), 16-27.

Dollarhide, C.T., & Saginak, K.A. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs (2nd Ed.). New York: Pearson, Inc.

 

As a caveat to the ethics blog, I see that there is a specific ethical standard to abide by collaboration guidelines. This applies to the second ethical dilemma I wrote about. While I would listen to my gut instinct in an ethical decision, I would be able to be certain in my decision to collaborate because it is outline in the ASCA National Model.