Post 11

Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) presented the most important information so far in this class in Chapter 3. “Jason’s Casual Comment” was an interesting case to read. I did think that he jumped the gun a little bit. I feel that if he wasn’t so worried about meeting his schedule, he could have taken the time to hear Kim out. He definitely should have gotten the whole story before even considering a discussion with the parents. This bring me to my next point, on page 42, Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) reference two different pairs of counselors who do not agree with the process of confidentiality in a school setting. I liked how our author’s gave the advice of having a process that we think through when a professional dilemma does arise. I recently took the Multicultural class this summer, and our author’s discuss the importance of diversity and values of counselors and clients. I definitely learned that I will need to be culturally sensitive. Like Dollarhide and Saginak (2012) mention, many counselors do not view multiculturalism as an important part of their work. However, as years pass, the more and more diverse our population becomes. If a counselor cannot meet the needs of culturally diverse clients, then he or she is not doing their job. Considering I work with African Americans, Hispanics, and Whites, I must be able to teach and counsel in a way that makes them feel most comfortable. Not to mention that many of my students primarily come from impoverished homes as well. Each group has a different set of values. Some may align with mine, while others are quite different. The first ethical dilemma that I would like to write about is found in Thompson’s (2012) article. The professional school counselor had the student translate for the counselor and the parents. I disagreed with the actions of the school counselor. Immigrant parents may feel belittled when their son/daughter has to take control. These families have a strong hierarchy. Parents also may feel a loss of empowerment, which can make the session go south. The counselor should have been prepared with a translator. The ASCA Ethical standard is B.1.c and E.2. I found this to be challenging personally because I happen to deal with a similar situation often. I questioned if it would have been ethical to ask the parent if it were ok for the child to translate when needed. If the counselor received confirmation from the parent that his/her child could translate, would it be ok? The second ethical dilemma is found in Romley’s (2012) article. The professional counselor refused to answer the attorney’s questions regarding a student in a confidential counseling session. The counselor went even as far as asking the judge to explain the importance of keeping counseling sessions confidential. The ASCA Ethical standard is A.2.d. I disagreed with these actions only because I was not quite sure if the counselor has a right to not share this information. I guess I feel if you take an oath in a court room you have to share what you know. At the same time, if the client did not share information that puts them or anyone else in harm, the counselor may withhold this information. The last ethical dilemma is found once again in the Thompson (2012) article. The school counselor adopts a student. The student becomes successful, but does the school counselor have a right to adopt this child? I think that the ASCA Ethical standard relates to F.1.f. I was unsure if the counselor’s actions were ethical. Yes, it is a kind gesture and quite selfless of the counselor. At the same time, was it legal for the counselor to adopt a child who he has worked with and knows about. Dollarhide, C.T., & Saginak, K.A. (2012). Comprehensive school counseling programs (2nd Ed.). New York: Pearson, Inc. Froeschle & Crews, (2010). An ethics challenge for school counselors, p. 1-25. Romley (2012). An ethics quiz for school counselors. Thompson, R.A. (2012). Profressional School Counseling: Best practices for working in the schools. New York: Routledge.