Contact For More Information! Download our Current Catalog!

Legal and Ethical Issues for School Counselors SC 602

 

 

 

Course Description

This course is designed to provide an overview to the student of the professional and ethical issues that affect the practice of school counseling. The course is an introduction to professional, ethical, legal , theoretical, and practical aspects of counseling and is designed to assist the student in becoming well grounded in the legal and ethical requirements for school counselors.  The course covers the entire range of legal and regulatory requirements that are placed on public education and school counselors. National standards and ethical guidelines for practice are examined. Students will examine the roles and responsibilities of counselors, professional organizations and associations. Historical and social context along with emerging professional issues and directions are included. This course will guide students to explore how their values and life experiences affect the therapeutic process.  The student will investigate the importance of maintaining a balance between their professional and private life in order to enjoy a healthy helping style.

   

Objectives-CACREP 2009 standards

 

  1. Identify the codes and guidelines for professional legal and ethical behavior established by the American Counseling Association, the American School Counseling Association, and individual states statutes.( CACREP A.2. A.5. B.1.)
  2. Understand and demonstrate professional roles and functions of school counseling including similarities to and differences from other helping professionals. (CACREP A.3.)

  3. Examine and compare professional organizations including membership benefits, activities, services to members, and current emphasis.( CACREP A.4.)
  4. Explore the history of the helping professions including significant factors and events effecting the school counselor.(CACREP A.1.)
  5. Summarize and apply ethical and legal standards for the school counselor including the evolution, methods of change, applications to diverse and/or special populations and various professional activities. (CACREP A.6. C.5. D.1. E.1. E. 4.F.1.F.3.)
  6. Explore professional preparation standards: their evolution and current applications in various settings, i.e. schools, universities, agencies, and private practice. (CACREP E. 3.)
  7. Examine professional credentialing for school counselors, including certification and licensure practices, standards and continuing education requirements. (CACREP A.3.B.2. E.1.F.3.)
  8. Discover the importance for life-long professional development including the relationship between personal values, emotional stability and ethical actions as a school counselor. (CACREP D. 4. )
  9. Develop an understanding of being an advocate for the profession and advocacy processes addressing institutional and social barriers that may impede success as a school counselor. (CACREP E.2.)
  10. Develop and apply appropriate skills for crisis intervention counseling and ethics in the school counseling profession. (CACREP C.6.)
  11. Develop and implement sound decision-making skills when confronted with professional, ethical, and legal dilemmas.( CACREP F.4.E.4.E.2. F.3.)
  12. Become familiar with research findings on ethical behavior of school counselors including ethical decision making models. (CACREP E. 4.)

     

    Time Requirements

      This course will be offered over a 15-week period and is a 45 hour 3 credit graduate course. Modules will be completed one per week.

      Hardware and Computer Skill Requirements

      Students may use either a Macintosh computer or a PC with Windows 2000 or higher. Students should possess basic word processing skills and have Internet access as well as an active email account. Students also are expected to have a basic knowledge of how to use a Web browser, such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, etc.

      Curriculum Design

      This course will provide an overview to the student of the professional and ethical issues that affect the practice of school counseling. This course will explore the connection between the role of the school counselor and the appropriate demonstration of ethical and legal knowledge in the school setting. Students will be involved in a variety of tasks for completion of course requirements: readings, reports on readings, exams, journal and reflection entries, projects related to real world learning environments, and development of instructional counseling strategies for specific content areas.  Participants model appropriate assessment concepts to educational scenarios in each module. This is an online forty five hour, three credit graduate level course completed over a fifteen-week period.

     

    Course Materials

    Required text:

    Issues and Ethics in the Helping Profession,7th ed. by Gerald Corey, Marianne S. Corey, and Patrick Callanan.

    Online readings and Web site reviews (including journal articles and best practices from the body of educational research) will be assigned during the course to enhance learning. These readings will be presented as annotated Web sites within the course content.

     

    Student Performance Requirements:

    Students will complete assigned readings, written assignments, applications/practice/direct observations in the educational setting and forum postings (as required) in each module. Students will complete tests and special projects as listed in the module content.

     

    Module 1: Introduction to Professional Ethics

    Objectives:

  13. The student will develop a foundation for creating ethical principles and understanding professional code of ethics as a school counselor.
  14. The student will explore various perspectives on making ethical decisions based on ethical principles and professional code of ethics.
  15. The student will be encouraged to think critically and acquire skills to apply general ethical principles in the practice of school counseling.

.

.Module 2:  The Counselor as a Person and a Professional

  1.  

Objectives:

  1. The student will investigate the person life experiences, attitudes and caring as factors in establishing an effective therapeutic relationship.
  2. The student will analyze and create a plan for the need of personal professional consultation and/or therapy.
  3. The student will examine different process to reduce stress and potential of burnout in their practice as a school counselor.

    Module 3: Values and the Helping Relationship

      Objectives:

  1. The student will evaluate their personal values and the effect these values have on their practice as a school counselor.
  2. The student will investigate how their personal values can be viewed as a resource when practicing as a school counselor.
  3. The student will become aware of state laws and codes of ethics concerning an individual’s freedom in the practice of school counseling.

Module 4: Multicultural Perspectives and Diversity Issues

Objectives:

  1. The student will investigate their own culture and how it affects and influences their work with diverse populations.
  2. The student will increase awareness of diverse populations through several different experiences.
  3. Develop accurate, appropriate and meaningful ways to meet the needs of diverse populations.
    4.  

    Module 5: Client Rights and Counselor Responsibilities

    Objectives:

    1. The student will explore methods and procedures for protection of student’s rights in the practice of school counseling.
    2. The student will understand the development of a legally informed consent procedure.
    3. The student will investigate their professional responsibility to their students, school, profession and community.
    4. The student will know and observe the ethics codes and state laws in making sound judgment calls within the practice of school counseling.
    5. The student will understand both professional responsibilities and professional liabilities of legal and ethical standards.

          

Module 6:.Confidentiality: Ethical and Legal Issues

Objectives:

    1. The student will explore their duties and responsibilities to their clients, agency, their profession and the clients’ family.
    2. The student will evaluate ethical dilemmas involving confidentiality and the practice of school counseling.
    3. The student will develop a sense of professional ethics and state laws to assist in applying sound judgment in the practice of school counseling.
    4. The student will increase awareness of expanding perspectives on their duty to protect the public and review appropriate legal cases.
    5. The student will explore the laws applying to the report of child, elder and dependent adult abuse.

     

    Module 7: Managing Boundaries and Multiple Relationships

     

    Objectives:

  1. The student will explore the ethical issues of multiple relationships and possible harm to client.
  2. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the decision process about setting boundaries in professional relationships including dual and multiple relationships.
  3. The student will explore how to balance their own values and life experiences with the codes of ethics and legal matters.
  4. The student will analyze how to manage personal feeling towards those that are in your counseling practice.
  5. The student will complete a self-examination reflecting on the daily activities and needs of a school counselor..

    6.  

    Module 8: Professional Competence, Training, Supervision and Consultation

     

    Objectives:

  6. The student will investigate ethical issues of training and professional licensure and credentialing.
  7. The student will analyze the ethical and professional elements of training and in-service for school counselors.
  8. The student will explore key ethical issues for supervision and consultation.
  9. The student will develop an understanding of what is included in an effective supervision process.
  10. The student will analyze the professional specialization area for consultation.

    11. Module 9: Issues in Theory, Practice and Research

    Objectives:

  11. The student will explore the ethical need of anchoring the practice of school counseling with theory, practice and research.
  12. The student will begin to establish the theoretical approaches useful in the practice of school counseling.
  13. The student will explore how to translate current research into their practice as a school counselor.
  14. The student will analyze how an ongoing exploration of research and theory can lead to a more effective and ethical practice.

    15.  

    Module 10: Ethical Issues in Group Work

      Objectives:

  15. The student will explore the ethical and profession guidelines for using group approaches in the school counselor practice.
  16. The student will understand issues found in the group counseling process such as leadership, selection of participants and preparing group members.
  17. The student will learn what ethical, professional, legal and practical issues concerning confidentiality are involved in conducting group sessions.
  18. The student will formulate a person view on ethical practices in leading groups.

    19.  

     

     

    Module 11: Ethical Issues in Community Work

     

                Objectives:

  19. The student will explore the importance of working in the community as a change agent.

  20. The student will investigate new ways to offer services to a diverse population in the community setting.

  21. The student will evaluate ways to effectively work in an organization and maintain their professional identity.

  22. The student will explore ways to work within an system and still maintain professional creativity and volatility.

    23.  

     

    Student Requirements

  23. Student will complete weekly written assignments.                              25% of grade
  24. Student will complete weekly application to educational setting.       25% of grade.
  25. Student will complete forum postings and responses.                         10% of grade
  26. Student will complete special projects and or exams.                          40% of grade.

    27.  

    Grading:

     

    100-93

    A

    92-85

    B

    84-77

    C

    76-69

     

    69-

     

     

     

    Student Academic Integrity

     

    Participants guarantee that all academic class work is original. Any academic dishonesty or plagiarism (to take ideas, writings, etc. from another and offer them as one's own), is a violation of student academic behavior standards as outlined in the Teacher Education University catalog and is subject to academic disciplinary action.

     

     

    References

    Online Resources

    http://www.schoolcounselor.org/content.asp?contentid=173 ASCA ethics

     

    http://www.schoolcounselor.org/content.asp?contentid=166  Ethical tips for School counselors

     

    http://www.schoolcounselor.org/files/TOC.pdf ASCA National Model

    .www.counseling.org- American Counseling Association

     

    American Counseling Association.

    American Counseling Association (1995). Code of ethics and standards of practice. Alexandria,VA : Author American.

    American Psychology Association. (2005). Concise rules of APA style. APA: Washington, D.C.

    American Psychological Association. (2005). The publication for the American

    Psychological Association. APA: Washington, D.C.

    Gerig, M. S. (2007). Foundations for mental health and community counseling: An introduction to the profession. Pearson Education, Inc.: Upper Saddle River, NJ.

    Bersoff, D.N. (1999). Ethical conflicts in psychology, 2nd ed. Washington, DC: APA.

    Corey, G. Corey, M. & Callanan, P. (1998). Issues and ethics in the helping

    professions, 5th ed. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

    Herlihy, B. & Corey, G. (1996). ACA ethical standards casebook, 5th Ed. Alexandria,

    VA: American Counseling Association.

    Kalichman, S.C. (1993). Mandated reporting of suspected child abuse: Ethics, law, and policy. Washington, DC: APA.

    Petrila, J. & Otto, R.K. (1995). Law and mental health professionals: Florida.

    Washington, DC : APA.

    Swenson, L.C. (1997). Psychology and law for the helping professions. Pacific Grove,CA : Brooks/Cole.

    Welfel, E.R. (2002). Ethics in counseling and psychotherapy (2nd ed.). Pacific Grove, CA:Brooks/Cole.

     





Educator Preparation Institute Earn Graduate Credit Toward Your Master's Degree
 
Teacher Education University