The
Revised
Preamble
The American School Counselor
Association (ASCA) is a professional organization whose members have a unique
and distinctive preparation, grounded in the behavioral sciences, with training
in clinical skills adapted to the school setting. The school counselor assists
in the growth and development of each individual and uses his or her highly
specialized skills to protect the interests of the counselee within the
structure of the school system. School counselors subscribe to the following
basic tenets of the counseling process from which professional responsibilities
are derived:
In
this document, ASCA specifies the principles of ethical behavior necessary to
regulate and maintain the high standards of integrity, leadership, and
professionalism among its members. The Ethical Standards for School Counselors
were developed to clarify the nature of ethical responsibilities held in common
by school counseling professionals. The purposes of this document are to:
A.1.
Responsibilities to Students
The
professional school counselor:
a.
Has a primary obligation to the counselee who is to be treated with respect as
a unique individual.
b.
Is concerned with the educational, career, emotional, and behavioral needs and
encourages the maximum development of each counselee.
c.
Refrains from consciously encouraging the counselee's acceptance of values,
lifestyles, plans, decisions, and beliefs that represent the counselor's
personal orientation.
d. Is
responsible for keeping informed of laws, regulations, and policies relating to
counselees and strives to ensure that the rights of counselees are adequately
provided for and protected.
A.2.
Confidentiality
The
professional school counselor:
a.
Informs the counselee of the purposes, goals, techniques, and rules of
procedure under which she/he may receive counseling at or before the time when
the counseling relationship is entered. Disclosure notice includes
confidentiality issues such as the possible necessity for consulting with other
professionals, privileged communication, and legal or authoritative restraints.
The meaning and limits of confidentiality are clearly defined to counselees
through a written and shared disclosure statement.
b.
Keeps information confidential unless disclosure is required to prevent clear
and imminent danger to the counselee or others or when legal requirements
demand that confidential information be revealed. Counselors will consult with
other professionals when in doubt as to the validity of an exception.
c.
Discloses information to an identified third party who, by her or his
relationship with the counselee, is at a high risk of contracting a disease
that is commonly known to be communicable and fatal. Prior to disclosure, the
counselor will ascertain that the counselee has not already informed the third
party about his or her disease and he/she is not intending to inform the third
party in the immediate future.
d.
Requests of the court that disclosure not be required when the release of
confidential information without a counselee's permission may lead to potential
harm to the counselee.
e.
Protects the confidentiality of counselee's records and releases personal data
only according to prescribed laws and school policies. Student information
maintained in computers is treated with the same care as traditional student
records.
f.
Protects the confidentiality of information received in the counseling
relationship as specified by federal and state laws, written policies, and
applicable ethical standards. Such information is only to be revealed to others
with the informed consent of the counselee, consistent with the counselor's
ethical obligation. In a group setting, the counselor sets a high norm of
confidentiality and stresses its importance, yet clearly states that confidentiality
in group counseling cannot be guaranteed.
A.3.
Counseling Plans
The
professional school counselor:
works jointly
with the counselee in developing integrated and effective counseling plans,
consistent with both the abilities and circumstances of the counselee and
counselor. Such plans will be regularly reviewed to ensure continued viability
and effectiveness, respecting the counselee's freedom of choice.
A.4.
Dual Relationships
The
professional school counselor:
avoids dual
relationships which might impair her or his objectivity and increase the risk
of harm to the client (e.g., counseling one's family members, close friends, or
associates). If a dual relationship is unavoidable, the counselor is
responsible for taking action to eliminate or reduce the potential for harm.
Such safeguards might include informed consent, consultation, supervision, and
documentation.
A.5.
Appropriate Referrals
The
professional school counselor:
makes
referrals when necessary or appropriate to outside resources. Appropriate
referral necessitates knowledge of available resources and making proper plans
for transitions with minimal interruption of services. Counselees retain the
right to discontinue the counseling relationship at any time.
A.6.
Group Work
The
professional school counselor:
screens
prospective group members and maintains an awareness of participants' needs and
goals in relation to the goals of the group. The counselor takes reasonable
precautions to protect members from physical and psychological harm resulting
from interaction within the group.
A 7. Danger
to Self or Others
The
professional school counselor:
informs
appropriate authorities when the counselee's condition indicates a clear and
imminent danger to the counselee or others. This is to be done after careful
deliberation and, where possible, after consultation with other counseling
professionals. The counselor informs the counselee of actions to be taken so as
to minimize his or her confusion and to clarify counselee and counselor expectations.
A.8.
Student Records
The
professional school counselor:
maintains
and secures records necessary for rendering professional services to the
counselee as required by laws, regulations, institutional procedures, and
confidentiality guidelines.
A.9.
Evaluation, Assessment, and Interpretation
The
professional school counselor:
a.
Adheres to all professional standards regarding selecting, administering, and
interpreting assessment measures. The counselor recognizes that computer-based
testing programs require specific training in administration, scoring, and
interpretation which may differ from that required in more traditional
assessments.
b.
Provides explanations of the nature, purposes, and results of
assessment/evaluation measures in language the counselee(s) can understand.
c.
Does not misuse assessment results and interpretations and takes reasonable
steps to prevent others from misusing the information.
d.
Uses caution when u tilizing assessment techniques,
making evaluations, and interpreting the performance of populations not
represented in the norm group on which an instrument is standardized.
A.10.
Computer Technology
The
professional school counselor:
a.
Promotes the benefits of appropriate computer applications and clarifies the
limitations of computer technology. The counselor ensures that: (1) computer
applications are appropriate for the individual needs of the counselee; (2) the
counselee understands how to use the application; and (3) follow-up counseling
assistance is provided. Members of under represented groups are assured equal
access to computer technologies and are assured the absence of discriminatory
information and values in computer applications.
b.
Counselors who communicate with counselees via internet should follow the NBCC
Standards for WebCounseling.
A.11.
Peer Helper Programs
The
professional school counselor:
has unique
responsibilities when working with peer helper programs. The school counselor
is responsible for the welfare of counselees participating in peer programs
under her or his direction. School counselors who function in training and
supervisory capacities are referred to the preparation and supervision
standards of professional counselor associations.
B.
Responsibilities to Parents
B.1.
Parent Rights and Responsibilities
The
professional school counselor:
a.
Respects the inherent rights and responsibilities of parents for their children
and endeavors to establish, as appropriate, a collaborative relationship with
parents to facilitate the counselee's maximum development.
b.Adheres to laws and local guidelines when assisting parents
experiencing family difficulties that interfere with the counselee's
effectiveness and welfare.
c. Is
sensitive to cultural and social diversity among families and recognizes that
all parents, custodial and noncustodial, are vested
with certain rights and responsibilities for the welfare of their children by
virtue of their role and according to law.
B.2.
Parents and Confidentiality
The
professional school counselor:
a.
Informs parents of the counselor's role with emphasis on the confidential
nature of the counseling relationship between the counselor and counselee.
b.
Provides parents with accurate, comprehensive, and relevant information in an
objective and caring manner, as is appropriate and consistent with ethical
responsibilities to the counselee.
c.
Makes reasonable efforts to honor the wishes of parents and guardians
concerning information that he/she may share regarding the counselee.
C.
Responsibilities to Colleagues and Professional Associates
C.1.
Professional Relationships
The
professional school counselor:
a.
Establishes and maintains professional relationships with faculty, staff, and
administration to facilitate the provision of optimal counseling services. The
relationship is based on the counselor's definition and description of the
parameter and levels of his or her professional roles.
b.
Treats colleagues with professional respect, courtesy, and fairness. The
qualifications, views, and findings of colleagues are represented to accurately
reflect the image of competent professionals.
c. Is
aware of and optimally utilizes related professions and organizations to whom
the counselee may be referred.
C.2.
Sharing Information with Other Professionals
The
professional school counselor:
a.
Promotes awareness and adherence to appropriate guidelines regarding
confidentiality; the distinction between public and private information; and
staff consultation.
b.
Provides professional personnel with accurate, objective, concise, and
meaningful data necessary to adequately evaluate, counsel, and assist the
counselee.
c.
If a counselee is receiving services from another counselor or other mental
health professional, the counselor, with client consent, will inform the other
professional and develop clear agreements to avoid confusion and conflict for
the counselee.
D.
Responsibilities to the School and Community
D.1.
Responsibilities to the School
The
professional school counselor:
a.
Supports and protects the educational program against any infringement not in
the best interest of counselees.
b.
Informs appropriate officials of conditions that may be potentially disruptive
or damaging to the school's mission, personnel, and property while honoring the
confidentiality between the counselee and counselor.
c.
Delineates and promotes the counselor's role and function in meeting the needs
of those served. The counselor will notify appropriate officials of conditions
which may limit or curtail her or his effectiveness in providing programs and
services.
d.
Accepts employment only for positions for which he/she is qualified by
education, training, supervised experience, state and national professional
credentials, and appropriate professional experience. Counselors recommend that
administrators hire only qualified and competent individuals for professional
counseling positions.
e. Assists in developing: (1) curricular and environmental
conditions appropriate for the school and community; (2) educational procedures
and programs to meet the counselee's developmental needs; and (3) a systematic
evaluation process for comprehensive school counseling programs, services, and
personnel. The counselor is
guided by the findings of the evaluation data in planning programs and
services.
D.2.
Responsibility to the Community
The
professional school counselor:
collaborates
with agencies, organizations, and individuals in the school and community in
the best interest of counselees and without regard to personal reward or
remuneration.
E.
Responsibilities to Self
E.1.
Professional Competence
The
professional school counselor:
a.
Functions within the boundaries of individual professional competence and
accepts responsibility for the consequences of his or her actions.
b.
Monitors personal functioning and effectiveness and does not participate in any
activity which may lead to inadequate professional services or harm to a
client.
c.
Strives through personal initiative to maintain professional competence and to
keep abreast of professional information. Professional and personal growth are ongoing throughout the counselor's career.
E.2.
Multicultural Skills
The
professional school counselor:
understands
the diverse cultural backgrounds of the counselees with whom he/she works. This
includes, but is not limited to, learning how the
school counselor's own cultural/ethnic/racial identity impacts her or his
values and beliefs about the counseling process.
F.
Responsibilities to the Profession
F.1.
Professionalism
The
professional school counselor:
a.
Accepts the policies and processes for handling ethical violations as a result
of maintaining membership in the American School Counselor Association.
b.
Conducts herself/himself in such a manner as to advance individual ethical
practice and the profession.
c.
Conducts appropriate research and reports findings in a manner consistent with
acceptable educational and psychological research practices. When using client
data for research or for statistical or program planning purposes, the
counselor ensures protection of the individual counselee's identity.
d.
Adheres to ethical standards of the profession, other official policy
statements pertaining to counseling, and relevant statutes established by
federal, state, and local governments.
e.
Clearly distinguishes between statements and actions made as a private
individual and those made as a representative of the school counseling
profession.
f.
Does not use his or her professional position to recruit or gain clients, consultees for her or his private practice, seek and
receive unjustified personal gains, unfair advantage, sexual favors, or
unearned goods or services.
F.2.
Contribution to the Profession
The
professional school counselor:
a.
Actively participates in local, state, and national associations which foster
the development and improvement of school counseling.
b.
Contributes to the development of the profession through sharing skills, ideas,
and expertise with colleagues.
G.
Maintenance of Standards
Ethical
behavior among professional school counselors, Association members and
nonmembers, is expected at all times. When there exists
serious doubt as to the ethical behavior of colleagues, or if counselors are
forced to work in situations or abide by policies which do not reflect the
standards as outlined in these Ethical Standards for School Counselors, the
counselor is obligated to take appropriate action to rectify the condition. The
following procedure may serve as a guide:
1.
The counselor should consult confidentially with a professional colleague to
discuss the nature of a complaint to see if she/he views the situation as an
ethical violation.
2.
When feasible, the counselor should directly approach the colleague whose
behavior is in question to discuss the complaint and seek resolution.
3.
If resolution is not forthcoming at the personal level, the counselor shall
utilize the channels established within the school, school district, the state
SCA, and ASCA Ethics Committee.
4.
If the matter still remains unresolved, referral for review and appropriate
action should be made to the Ethics Committees in the following sequence:
- state school counselor association
- American School Counselor Association
5.
The ASCA Ethics Committee is responsible for educating--and consulting with –
the membership regarding ethical standards. The Committee periodically reviews an recommends changes in code. The Committee will also
receive and process questions to clarify the application of such standards.
Questions must be submitted in writing to the ASCA Ethics Chair. Finally, the
Committee will handle complaints of alleged violations of our ethical
standards. Therefore, at the national level, complaints should be submitted in
writing to the ASCA Ethics Committee, c/o the Executive Director, American
School Counselor Association, 801
H.
Resources
School
counselors are responsible for being aware of, and acting in accord with,
standards and positions of the counseling profession as represented in official
documents such as those listed below:
American
Counseling Association. (1995). Code of ethics and standards of
practice.
Arrendondo,
Toperek, Brown, Jones, Locke, Sanchez, and Stadler. (1996).
Multicultural counseling competencies and standards. Journal of
Multicultural Counseling and Development . Vol. 24, No. 1. See American Counseling Association.
Arthur,
G.L. and Swanson, C.D. (1993). Confidentiality and
privileged communication. (1993). See American Counseling
Association.
Association
for Specialists in Group Work. (1989). Ethical
Guidelines for group counselors. (1989).
Corey,
G., Corey, M.S. and Callanan. (1998). Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions.
Crawford, R. (1994). Avoiding counselor
malpractice.
Forrester-Miller,
H. and
Herlihy,
B. and Corey, G. (1996). ACA ethical standards casebook. Fifth ed.
Herlihy,
B. and Corey, G. (1992). Dual relationships in counseling.
Huey,
W.C. and Remley, T.P. (1988). Ethical and legal issues in school counseling.
Joint
Committee on Testing Practices. (1988). Code of
fair testing practices in education.
Mitchell, R.W. (1991). Documentation in
counseling records.
National
Board for Certified Counselors. (1998). National board for certified
counselors: code of ethics.
National
Board for Certified Counselors. (1997). Standards
for the ethical practice of webcounseling.
National
Peer Helpers Association. (1989). Code of ethics for peer helping
professionals.
Salo,
M. and Schumate, S. (1993). Counseling minor clients.
Stevens-Smith,
P. and Hughes, M. (1993). Legal issues in marriage and family
counseling.
Wheeler,
N. and Bertram, B. (1994). Legal aspects of counseling: avoiding lawsuits and legal
problems. (Videotape).
Ethical Standards for School Counselors was adopted by the
ASCA Delegate Assembly,