Ethical standards in school counseling programs based on ACA principles

Counseling

The ethical considerations made by the organization involved in delivering the program are based on the ethical principles/standards of the American Counseling Association (ACA). In terms of competency, confidentiality and informed consent, the counselors of this program will follow the ACA's standards in the providing of its services to the individuals connected to the school program.

For the area of competency, the counselors will not practice outside the range of their competence or professional training. The education that they have, the training, the experience under supervision, and the credentials they have obtained are all factors in determining their competency. However, there will arise situations in which the counselor will not have acquired the experience, training, or credentials to provide counseling for that particular situation. For instance, a counselor who is not trained in treating suicidal patients will not be the one to deliver care to that individual. Instead, the patient will be transferred to a counselor trained in providing care to such patients once that need is seen to arise. This is the core of the competency standard that the program will adhere to. Likewise, just as the ACA (2014) states that "multicultural counseling competency is required across all counseling specialties," the same requirement for knowledge of all cultures will be used in the program so that no cultural background is excluded in the program.

In terms of providing confidentiality, the ability to confide is important for all patients and should be respected by every counseling organization (Schultz, 2010). However, confidentiality matters can become complicated, especially if persons are seen to be at risk or are noted to be potentially putting others at risk. For example, if over the course of a session, a patient confides in the counselor that he or she intends to harm another person, the counselor may be required by state or federal laws to inform a law enforcement agency or another counselor of what has been said so as to protect the third party. However, the ethical concern that arises is whether or not this breaks the code of ethics regarding confidentiality. The ACA (2014) recommends that patients be informed upfront about when and why certain matters might need to supersede the code of confidentiality; while this could cause some patients to withhold information, the fact that the patient is there in the first place (to receive help) should be the basis for establishing enough trust between client and counselor that the right decision will be made. Thus, as the ACA (2014) notes, "when counselors are required by law, institutional policy, or extraordinary circumstances to serve in more than one role in judicial or administrative proceedings, they clarify role expectations and the parameters of confidentiality with their colleagues." This same concept is used in this program so as to maintain clear and definitive means of maintaining a standard of confidentiality as well as a standard of fairness.