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Ethical Concern
The
Professional
School
Counselor And
Confidentiality(Adapted 1974; reviewed and reaffirmed 1980; revised 1986, 1993,
1999, 2002, 2008)
The Professional School Counselor’s
RoleCounselors have a responsibility to protect
private information received through confidential
relationships with students and private information they
receive about students from parents or guardians,
professionals outside of schools and other school staff
members. Professional school counselors inform students of the
limits of confidentiality such as the possible necessity for
consulting with other professionals, privileged communication,
and legal or authoritative
restraints.
Source:
ASCA National Model, 2005
Dual
Relationships:
Having multiple roles in a
student’s/client’s life. Avoid dual relationships at all
times, but if unavoidable, minimize conflicts of interest that
could harm the
student/client.
Do No Harm:
The first
rule for all helping professions is to do no harm to others,
in the case
of school counselors, do no harm to students,
parents/ guardians, staff, administrators, community
members
DUTY TO WARN/Danger to Self or
Others/Tarasoff:
If a
client/student threatens harm to self or others, it is the
right of school counselors and other mental health
professionals to break confidentiality and warn the party that
may be harmed about the threats. Always consult with a
supervisor/colleague in school counseling or other mental
health profession. This came about due to the Tarasoff
case, where a man in a college counseling center told his
counseling psychologist that he was going to kill his
girlfriend, Ms. Tarasoff. The counseling psychologist
chose to share the issue with a supervisor, who encouraged
that confidentiality be kept. The man later killed his
girlfriend. Her parents sued the counseling psychologist
and the counseling center and the court found in their favor
and since that time, danger to self or others has been grounds
to break confidentiality.
Source:
Chen-Hayes,
S.F. (2008) Lecture notes packet, EDG 700. Bronx, NY: Lehman
College/ CUNY
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