Confidentiality

Confidentiality
Confidentiality is an essential part of the school counselor’s role within the school. The workshop presentation is designed for teachers, other school counselors and administrators within the school. The rationale for the workshop is to educate teachers and administrators in the confidentiality between school counselors and students. Teachers, administrators and school counselors need to understand the roles they have with the student and their families. There are several options to informing teachers about their limits of confidentiality. School counselors can use newsletters, in-service trainings, group meetings, and workshops to educate teachers about the role of confidentiality in school counseling. Using a workshop format would be important to do on a yearly basis. It is essential for the school counselor to work with the administrative staff to implement this strategy and to ensure showing the teachers a supportive team. Presenting a workshop to understand the limitations of confidentiality will help the teachers know their role in confidentiality to help decrease conflict between the school counselor and teachers because of understanding. The rationale to having administrators and other school counselors in attendance is to show the school counseling staff and administration as a united front supporting the roles of each other. The information supplied in the workshop is to educate teachers about confidentiality being a "promise to keep what is said private, unless there is a duty to warn" and how that impacts the school counselor (Merlone, 2005). This workshop is needed for school counselors, teachers and administrators to "promote awareness and adherence to appropriate guidelines regarding confidentiality, the distinction between public and private information and staff consultation" (ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors, 2005).

During the process of planning the workshop, presentation, in-service and brochure, the school counselors should review the ASCA Ethical Standards and how confidentiality is required to be followed by school counselors. These ethical standards can be found at [|www.schoolcounselor.org/files/**ethical**%20**standards**.pdf]. These standards give the school counselors guidelines to follow to set up their workshop to inform the teachers about their role in confidentiality. The ethical standards provide the school counselor the exact reasons for the school counselor to break confidentiality to teachers, administrators, parents, and others. The school counselor will need to identify how they will use the ethical standards to form policies for the school counseling department. With policies written, discussed with other professionals and reviewed by the principal and other school system officials the school counselor will pass these policies along to the teachers so they can be an effective part of the school counseling team. School counselors will also prepare for the workshop by reviewing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). These guidelines exactly outline how the student’s school counseling record is to be released to the parent and student. FERPA guidelines can be found at []. The school counselor will review the state’s requirements for destroying the school counseling record and the certain amount of time required before the record can be destroyed.

Confidentiality is the cornerstone for the relationship school counselors have with the students and parents at each school. Through educating teachers, administrators and other stakeholders about the ethical standards the school counselors will be able to form a team of support within the school. Through this support system the teachers and administrators will be able to understand the constraints the school counselors have concerning the information the student or parent shares with them. Teachers can feel they need information about the students in their class at any point; however, the school counselor has the ultimate responsibility to their client, which is the student. The school counselor needs to decide their process for discussing a student with the teacher. If the information also involves the parent then the parent also needs to be informed if the school counselor will be discussing information with the teacher. While considering the student’s rights, the school counselor can set up a system where the student will be informed of the information being shared with the teacher before the information is shared. This process will allow the school counselor to maintain trust within the relationship and will give the teacher the information if it is necessary to the academic performance of the student. This process should be agreed upon by the school counseling department and reviewed with the principal before the workshop, presentation, in-service or brochure.

The presentation will focus on confidentiality and the impact breaking confidentiality without a reason could have on the relationship between a student and school counselor and the ethical codes school counselors are confined to concerning confidentiality. The school counselor will begin the workshop with a simple definition of school counseling. The school counselor will then lead the group in an engaging activity of "Telephone." The statements used in this activity can be adjusted based on the school and age of students. After two to three rounds (depending on participation), the school counselor will process the activity with the occurrences in the teacher’s lounge. Give the teachers two to three additional examples of how information can travel through the "teacher’s lounge" and how breaking confidentiality can affect the student and other teacher’s perception of the student. Ask the teachers for their ideas of how the school counselor maintains confidentiality with the students. Have the teachers then identify their opinions of the school counselor’s relationship with teachers and what the school counselor can share with teachers under ethical standards. Educate teachers on the ASCA Ethical Standards. Recognize similarities and differences in teachers’ responses and ethical standards. Give time for discussion and questions.

The following is the essential information about confidentiality teachers will be able to take away from the workshop: 1. ASCA Ethical Standards school counselor's are bound by and where to find these codes. The school counselor can have copies of the standards available during the workshop and posted in the counseling office. 2. The "big three" reasons for school counselors to break confidentiality. The "big three" are imminent harm to self, imminent harm to others, or abuse of any kind to a child or elder. 3. Teachers will be informed about the school counseling record being kept separate from the student's cumulative file, and the school counseling record will destroyed after 5 years of the student graduating or leaving the school by shredding or other state approved destroying method. 4. School counseling records will be maintained and released to parents based on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). 5. The school counseling department’s policy on revealing student information to teachers.

This audio track is an example of how a school counselor would approach their principal about setting up a workshop for the teachers at the beginning of the year. Working with the principal and administrative staff to set up this workshop and to have a solid working team is essential.

media type="file" key="Record002.mp3" width="240" height="20"

Exam Questions:

1. What is the one item school counselors are not required to break confidentiality when reported? a. Suicide ideation b. Homicidal ideation c. Physical Abuse d. Lying

2. Fill in the blank: Confidentiality is the promise to keep what is said private, unless there is a _ _ ___.

3. True or false: School counseling records are included in the student’s school record.

4. School counseling records are secured and released according to: a. HIPAA b. FERPA c. ACT d. TOVA

5. How are school counseling records destroyed? a. By shredding b. Throwing away c. Give away d. Returned to the student

References:

Glosoff, H.L. & Pate, Jr., R.H. (2002). Privacy and confidentiality in school- Special issue: legal and ethical issues in school counseling. //Professional School// Counseling. FindArticles.com. 13 July, 2010. [].

Lazovsky, R. (2008). Maintaining confidentiality with minors: dilemmas of school counselors. //Professional School Counseling//. FindArticles.com. 13 July, 2010. [].

Moyer, M. & Sullivan, J. Student risk-taking behaviors: when do school counselors break confidentiality? //Professional School Counseling//. FindArticles.com. 13 July, 2010. [].

Mitchell, C. W., Disque, J.G. & Robertson, P. (2002). When parents want to know: responding to parental demands for confidential information. //Professional School Counseling.// FindArticles.com. 13 July, 2010. [].

White Kress, V. E., Drouhard, N. & Costin, A. (2006). Students who self-injure: school counselor ethical and legal considerations. //Professional School Counseling//. FindArticles.com. 13 July, 2010. [].

Bodenhorn, N. (2006). Exploratory study of common and challenging ethical dilemmas experienced by professional school counselors. //Professional School Counseling//. FindArticles.com. 13 July, 2010. [].

American School Counselor Association (2005). Ethical standards for school counselors. [].

Merlone, L. (2005). Record keeping and the school counselor. //Professional School Counseling.// FindArticles.com. 21 Jul, 2010. [].

Hayley Poland