Page 32 - OSCA Ethical Guidelines - 2009.pdf

Guidance Counsellors who find themselves being supported in their jobs by counselling paraprofessionals or other professionals (e.g., Social Workers, Child and Youth Workers, Public Health Nurses, Doctors, etc.) should consider the following:
1. A clear job description should be developed that specifies the scope and limitations of the position. All process considerations and a hierarchy of authority should be established in advance and clearly understood by all parties. Ideally this should happen at the District School Board level. Remember that paraprofessionals and other professionals are not necessarily governed by the laws of the Education Act. All parties need to be made acutely aware of those areas where conflict may occur.
2. The job description should clearly indicate that the counselling paraprofessional never exists instead of the qualified Guidance counsellor, but rather acts in support of and under the supervision of the Guidance counsellor.
3. The school counselling paraprofessional should be hired, assigned appropriate duties, supervised, and evaluated by the on-site individual responsible for the leadership of the Guidance Department, with input from administrators and school Board personal where appropriate.
4. An in-depth orientation must be provided for all paraprofessionals and other professionals working in a Guidance Office with frequent opportunities for ongoing professional development.
Web-Based (All Websites were live at time of printing.)
American Counseling Association
American School Counselor Association
British Association for Counselling
Canadian Counselling Association
Children’s Aid Society of Toronto Reporting Child Abuse & Neglect
Department of Justice Education Law Reporter
www.counseling.org
www.schoolcounselor.org www.bacp.co.uk www.ccacc.ca
casmt.on.ca www.canada.justice.gc.ca www.edlawcanada.com
Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario Justice for Children and Youth
National Board for Certified Counselors Ontario College of Teachers
www.etfo.ca www.jfcy.org www.nbcc.org www.oct.on.ca
Education Policy and Program Update to June 2009
www.edu.gov.on.ca
Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association
Ontario Ministry of Education
Ontario School Counsellors’ Association
Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation
www.oecta.on.ca www.edu.gov.on.ca www.osca.ca
www.osstf.on.ca
Support Workers in the Guidance Office Working with Paraprofessionals and Other Professionals
Hard Copy
Choices Into Action, Guidance and Career Education Program Policy for Ontario Elementary and
Secondary Schools, 1999, Ontario Ministry of Education,
ISBN 0-7778-8454-2
Counselling Ethics Casebook 2000, Canadian Counselling Association, ISBN 0-9697966-1-7
Education Statutes and Regulations of Ontario, 2006, Butterworth Edition, ISBN 0-433-45053-3
Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 to 12, Guidance and Career Education, Ontario Ministry of Education,
1999 and 2000, ISBN 0-7778-83449 and ISBN 0-7778-9190-5
Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 to 12, Program Planning and Assessment, Ontario Ministry of Education, 2000, SBN 0-7778-9199-9
Ontario Secondary Schools, Grades 9 to 12, Program and Diploma Requirements, Ontario Ministry of
Education, 1999, ISBN O-7778-8456-9
Ontario Student Record Guideline, 2000, Ontario Ministry of Education, ISBN 0-7778-9244-8
References/Resources
PIM Toolkit
A Joint MiSA OASBO Initiative 2008
Sexual Misconduct in Education, Bowers, Knox, Zuker, LexisNexis, Butterworths, 2003,
ISBN 0-433-44170-4
Student Discipline: A Guide to the Safe Schools Act, Jennifer E. Trepanier, LexisNexis, Butterworths, 2003,
ISBN 0-433-44330-8
School Law 2002, A Reference Guide for Ontario, Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation,
SBN 0-920930-77-8
Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession, Ontario College of Teachers, 1999
32 ■ OSCA Ethical Guidelines for Ontario School Counsellors 2010 • www.osca.ca