Page 9 - OSCA Ethical Guidelines - 2009.pdf

Unacceptable Cases
a) A teacher, having completed Part 1 of the Guidance Additional Qualification course, leads her counsellees in therapeutic sessions. Despite being impressed with her terminology, they are confused and frightened by what she is telling them.
b) Acounsellorexaggerateshisqualificationsinassuringa student that he is sufficiently qualified to help with any social or emotional problem.
c) A mother of a counsellee contacts her daughter’s Guidance counsellor in order to request family counselling. It is
evident that the parent assumes that Guidance counsellors are trained to assist directly with serious family problems. Although the counsellor has had no training specifically in family counselling, she says nothing to dispel the assumption. She agrees to counsel the family herself, deciding not to refer the family to the appropriate District School Board social worker or community agency.
Legally Speaking
It is important that counsellors attempt to ensure that perceptions of clients are accurate with regard to their role
and qualifications. The utilization of therapeutic techniques in which counsellors are not formally trained may be the basis of civil liability suits. Unless the District School Board has been made aware that unorthodox practices are in use, the counsellor would be jeopardizing the employment relationship.
4. Counsellors, as employees of a school or other institution, accept policies and principles of the institution as a condition of employment (for example, the IPRC process), unless they conflict with the professional standards and ethics of the Ontario College of Teachers, the Ministry of Education and/or the various Teacher Federations.
Acceptable Cases
a) Before accepting a Guidance position, a counsellor raises several key ethical concerns with the school’s administration to determine whether school policy is in basic accord with
his ethical responsibilities as a counsellor and teacher of Guidance and Career Education credit courses, e.g. procedure for reporting a suspected child abuse case. (See Child and Family Services Amendment Act, Appendix A.)
b) Acounsellor,newtoaschool,findsthatscoresfroma recognized and reputable test administered individually, on occasion, by qualified counsellors have traditionally not been conveyed to students or parents. With the permission of her Guidance Head, she suggests to the Principal some reasons for this situation to be changed. Her views are approved and a procedure for the explanation of scores is developed.
c) AGuidancecounselloracceptsresponsibilityforleadership of a Guidance Department at a secondary school in which the counsellor-student ratio has been approximately 1:600 for a number of years. Convinced that such staffing does not
conform to the funding formula as outlined by the Ministry of Education and is inappropriate for proper professional service, he contacts OSCA for assistance in implementing a change. Since several schools in his jurisdiction have counsellor- student ratios of 1:350, efforts are focused on the staff and administration of the school. Gradually, the priority given the Guidance Department in terms of staffing improves.
d) A counsellor who discovers that there is no written school Guidance Program Plan in existence, offers assistance to work with the Guidance Head, the Administration and other subject leaders to prepare one that meets the requirements of Ministry Guidelines.
Unacceptable Cases
a) Whencriticismofschoolrulesisexpressedbystudentsand parents, a counsellor frequently states that the Principal makes all the rules and that he is not in agreement with
a number of them. In this way, the counsellor minimizes hostility directed at him.
b) The Administration in a school has traditionally used Guidance counsellors for a great deal of assistance with disciplinary and administrative tasks. Counsellors complain among themselves, but fail to confront the Administration with their desire to fulfil the role as outlined in Choices Into Action, the Guidance and Career Education Program Policy for Ontario Elementary and Secondary Schools, 1999.
c) TheVice-Principalofaschooloftenaskscounsellorsfor information obtained in counselling sessions. On a number of occasions, he divulges information to parents in the interest of school/home cooperation. The counsellors continue to give the requested information in order to maintain cordial relations with the Vice-Principal.
Legally Speaking
It is highly unlikely that a District School Board’s policy would be illegal. However, the fashion in which a particular school Administration interprets the policy might, conceivably, be inconsistent with an aspect of the legal system. Counsellors should not cooperate with such policies. Obviously, such action would not lead to the counsellors’ legal vulnerability.
5. Counsellors shall offer professional services only through the context of a professional relationship. Except through the medium of a recognized agency, it would be unethical practice to offer the services of counselling or testing through the mail, newspaper or magazine or other remote means of communication such as telephone, radio, television or internet. (Please see Cyber-Ethics, page 25.)
Acceptable Cases
a) Acounsellorisofferedtimebyalocalradiostationto counsel persons who phone in regarding school-related problems. The station makes it clear that the intent would be to offer more than the dispensing of information and that
OSCA Ethical Guidelines for Ontario School Counsellors 2010 • www.osca.ca ■ 9
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