Deck 12: The Counselor in the School: Applying Professional Standards to the Educational Culture

Question 1

In what ways does the typical culture of American schools complicate the capacity of school counselors to carry out their responsibilities? What steps should counselors take to minimize these problems?

Answer 1

No Answer

Question 2

According to the text, under what conditions should school administrators be informed about issues students disclose in counseling sessions?

Answer 2

No Answer

Question 3

What does the term "privileged communication"mean and does it ever apply to school counselors?

Answer 3

No Answer

Question 4

When the values of parents differ significantly from the values of the school or the counseling program, how should counselors handle this divergence? What steps can they take to be proactive to prevent parent complaints?

Question 5

Identify at least two situations in which federal or state law may protect the rights of counselors to treat or give information to students with parental knowledge or consent.

Question 6

Describe the ideal structure of a peer helping program in a middle or high school and it kinds of problems that scholars have found in their research on these programs.

Question 7

The Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act contains four major sections. Briefly describe those sections and the implications of the federal legislation for school counseling services.

Question 8

How serious is the problem of harassment of gay, lesbian, and bisexual students? What are counselors' legal and ethical responsibilities when they see or learn about harassment or bullying of sexual minority students?

Question 9

When one student discloses to a school counselor that a friend of his has been talking about suicide, what are the ethical and legal responsibilities of that school counselor? What might be the repercussions (aside from possible injury to the student) if the counselor failed to carry out those responsibilities diligently?

Question 10

If a counselor overhears 16 year-old student tell another student that he or she has gotten birth control information from a local clinic without parental knowledge, the counselor should:

A) Communicate that information to the principal and place a note about it in the student's file
B) Call that student into the office for a private meeting and inform the student that the counselor is legally obligated to contact the parents
C) Contact the parents first and then notify the student afterwards
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 11

A claim of defamation of character can be made against a school counselor if:

A) A school counseling intern shares with his or her supervising school counselor private family information that a student reveals to the intern and the parents learn of this conversation from the supervisor
B) A school counselor and a teacher are discussing a student who had a psychotic break over lunch and are overheard by the students
C) A school counselor places diagnostic information in a counseling record kept in the counseling office
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 12

If a student's parents refuse permission to have a school counselor tell teachers about their child's mental health problems, the school counselor:

A) Is free to disclose that information to the principal in the absence of parental consent because the principal is the counselor's boss
B) Should not document the mental health problems in the counseling record
C) Should tell no one except in an emergency
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 13

If a counselor works in a state that has a statute indicating that privileged communication extends to the clients of school counselors, that means that:

A) The counselor may not reveal confidential information even if subpoenaed by a lawyer if the client has not signed a release
B) The counselor needs no release to respond to a subpoena
C) The counselor can only disclose client information to the school nurse or physician
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 14

When parents object to programs that are aimed at teaching elementary students decision making skills or boosting their self-esteem, counselors should:

A) Ask the student to sit quietly without actively participating during the program
B) Immediately ask the parents to come to the school for a meeting to discuss the issue further
C) Immediately inform the school staff about the parents' objections
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 15

Fisher and Sorenson (1996) identify all of the following as high-risk activities for malpractice claims EXCEPT:

A) Providing a lawyer with information sought in a subpoena
B) Giving students birth control advice
C) Assisting in searches of student lockers
D) Unintentionally violating student confidentiality

Question 16

According to the text, peer helping programs were originally designed to:

A) Give depressed students some help
B) Assist students with academic and other educational issues
C) Teach middle and high school students about the dangers of drugs and alcohol
D) All of the above
E) None of the above

Question 17

According to the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act, noncustodial parents:

A) May only view student records if the custodial parent consents or a court orders it
B) May not authorize release of student information
C) Has the same rights as other parents
D) None of the above
E) All of the above

Question 18

According to FERPA, 18 year-old students:

A) Need a co-signature of a parent or guardian on legal forms until they graduate from high school
B) May inspect their educational records
C) May prevent their parents from obtaining any educational records if they do not authorize release to their parents
D) All of the above
E) None of the above