Counseling Students, an Overview

It is permissible to provide emergency counseling for one session for a student who self refers without a parent’s permission.

Any time a child is treated differently, inside or outside a classroom, from other students, a parent needs to give permission.

If a child is competent to make choices, he or she should be allowed to decide whether or not to participate in counseling.

Confidentiality must be discussed at the onset.

Evidence based treatments are preferred. Ask, why are you doing what you are doing? Is it valid? Is it something that has been studied?

The goals of counseling:

  • Alleviate a child’s emotional and cognitive distress
  • Change the child’s behaviour
  • To assist with self understanding
  • To help the child to accomplish developmental tasks.
  • Support environmental changes.
  • To promote a positive fit between that child and the system

Some things you might come up against in a counseling situation.

  • You may suspect that the child will be a threat to someone else
    • Duty to warn the other person
    • Duty to tell all parents
    • Use a team approach for support.
  • How would you know if the child is a threat?
    • A history of aggressive behaviour
    • Any overt threat should be taken seriously
    • Is a target known?
  • What to do
    • Police and school should be notified. They may question the student.
      • Milligan et. al. vs. Slidel.
    • Schools should be preventative.
      • Ex. Anti bully programs, etc.
    • Have policies and procedures written down.
      • Be specific. Who is going to do what?
  • If you think the student may do himself in.
    • Take a suicide assessment.
    • Take the threat seriously
    • Contact parent, don’t let the child be alone
  • Substance Abuse:
    • Know what the local drugs of choice are
    • Notify parents. If they refuse to get treatment, push the issue.
  • Child Abuse:
    • Required to report any suspected cases of child abuse.
    • It is the job of the agency to confirm one way or another.
    • State vs. Gover, 1989 = better to over-report than under-report.
      • You can be held liable for not reporting, but not over-reporting.
  • It is our duty to report a student who is sexually molesting another student
    • Phyllis P. vs. Claremont Unified School District
  • Know your stance on childhood pregnancy and birth control.
    • You can refer to a planning clinic if they do not advocate abortion or a right to life.
    • You do not have to notify the parents.
    • Encourage them to talk to one of their parents or someone they can trust.
    • Get a parent’s consent if there is a second meeting. “Your child has asked if she can talk to me about issues, is that okay?” “These conversations will be confidential.”

Only engage in practices for which you have been trained – if you have not been trained, refer.

Filed under: EDC 572 Role & Function of the School Psychologist
Copyright: October, 2003 - David Profitt