Preamble
The British Columbia School Counsellors Association (BCSCA) is a
Professional Specialist Association encouraged and supported by the B.C.
Teachers' Federation. BCSCA teacher-counsellors are actively engaged in providing
school counselling services in British Columbia schools in some or all of the
following capacities:
- Counsellor
- Consultant
- Coordinator
- Curriculum
Specialist
- Catalyst
Professional Training and Experience
As set out in the BCSCA role description for
teacher-counsellors, members are expected to have an acceptable level of
professional training and experience.
- Teacher-counsellors
must possess a professional teaching certificate, and be full members of the British
Columbia Teachers' Federation and College of Teachers.
- It is preferable
that teacher-counsellors possess a Master's degree in counselling Psychology or
a related field from an institution recognized by the College of Teachers, with
training in school counselling theory and techniques. Teaching experience is
vital. To this end, it is incumbent upon each member to maintain professional
standards and to seek opportunities for continued professional growth.
- Teacher-counsellors
are responsible for having knowledge of the laws relevant to counselling
issues, and their counselling practices should be consistent with these laws.
Primary Responsibility
- A teacher-counsellor's first responsibility is to act in the
best interest of the students.Teacher-counsellors
subscribe to the following basic tenets of the counselling process from which
professional responsibilities are derived.
- Each person has the
right to respect and dignity as a unique human being and to counselling
services without prejudice as to person, character, and belief. or practice.
- Each person has the
right to self-direction and self- development.
- Each person has the
right of choice and the responsibility for decisions reached.
- Each person has the
right to privacy and, thereby, the right to expect the counsellor-client
relationship to comply with all law, policies, and ethical standards pertaining
to confidentiality.
Professional Standards
- Teacher-counsellors
are expected to seek opportunities to continue their own professional growth
and to work towards the improvement of their profession.
- Teacher-counsellors
expect ethical behavior form their professional associates; teacher-counsellors
will attempt to rectify unethical behavior on the part of their colleagues and
will assist colleagues in observing ethical practices related to the work of
the teacher- counsellor.
- Teacher-counsellors,
as employees of a school or other institution, accept policies and principles
of the institution as a condition of employment unless they conflict with
professional standards and ethics.
- Teacher-counsellors
offer professional services only through the context of a professional
relationship.
Confidentiality
- Information received through the counselling relationship is
confidential.
- The teacher-counsellor
regards such information as confidential and does not voluntarily divulge such
information without the student's prior consent. This statement applies equally
to interview notes, tapes of interviews, test data, and any other documents
used to assist in the counselling process.
- Notes are to be
kept as part of the counsellor's record, but not part of the records kept in
the office of the school.
Exceptions to Confidentiality
- CONSENT: With the consent of the student, the
teacher-counsellor may divulge information received through the counselling
relationship.
- POTENTIAL HARM: If behavior of the student threatens potential harm
to him/herself or another person, the teacher-counsellor shall take appropriate
action to protect the student and/or the other person.
- CHILD PROTECTION: A teacher-counsellor who has reason to believe that
a child is or might be in need of protection shall forthwith report the
information to the appropriate authorities in accordance with legal obligations
pursuant to child protection legislation.
- CONSULTATION AND
COLLABORATION: A
teacher-counsellor may consult and collaborate with other professionals for
purposes of more effectively helping the student. The teacher-counsellor shall
share only such information that will serve the best interests of the student.
- LEGAL REQUIREMENTS: A teacher-counsellor may be required to provide
records in compliance with the law.
Landmark case and outcome regarding school counsellors and your
notes regarding a student. more info https://www.oipc.bc.ca/orders/298
Teacher-Counsellor----Counsellor Relationship
- A
teacher-counsellor shall inform students of the purposes, goals, techniques,
and specific policies under which they may receive counselling, at or before
the time when the counselling relationship is entered. Such information includes concerns about confidentiality,
legal restraints on the counsellor, and the possible necessity for consulting
with other professionals.
- Teacher-counsellors
are obliged to respect the integrity and promote the welfare of counsellees
with whom they are working
- In group situations,
particularly those oriented to self-understanding or growth, the
teacher-counsellor is obligated to make clear to the group members the
purposes, goals, techniques, rules of procedures, and limitations that may
affect the continuance of the relationship.
- In providing
orientation to prospective group participants, especially when the emphasis is
on self-understanding and growth through self- disclosure, the
teacher-counsellor is responsible for ensuring that the purposes of the group
situation are appropriate to the needs of the counsellee.
- Teacher-counsellors
take into account and show prudent regard for the social codes and moral
expectations of the communities within which they work.
- Records of the
counselling relationship, including interview notes, test data, correspondence,
tape recordings, and other documents retained by the teacher-counsellor, are to
be considered professional information for use in counselling, research, and
teaching of teacher-counsellors, but always with the full protection of the
counsellees. These records shall be available to the counsellee upon request,
and the teacher- counsellor shall assist the counsellee to interpret them. Tape
recording or filming of an interview shall not be done without the knowledge
and consent of the counsellee.
- Teacher-counsellors,
where they feel that it would be in the best interests of the counsellee to do
so, will relate confidential information to parents, guardians, teachers, or
school administrators only with the knowledge and consent of the counsellee.
- Teacher-counsellors,
when reporting research results and supporting data, will not reveal the
identity of the persons used as subjects without their express permission.
- Teacher-counsellors
shall carefully consider requests by prospective employers, private
investigating agencies, or other persons, for confidential information about
counsellees. Such information will only be provided upon written consent of the
counsellees or their parents (where the counsellees are minors.)
Referrals
- Teacher-counsellors
reserve the right to consult in confidence with any other
professionally-competent, in the area of counselling, person about their
counsellees. In choosing professional consultants, teacher-counsellors must
avoid placing the consultant in a conflict of interest situation.
- Teacher-counsellors
recognize their boundaries of competence and provide only those services and
use only those techniques for which they are qualified by training or
experience.
- Teacher-counsellors
must be knowledgeable about referral resources. Whenever possible and
appropriate, the teacher-counsellor makes referrals with the knowledge and
consent of the student. At all times, the teacher-counsellor should be acting
in the best interests of the student.
Programs and Services
- A teacher-counsellor shares with other educators the
responsibility for establishing and maintaining counselling and school
counselling programs which are responsive to the needs of students.
School Counsellors' Capacities
The Counsellor provides
both an intervention and a prevention service for developmental, personal,
social, educational, and career-related issues.
The Consultant works
with school-based teams, subject teachers, resource teachers administrators,
professionals, and para-professionals to develop programs across the curriculum
to assist students in meeting their needs and to show the relevance of
in-school studies and future educational and career opportunities.
The Coordinator assists
in the coordination of services to students from within schools from an
inter-ministerial approach, and links the school with the community, business,
industry, social service agencies, and other educational institutions, to
ensure that student needs are net and to enhance the smooth transition of
students from one environment to another.
The Curriculum Specialist teaches
curriculum from within the social/emotional and the social responsibility areas
for the Primary, Intermediate and Graduation programs. The breadth of these
programs falls within the Personal Planning Curriculum.
The Catalyst identifies
students at risk and in conjunction with school-based teams, ensures that
programs are in place to meet their needs, modifies programs, trains teacher/mentors
and peer helpers, and initiates liaison with parents/guardians, social workers,
and other support staff.
DOCUMENTS REVIEWED
- BCTF Code of Ethics, 1992
- Guidelines for Ethical Behavior of the Canadian Guidance and Counselling Association, May 1989
- American School Counsellors' Association, Ethical Standards for School Counsellors, 1992
- An Ethical-Legal Handbook for School Counsellors, Ontario School Counsellors' Association, 1990
- Guidelines for Ethical Behavior, Manitoba School Counsellors Association, January 23, 1992
Our sincere thanks to the Ontario School Counsellors Association and the Manitoba School Counsellors Association for granting us permission to incorporate concepts and language from their Association's Legal and Ethical Guidelines.