Hello everyone,
We hope that you and your communities have remained safe, healthy, and calm during this period of uncertainty. With this being uncharted territory for many of us, these school closures during the COVID-19 outbreak have left many school counselors feeling uncertain in their role in providing support and services to their students. Our hope with this post is to provide some guidance and resources for the ethical implications of these closures on our role.
As a reminder, Section A.15. of the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors (2016) discusses "Virtual/Distance School Counseling." Depending on our school or district's protocols, guidelines, and resources for counselors and students, virtual school counseling may or may not be feasible during these closures. However, it is important that we find ways that we can meet the needs of our students, in whatever form is possible to create, deliver, or share. As counselors, we can advocate for the resources we may need in order to make this happen.
Here are some ethical implications to consider:
Do your students have proper technology and internet service in order to engage in virtual direct services?
What procedures will you and your counseling team follow when communicating virtually with students, especially in emergency situations?
How will confidentiality be ensured through individual and/or group virtual counseling?
How is your virtual school counseling program offered equitably to students due to their needs (i.e. languages, learning styles, etc)?
If virtual direct services (such as individual counseling, group counseling, or classroom lessons) are not feasible, what other services (videos, resources, worksheets, etc) can be created and shared to students?
Are there any other challenges that you anticipate through virtual counseling? Do you have the support you need from your school to overcome these challenges?
As each school site will face different guidelines and challenges, we encourage you to use the following resources:
As more information and resources are shared, we will update Counselor's Circle to the best of our abilities.
Finally as a reminder, please do your best to practice self-care. The Calm App has provided free mindfulness resources for all ages, in a variety of languages, that can help address any anxiety or stress during this time.
- Counselor's Circle
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