ASCA’s Ethical Standards for School Counselors
In ASCA’s Ethical Standards for School Counselors (American School Counselor Association, 2022), one specific ethics code that stands out as important and that should be included in the standards is code B.2: Responsibilities to the School. This ethics code covers the various responsibilities of school counselors in their roles as leaders and facilitators within and outside, the school environment. Various points from the code will be examined below:
ASCA’s Ethical Standards for School Counselors
School counselors develop and maintain professional relationships and systems of communication with faculty, staff, and administrators to support students (American School Counselor Association, 2022). This point highlights the specific responsibility that school counselors have in collaborating with stakeholders to produce the best outcomes for the social/emotional, academic, and career readiness of students. Through collaborative relationships with stakeholders in the school community, school counselors can better understand students’ needs and challenges, align their counseling efforts appropriately, and provide data-driven lessons and support.
Another important aspect of B.2 is through advocacy. School counselors exercise leadership to create systemic change to create a safe and supportive environment and equitable outcomes for all students (American School Counselor Association, 2022).
Counselors advocate for counseling programs free of non-school-counseling assignments, as has been identified by “The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs.” The ASCA framework ensures that school counselors practice in their professional role of providing support services to students in academic, career, and social/emotional wellness.
School counselors maintain confidentiality and “inform appropriate officials, in accordance with federal and state law and school and district policy, of conditions that may be potentially disruptive or damaging to the school’s mission, personnel and property, while honoring the confidentiality between students and school counselors to the extent possible (American School Counselor Association, 2022) .
While all the codes are essential to an effective counseling program and serve to guide counselors in their practice, I believe that code B.2 sufficiently covers all the leadership, advocacy, and confidentiality aspects of a school counselor. B.2 addresses the importance of developing professional relationships, delivering comprehensive programs, advocating for equitable policies, creating a safe and inclusive school environment, and adhering to ethical research practices.
References
American School Counselor Association. (2022). ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors – American School Counselor Association (ASCA). Www.schoolcounselor.org. https://www.schoolcounselor.org/About-School-Counseling/Ethical-Responsibilities/ASCA-Ethical-Standards-for-School-Counselors-(1)
