Confidentiality

 **Topic:** Confidentiality is an essential part of the school counselor’s role within the school. The workshop presentation is designed for teachers, other school counselors and administrators within the school. The rationale for the workshop is to educate teachers and administrators in the confidentiality between school counselors and students. Teachers, administrators and school counselors need to understand the roles they have with the student and their families. The information supplied in the workshop is to educate teachers about confidentiality being a “promise to keep what is said private, unless there is a duty to warn” and how that impacts the school counselor (Merlone, 2005). This workshop is needed for school counselors, teachers and administrators to “promote awareness and adherence to appropriate guidelines regarding confidentiality, the distinction between public and private information and staff consultation” (ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors, 2005). **Title:** Confidentiality **Presentation Summary**: Confidentiality is an essential part of the school counselor’s role within the school. The workshop should focus on educating teachers and administrators of the confidentiality between school counselors and students. Presenting a workshop to understand the limitations of confidentiality will help the teachers know their role in confidentiality of the student’s school counseling record. Through the workshop the teachers will understand the school counselor’s limitations to confidentiality, and the information the school counselor will share with them when it is in the best interest of the student. The school counselor will identify their guidelines and procedures for discussing a student’s personal information with teachers. The school counselor will help the teachers understand how they can help maintain the student’s confidentiality by protecting the information shared with them. By having administrators and other school counselors in attendance is to show the school counseling staff and administration as a united front in supporting the roles of each other. The presentation will focus on confidentiality and the impact breaking confidentiality could have on the relationship between a student and school counselor and the school. School counselor’s main goal during the workshop is to educate teachers of the effects of breaking confidentiality on the student, and the rights the student has related to the information they share in school counseling. **Presentation Procedures**: This workshop can be designed using the following procedures: **Reference list**: Glosoff, H.L. & Pate, Jr., R.H. (2002). Privacy and confidentiality in school- Special issue: legal and ethical issues in school counseling. //Professional School// //Counseling.// FindArticles.com. 13 July, 2010. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KOC/is_1_6/ai_93700936/. Lazovsky, R. (2008). Maintaining confidentiality with minors: dilemmas of school counselors. //Professional School Counseling//. FindArticles.com. 13 July, 2010. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KOC/is_5_11/ai_n27889692/. Moyer, M. & Sullivan, J. Student risk-taking behaviors: when do school counselors break confidentiality? //Professional School Counseling//. FindArticles.com. 13 July, 2010. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KOC/is_4_11/ai_n25360454/. Mitchell, C. W., Disque, J.G. & Robertson, P. (2002). When parents want to know: responding to parental demands for confidential information. //Professional School Counseling.// FindArticles.com. 13 July, 2010. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KOC/is_2_6/ai_96194766/. White Kress, V. E., Drouhard, N. & Costin, A. (2006). Students who self-injure: school counselor ethical and legal considerations. //Professional School Counseling//. FindArticles.com. 13 July, 2010. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KOC/is_2_10/ai_n27097425/. Bodenhorn, N. (2006). Exploratory study of common and challenging ethical dilemmas experienced by professional school counselors. //Professional School Counseling//. FindArticles.com. 13 July, 2010. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KOC/is_2_10/ai_n27097424/. American School Counselor Association (2005). Ethical standards for school counselors. http://www.schoolcounselor.org/files/ethical%20standards.pdf. Merlone, L. (2005). Record keeping and the school counselor. //Professional School Counseling.// FindArticles.com. 21 Jul, 2010. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KOC/is_4_8/ai_n13698359/. American School Counselor Association. (2005). //School counselor principles: Foundations and basics.// American School Counselor Association. American School Counselor Association. www.schoolcounselor.org. South Carolina School Counselor Association. www.scschoolcounselor.org. **Presentation**:
 * Confidentiality **
 * 1) Discuss the workshop and rationale for workshop with the administration. After approval announce and advertise the workshop as appropriate.
 * 2) The school counselor will prepare for workshop including gathering all materials. The PowerPoint presentation and computer or access to a computer and projector in necessary for a guide during presentation. The counselor should have all examples, definitions, handouts and speaker’s notes prepared and bring them to presentation. The school counselor will need to ensure the room is set up in a pleasant and working manner for the workshop.
 * 3) The school counselor will begin the workshop with a simple definition of school counseling.
 * 4) The school counselor will then lead the group in an engaging activity of “Telephone.” The statements used in this activity can be adjusted based on the school and age of students. Examples to use are “student’s parents are divorced and he is having a difficult time in class,” “the student had to go to the hospital over the weekend for a suicide attempt,” or “the student was caught drinking at prom and is suspended for ten days.”
 * 5) After two to three rounds (depending on participation), the school counselor will process the activity with the occurrences in the teacher’s lounge. Give the teachers two to three additional examples of how information can travel through the “teacher’s lounge” and how breaking confidentiality can affect the student and other teacher’s perception of the student. These examples confidentiality can affect the student and other teacher’s perception of the student. These examples include loss of trust in the school and school counseling department, student’s future teachers having negative opinions about the student, other students finding information from school mail/eavesdropping and gossiping, and other examples found in resources.
 * 6) Ask the teachers for their ideas of how the school counselor maintains confidentiality with the students.
 * 7) Have the teachers then identify their opinions of the school counselor’s relationship with teachers and what the school counselor can share with teachers under ethical standards.
 * 8) Educate teachers on the ASCA Ethical Standards.
 * 9) Recognize similarities and differences in teachers’ responses and ethical standards.
 * 10) Give time for discussion and questions.

Handout and presentation by: Hayley Poland