4 Ethical Issues in Consultation
Many school counselors belong to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and to the American Counseling Association (ACA), both of which have codes of ethics. Although the ASCA Ethical Standards (2016) does not specifically address the issue of counselor as consultant, the ACA Code of Ethics (2014) includes standards that pertain to consultation. School counselors are responsible for acting in accordance with the ethical code(s) of the professional organization(s) to which they belong. Ethical issues that are related to various characteristics of the consultation relationship:
- Tripartite (consultant–consultee–client)
- Nonsupervisory
- Voluntary
- Temporary
- Work-related
Tripartite Relationship
School counselors often consult with teachers, parents, and others about students. The student is the client and does not usually participate in the consultation; however, the focus is on the student and this is what makes consultation a tripartite relationship. Confidentiality is the primary ethical concern that arises from this type of relationship and involves:
- information about the student (client)
- information about ...
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