As a counselor in Alabama, there has to be a clear understanding of the laws and ethics rules that govern the counselors’ actions regarding different aspects of the job. The policies and procedures that should be followed by school counselors has been researched and outlined for the areas of child abuse reporting and teen pregnancy. Also, the procedures to handle suicidal students and the topic of record-keeping are explored. Child Abuse Report When it comes to reporting child abuse. If the counselor has a reasonable suspicion that a child is being abused, they are required by Alabama law (code section 26-14-3) that it is reported to the Department of Human Resources and the local law enforcement agency (Faulk, 2014). All school official and …show more content…
School counseling ethics require the counselor to avoid immediate and easy answers in the form of policies set forth by school districts. Rather, support the students wrestling with issues in relation of the students’ personal circumstances, fears, developmental levels and parents’ rights. (Stone, 2012) Pregnancy is often one of the major reasons students drop out of school. When a student confides to the counselor that she is expecting, she is grappling with several different scenarios and possibilities. She may be thinking of dropping out. She could be considering a different career. Maybe she’s considering not telling her parents. The school counselor can help the student to make some vital decisions to her dilemma that will keep her on the path to success. There is little to no legislature stating that counselors have to disclose pregnancy to the students’ parents. They only have to disclose information to the parent if there is a real and imminent danger to the …show more content…
Sometimes, things don’t seem to be easy or good or worth living. Going through a “rough patch” can be especially hard for students. They are still growing and developing. Some of them face real “adult life” issues these days. Bullying has become more rampant as well. These stresses, while they may seem to be miniscule to most adults, can be monstrous to an adolescent or teen. School counselors may be faced with a situation that finds them dealing with a suicidal student. In 1991, the Eisel v. Montgomery County Board of Education led to school counselors and other officials to try and intervene to prevent a student’s suicide (Stone, 2013). According to law, school counselors and other educators are responsible for doing their due diligence in preventing a student from coming to harm. Once the counselor has reported to a parent or guardian that the student has made statements of suicide to them or others, they must also make appropriate recommendations for what actions the parent or guardian may take (Stone, 2013). At this point, the counselor is now free from legal