For this sixth article in a series reviewing recent court decisions concerning appropriate school psychology practice from both professional and legal perspectives, the author summarizes a case in which an Oregon school psychologist provided foster care for a child with severe behavior problems and subsequently was reported for gross neglect of…

Chronic pain affects 35% to 57% of the adult population in the United States and results in billions of dollars spent annually in direct health-care costs and lost productivity. Extensive research confirms the considerable role psychological factors play in the experience and expression of chronic pain. The author discusses implications for…

Ethical issues arise more often for school counselors than for those who work in other settings (Remley, 2002). The challenge of working not only with minors but also with other stakeholders including parents, teachers, school administrators, and community members sets the stage for potential legal and ethical dilemmas. Awareness and adherence to…

This exercise is designed to assist school counselors in assessing their knowledge of prevalent ethical and legal issues within the school setting. The aim is to highlight emerging legal and ethical dilemmas and motivate counselors to stay abreast of specific school rules and policies, as well as keep a basic understanding of state and federal…

School psychologists are interested in providing effective and efficient direct services to children. With a wide spectrum of psychological problems impacting children, group counseling represents one viable and valuable intervention. Given the complexity of group counseling, many schools and school psychologists are interested in legal and…

Students with severe and persistent mental illnesses (e.g., schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders; moderate to severe mood, anxiety, dissociative, eating, or personality disorders) are attending community colleges in increasing numbers. Their need for counseling services presents counseling centers with unique ethical issues to consider. This…

Current models and issues related to psychotherapy supervision are examined. These include ethical and legal issues, problems of interpersonal competence, and multicultural issues. As a part of this analysis, interviews about supervision with five prominent counseling psychologists are included to provide their perspectives. Implications for the…

Music has a significant impact on the daily lives of adolescents. This article provides music interventions that school counselors can use with adolescents: music listening/sharing, lyric revision, improvisation, and use in classroom guidance lessons. Also provided are the benefits, limitations, and ethical considerations for using music…

The authors explore the results of a study that assessed the types and frequency of legal issues encountered by counselors and counselors' perceptions of their ability to respond to these issues. They also assessed whether the participants' perceptions were related to practice setting, years of experience, completion of a course in ethics, recent…

Treatment Improvement Protocols (TIPs) are developed by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Each TIP involves the development of topic-specific best-practice guidelines for the prevention and…

This document is a general guide to assist counselors in conducting their practice in a legal and ethical manner. It outlines broad legal pitfalls that could trap unwary or uninformed counseling professionals. After an introduction to the counseling profession, the second chapter provides an overview of the law and ethics. The third chapter deals…

Analyzes ethical/legal aspects of confidentiality and privileged communication as they relate to school counselors. Makes suggestions for establishing confidentiality in school setting while taking into account scope of practice issues and obligations of informed consent. Presents guidelines for when and how to break confidentiality in situations…

Discusses ethical dilemmas inherent in the school setting that result from conflicts in counselor responsibilities to pupils, parents, and school. An ethical dilemma involving a pregnant student who is considering an abortion is described, and some possible counselor responses are discussed. (Author)

This monograph addresses many of the questions mental health professionals find themselves asking when faced with counseling minor clients. The monograph begins by examining how children and adolescents are viewed in the eyes of the law and discusses a minor's legal right to seek or refuse counseling services. Issues involving custody and…

Little research has been conducted in an effort to clarify the legal ramifications involved in the support services a guidance department may offer in a typical high school. Of particular interest are the liabilities to which counselors, principals, and other school personnel might be subjected in guidance departments having peer assistance…