Surveying Professional Needs, Perspectives, and Ethics in School Counseling

CE Course Description

Effective school counseling practice requires attention to numerous pertinent areas, including navigating ethical decision-making, assisting young people during complex developmental stages, meeting the linguistic, cultural, and social needs of various students, and attending to personal preparation and career development.  This advanced-level continuing education course, developed using information from the Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision, identifies research findings and practical applications for the school counseling profession in the areas of ethics, identity development, counselor perceptions, working with marginalized populations, and professional development.

Author: The Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

CE Course Objectives

1. Explore ethical decision-making practices of school counselors and resources that are available to help navigate these situations.
2. Review an ethical dilemma case study and determine how personal values, ethical obligations, and administrative boundaries can impact actions.
3. Evaluate school counselors’ perspectives and practices as they help young people explore complex life and developmental stages.
4. Identify implications for professional school counselors in supporting the academic, social, and career development needs of diverse populations.
5. Discuss specific challenges faced by urban school counselors, including professional development and supervision needs.
6. Outline how school counselors conceptualize professional peer group membership and compensate for isolation within their work settings.
7. Summarize implications and directions for future research to guide the counseling profession.

CE Course Outline

Section 1: Introduction to the Special Issue on School Counselor Preparation and Supervision (30 mins)

1. Pre-service Preparation and Learning (10 mins)
2. Ethical Decision-Making Practice (10 mins)
3. Working with Developmentally, Culturally, and Linguistically Diverse Students (10 mins)

Section 2: The Professional Peer Membership of School Counselors and the Resources Used Within Their Decision-Making (50 mins)

1. School Counselors’ Professional Identity (10 mins)
2. Demographic Composition of School Counselors (10 mins)
3. Research Questions (5 mins)
4. Methods (5 mins)
5. Results (5 mins)
6. Discussion (5 mins)
7. Implications (5 mins)
8. Conclusion (5 mins)

Section 3: When Values Blur the Lines: Navigating an Ethical Dilemma in School Counseling (50 mins)

1. Case Study Background (5 mins)
2. The Case (5 mins)
3. Ethical Dilemma (10 mins)
4. Ethical Decision-Making (10 mins)
5. Ethical Obligations (5 mins)
6. Reflection (5 mins)
7. Implications for School Counselors and Counselor Educators (5 mins)
8. Conclusion (5 mins)

Section 4: Meaning-Making in Early Adolescence: Practices and Perspectives of School Counselors (40 mins)

1. Importance of Meaning-Making in Adolescence (5 mins)
2. Preparation of School Counselors (5 mins)
3. Purpose of Study (5 mins)
4. Methods (5 mins)
5. Results (5 mins)
6. Discussion (5 mins)
7. Limitations (5 mins)
8. Future Research Recommendations (5 mins)
9. Appendix A: Interview Guide (Not timed)

Section 5: Professional School Counselor Perceptions of Systemic Barriers Affecting Latino Students: Implications for Socially Just Preparation and Practice (40 mins)

1. Barriers Encountered by Latino Youth in the U.S. Education System (5 mins)
2. Language barriers (5 mins)
3. Influence of Family on Academic Achievement (5 mins)
4. Oppression and Discrimination (5 mins)
5. Method (5 mins)
6. Results (5 mins)
7. Discussion (5 mins)
8. Limitations and Conclusions (5 mins)

Section 6: Professional Development Needs of Urban School Counselors: A Review of the Literature (30 mins)

1. Challenges of Urban School Counseling (10 mins)
2. Urban School Counseling Service Delivery (10 mins)
3. Preparation and Professional Development of Urban School Counselors (5 mins)
4. Research Recommendations (5 mins)

Additional Resources

1. Appendix A (Not timed)