MASCA
Counselor’s Notebook
MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL COUNSELORS ASSOCIATION
Vol. 57, No. 8
April 2021
Ethical Endeavors: News From The MASCA Ethics Committee By Melinda Cripps & Kensey Rhodes
MASCA is excited to announce the creation of the Ethics Committee, and we are actively seeking committee members who are passionate about ensuring that our profession operates with the highest ethical integrity. Are you a motivated, enthusiastic individual who enjoys making connections with others in our field? Do you enjoy creating and sharing interesting content that sparks conversation and stretches peoples’ thinking? Have you ever wanted to get involved with MASCA, but didn’t know how? If so, this committee needs you! Contact the committee chair, Melinda Cripps (mcripps@billericak12.com), if you would like more information. In order to best serve the MASCA membership, the Ethics Committee will ensure that MASCA members have access to high quality information regarding counseling ethics and school law pertaining to counseling. To do this, we are seeking input from members regarding what you would like to see from our committee and
Inside this Issue: Ethics.............................................1 Directory........................................2 Retirees..........................................3 Building Inclusivity..........................4 Restorative Practice........................5 Challenging Gender Stereotypes.....6 Retiree Announcements..................9 MASCA Tributes.......................10, 13 College and Career Readiness........11 MA Model.....................................12
how we can best support your work. Please consider taking this quick survey. What can you expect from the Ethics Committee? We will: ● Disseminate information on a regular basis regarding ethics and school counseling through various avenues, including but not limited to, newsletter articles and written communication in the Counselor’s Notebook, presentations at the Annual Conference, and professional development opportunities ● Keep abreast of the membership’s interests, needs, and concerns regarding ethics in an effort to effectively focus the committee’s direction and programming ● Ensure that graduate students and new counselors have access to foundational information on ethics that is vital to success in one’s first years of counseling ● Provide supportive guidance to MASCA members regarding specific ethical questions or dilemmas that may arise Additionally, you’ll find helpful, useful information in each issue of the Counselor’s Notebook, often connected with an ASCA Ethical Standard and usually a real-life situation that’s presented itself recently. Below, you will find our first case study. Names and other identifying information have been changed to protect student confidentiality.
ASCA Ethical Standard: A.1. Supporting Student Development: School counselors have a primary obligation to the students, who are to be treated with dignity and respect as unique individuals. Case Example: Jason is a 10 year old student on the Autism spectrum that has recently come into his mother’s custody after living with his maternal grandmother the entirety of his life. When Jason’s grandmother passed away he and his mother, Michelle, moved into a local shelter where they’ve struggled to connect in the parent/child relationship. This lack of relationship has led to an increase in self-harm statement and suicidal ideation in Jason who is not allowed outside of the shelter due to Michelle’s own mental health challenges and has limited coping skills. Jason’s IQ is very high which causes boredom and frustration with school work as well as impedes his relationship with his mother to the point where he will become physically violent with her. In conversation with Michelle it is clear that her own fears about outside providers and people she is not comfortable with limit her willingness to accept wraparound support and referrals. With the increase in self-harm, suicidal ideation and physicality from Jason at home, how might you ethically care for this student with dignity and respect while keeping past experiences? How frequently do you assess whether what you are doing is part of your primary obligation to your students? How do you balance this tenet with the rest of your work duties?
