Legal and Ethical Complications in Working with Minors in Schools

The school environment poses competing interests between a student’s need for confidentiality and parents’ legal rights as established by the Supreme Court to be the guiding voice in their children’s lives in value-laden issues. On any given day, a school counselor navigates such charged subjects as abortions, harassment, suicide, eating disorders and child abuse, just to name a few. The legal and ethical complications of any human services professional are daunting, but the complexities for school counselors are magnified as they are working with minors in a setting designed for academic instruction.
Increase your understanding of the complications of working with minors in a school setting through the presentation of four court cases:

• Arnold vs. Escambia County (respecting parents’ rights to be the guiding voice in their children’s lives)
• Eisel vs. Montgomery County Board of Education (school counselors and duty to care)
• Sain vs. Cedar Rapids (negligent misrepresentation and academic advising)
• Grossman vs. South Shore (school counselor’s values and the courts)

Learning objectives: 

After viewing this webinar you should be able to:

• Assess your own values in ethical decision-making
• Develop a tolerance for ambiguity in ethical decision-making
• Identify the minimum standard of care for the reasonably competent professional
• Discuss the guiding principles as established by the courts

Speaker:
Carolyn Stone, Ed.D.