Rising rates of incarceration in the United States and continuing use of the death penalty in over half of the states in the United States signal a need for more involvement of social workers in forensic roles to mitigate unjust sentencing. The National Association of Social Workers has consistently maintained a professional policy stance in…

The delivery of counseling services online is increasing at a rapid rate. This increase in online delivery is concerning due to the ethical obligation for preparatory courses to ensure that counseling programs are providing resources to ensure the development of self-efficacy in addition to skill development among counselors-in-training for…

It is the position of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) that school psychologists, regardless of employment setting, can benefit from professional support and mentorship. Such relationships can help with time management, establishing professional boundaries, identifying a career trajectory, managing relationships, fostering…

School counselors frequently face ethical dilemmas. The American School Counselor Association recommends following an ethical decision-making model when dealing with complex ethical issues; however, little research to date addresses if these models are being used, how familiar school counselors are with these models, and whether they knowingly or…

This paper explores the extent to which students on a vocational postgraduate programme identify with characteristics and competences that define a professional career guidance and counselling practitioner. Literature suggests professionalism in careers work is characterised by a focus on the needs of the client with the practitioner in a…

Counseling necessitates clinicians to be culturally competent and self-efficacious in order to ethically and effectively work with diverse client populations. This study investigated the relationship between counselor education students' (N?=?118) levels of self-reported multicultural counseling competence (MCC), multicultural counseling…

Approximately 2.4 million children receive special education services for specific learning disabilities (SLDs), and school psychologists are key contributors to the SLD eligibility decision-making process. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004) enabled local education agencies to use response to intervention (RTI) instead of the…

Confidentiality in counseling relationships helps ensure trust between clients and counselors. Yet, defining and understanding the boundaries of confidentiality in school settings is often difficult, as school counselors are engaged in multiple relationships with various stakeholders. This qualitative phenomenological study explores the…

This article argues that school psychology programs must prepare future school psychologists to address the needs of our increasingly diverse society. Providing training and field experiences that are grounded in multicultural practices, research, and advocacy will foster greater competence in addressing diverse schools', students', and families'…

Melba Vasquez (1992), educator, and ethicist, and the President Elect of the American Psychological Association wrote, "Professionals concerned with the problems of unethical behavior believe that the strongest weapon against professional misconduct may be the education of trainees" (p. 196). It is this statement, my professional…

Research indicates that many social work practitioners are interested in using spiritual interventions in clinical settings. Unfortunately, studies also indicate that practitioners have frequently received minimal training on the topic during their graduate education. Drawing from the evidence-based practice movement, this article develops some…

From the standpoint of a journal editor and researcher, this commentary critically reflects on some of the primary notions addressed in the 4 featured articles of the special section, discussing areas of agreement and divergence. As a way of further exploring these ethical and professional concerns, the contentious issue of using school children…

The practice of having professors or supervised doctoral students leading laboratory groups for students in masters-level group counseling courses is widespread. There are, however, a number of ethical considerations which render this practice problematic, as well as alternative solutions with fewer potential ethical conflicts.

Suggests that mental health counselors must be sensitized to ethical issues in practice and work, hone their ethical decision making, be willing to place a value on ethical behavior, and develop ego strength necessary to carry through on their ethical decisions. Offers suggestions for how mental health counselors can enhance each of these…

Student mentoring is a common and often encouraged practice within graduate psychology and counseling programs. Although both mentors and proteges typically report multiple benefits from the practice, the mentoring relationship is also subject to a variety of ethical issues. The author presents a brief overview of professional literature regarding…