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Upon completion of a Master of Education in Guidance and Counseling, I hope to be employed as a school counselor somewhere within K-12 education. My educational goal after graduation is to go straight through and get my Ph.D. through Texas Tech, but I have not committed to a specific area as of now.

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Step 2: Option One- Five Discussion Topics

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Step 2: Option One- Five Discussion Topics

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I interviewed an elementary school counselor, Mrs. Brown, who works at San Antonio Independent School District. I gained valuable insight on legal and ethical issues in which counselors deal with and she has dealt with personally while counseling.
#1 Bullying: Mrs. Brown stated multiple times throughout our interview that she has reported many problems of bullying and have had parents threaten to take this issue to court. She said a word of advice for a new counselor would be to use the word "bullying" cautiously as many law suits can emerge from this phrase, especially while talking with other students parents.

#2 Security/Safety: According to Mrs.Brown, security and safety of students is a hot topic within schools and counselors practices today. Many campuses are struggling to find the funds to make their campuses a "one-way", which means visitors can only enter the campus through the main entrance. This limits any outside traffic that can result in destruction to the campus or harm to students. The concealed carry for teachers in Texas is a topic that many schools are looking into. She has had many students who suffer from specific illnesses come to her about their anxiety from the lack of safety on their campus, as they do not feel safe at school without a fence around their elementary. Recently with all of the school shootings, she stated many parents have also wanted to come by and talk about the safety and security as well, since the school is not in a great part of the town.

#3 Confidentiality: Confidentiality is crucial in any counselors guidance and counseling practice. Students need to know that anything discussed in the counselors office or with the counselor stays between the student and the counselor. There are limitations to this and a counselor is supposed to inform all students who talk with him/her. Confidentiality remains secure as long as information about self-harm or hurting others is not brought up. When this occurs, it is a counselors job duty to notify others in order for safety and protection to remain in place for the students and all involved.

#4 Trainings: There are many trainings in which counselors in Mrs. Brown's district may attend. Some trainings are mandatory and occur once a year and some are professional development trainings any counselor can attend throughout the year. She has attended mandatory standardized testing tranings, suicide prevention trainings, and yearly updated changes to the districts counselors policy/handbook. Professional development trainings are great for making sure your counseling practice techniques are up to date and all counselors are updated on any trending issues emerging in the counseling field. All of this are held at the region center.

#5 Violence: Many elementary school campuses struggle with how to appropriately handle problems with violence and especially sexual violence. Mrs. Brown feels she was not adequately prepared to deal with this specific type of situation, especially at an elementary, and said for counselors new to the profession to always have their district handbook and code of ethics printed off and at hand in case needed.

( K. Brown, personal communication, June 4th, 2018)

Here is a website that I was given during my interview when I told her I would take all the knowledge and advice she had to give since I was new to the counseling profession. https://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9214/legal.htm

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American Council on Education (ACE) – www.acenet.edu
When reviewing Immigration under the American Council of Education (ACT), immigration within the school systems was heavily discussed. There is an act that was also targeted that supported the immigration changes in the United States, which are both discussed below.

Identified Legal & Ethical topic #1 The American Council on Education (ACE) supports and guides immigration changes and procedural interventions for students who were not born in the United States and came here as young children, as well as educated international students who wish to stay in the United States after college graduation.
Identified Legal & Ethical topic #2 DREAM: There is a federal act known as Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM), that would allow citizenship to take place at a faster pace and rate if academic milestones stones were met or for students had military service. This act incorporates reforms for the H-1B visa that helps improve the progression and regression of enrollment recruitment of international students, children, and even employees of the United States.

Immigration is an ever-changing topic and allows for cultural diversity to be enhanced in all schools. Various academic, social learning, and closed achievement gaps arise from this topic in schools.

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Leadership & Advocacy News

Debate over the fate of Dreamers continues to be a sticking point during debate over immigration legislation in the House, according to The Wall Street Journal . . . A divided Senate voted to confirm Kenneth L. Marcus as the Education Department's...

Seven higher education associations, including ACE, submitted comments to the National Science Foundation May 4 in response to a notice in the March 5 Federal Register proposing new reporting requirements on sexual assault and harassment for NSF...

More Leadership & Advocacy News

​

Free Expression On Campus: What College Students Think About First Amendment Issues

DOWNLOAD

The Post-Traditional Learners Manifesto Revisited: Aligning Postsecondary Education with Real Life for Adult Student Success

DOWNLOAD

Mapping Internationalization on U.S. Campuses:
2017 Edition

DOWNLOAD

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

ACE's blog covers what is most relevant to higher education today and how these issues play out in the public sphere.

President to President is Ted Mitchell's weekly email newsletter to ACE members.

Previous Events

Our 100th Annual Meeting will be held March 10-13, 2018 in Washington, DC at the Marriott Marquis.

Learn about ACE's CPL implementation tools, including the CPL Implementation Matrix, readiness survey and policy guidelines. Hear from one institution, Eastfield College, a community college in the Dallas Community College District, on how it has...

Faculty evaluators for ACE directly affect and assure validity behind every ACE-recommended credit for educational experiences of service members and veterans.

More Previous Events

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the center for internationalization and global engagement

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Debate over the fate of Dreamers continues to be a sticking point during debate over immigration legislation in the House, according to The Wall Street Journal . . . A divided Senate voted to confirm Kenneth L. Marcus as the Education Department's...

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American School Counselor Association (ASCA) – www.schoolcounselor.org
While reviewing the American School counselor Association (ASCA) website there were various legal and ethical issues that are occuring within guidance and counsleing practices.
Identified Legal & Ethical topic #1 Confidentiality: Confidentiality is a vital issue that counselors and students face in a counselors practice. Counselors are required by law to report any situations or issues that they are notified of that relates to the self-harm or harm of others. This can be hearing something from a faculty or staff member about a student in a like situation, a student telling a counselor about a student wanting to hurt themselves or hurt another student. Counselors informing parents and students about confidentiality and its limitations has been a life-saver in many situations.

Identified Legal & Ethical topic #2 Suicide Prevention: This is a trending topic in the United States and it is important that counselors are up to date on their state, district, and professional role procedures in case a situation was to arise. This website contains information on how to prevent suicide, what to do with information related to suicide, and how to cope with suicide of friends or a family member.

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Step 3 Selected Topic Suicide and Suicide Prevention:

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Step 3 Selected Topic Suicide and Suicide Prevention:

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I chose the topic suicide as it has become more common and prevalent in the last few years. Both years I have taught elementary school there have been multiple students on my campus who have thought about or committed suicide. As a counselor, it is imperative that we maintain and stay up to date on the factors, signs, practices, and coping strategies in order to be better equipped when handling these situations in our guidance and counseling practice.

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While searching within the Angelo State University library, I found an article that discusses suicide within the public school systems. It goes into depth on the new theories, perspectives, training, and motives for limiting suicide and increasing the prevention with students.
http://go.galegroup.com.easydb.angelo.edu/ps/i.do?p=HRCA&u=txshracd2485&id=GALE|A259591009&v=2.1&it=r&sid=ebsco

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Angelo State University - Library Online Resources

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Unauthorized use is prohibited; Usage may be subject to security testing and monitoring; Misuse is subject to criminal prosecution; No expectation of privacy except as otherwise provided by applicable privacy laws.

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Step 4: Internet Document/Website Resource Link

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Step 4: Internet Document/Website Resource Link

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My internet website that I chose to use to gain more  information about my topic of suicide and prevention was from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) website. This website provides information on the House Bill 2186 and the suicide prevention trainings for educators in the public school systems that are mandatory.

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House Bill 2186 and Suicide Prevention Training for Educators in Public Schools

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HB 2186 article word doc in case the link won't open above.

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HB 2186 article word doc in case the link won't open above.

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House Bill 2186 and Suicide Prevention Training for Educators in Public Schools.docx

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The House Bill 2186 was issued and passed by the 84th Texas Legislature in 2015 (Franklin, 2015). This bill demands suicide prevention professional development every year for all educators employed in charter schools and existing school districts. These mandated trainings are developed and implemented by the Department of State Heath Services (DSHS) and coordinated by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) (Franklin, 2015). There are also many online materials offered for educators and counselors on the TEA website that incorporate information on suicide and suicide prevention. This is beneficial for Texas counselors and educators due to the fact that compliance with the annual trainings is mandatory for the safety of all students.

Suicide ranks in the top percentage in Texas for youth deaths and is an area of major concern within students. If a counselor hears information about suicide or a potential suicide threat, they are under legal obligation to break confidentiality and notify specific personnel. This is considered to be a limitation within the confidentiality of a counselors practice. There are specific procedures counselors must adhere to depending on what the state and districts legal policy and procedural handbook contains (Franklin, 2015). All districts have a policy that incorporates the correct actions needed when an issue relating to suicide or the prevention of it occurs.

Many annual professional developments have been created to help prepare and train educators on this trending topic involving our students and the student's safety. This will help limit the increasing number of suicide problems and situations that occur on campuses in Texas, and it will maintain the best practices for counselors to use within their guidance and counseling program. With educators being trained properly and continually, factors relating to suicide can also be targeted, which will decrease the number of suicide attempts each year (Franklin, 2015). The paperwork that goes along with this issue when situations occur on campus will be taught correctly in the annual trainings.

As a counselor of an elementary school, I would need to be knowledgeable and stay up to date on the requirements and materials for suicide prevention. Counselors need to be equipped for dealing with these situations and understand the impacts it has on students and even faculty members. I would need training on what factors can influence suicide, what factors limit suicide thoughts, the procedures taken when dealing with suicide, and the accountability process for staff or administration on campus. I would also need to be well prepared on information for campus trainings conducted by me for all staff, faculty, students, and the community my school is in.

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Franklin, R. (2015). House bill 2186 and suicide prevention training for educators in public schools. Texas Education Agency. Retrieved from https://tea.texas.gov/About_TEA/News_and_Multimedia/Correspondence/TAA_Letters/House_Bill_2186_and_Suicide_Prevention_Training_for_Educators_in_Public_Schools/

Grantham, D. (2011). New perspectives on suicide prevention: Growing public concern, advancing theory, and better training motivate screening and prevention efforts. Behavioral Healthcare, (4), 45.