CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT
A student who has a counseling relationship with a school counselor has the right to privacy and the promise of confidentiality. The counseling relationship between students and their school counselor requires an atmosphere of trust and confidence. Students must trust the school counselor in order to be able to enter into a meaningful and honest dialogue . However, students are informed that exceptions to confidentiality exist in which counselors must disclose to others information they have obtained in the counseling relationship in order to prevent serious and foreseeable harm to students themselves or others, or if such disclosure is legally required.
The role of the school counselor in regards to confidentiality is to:
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support the students’ right to privacy and protect confidential information received from students, the family, guardians and staff members;
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explain the meaning and limits of confidentiality to students in developmentally appropriate terms;
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provide appropriate disclosure and informed consent regarding the counseling relationship and confidentiality;
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inform students and the family of the limits to confidentiality when the student poses a danger to self or others;
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keep personal notes separate from educational records and not disclose their contents except when privacy exceptions exist;
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assert their belief that information shared by students is “confidential” and should not be revealed without the student’s consent.
Reference
American School Counselor Association (2014). The School Counselor and Confidentiality.
Retrieved fromhttps://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/PositionStatements/PS_Confidentiality.pdf