School counselors share the same vision – to do the best job they can for the students under their guidance and care. Our profession plays a unique role in the education system and to meet the goal of this vision, we must be mindful of our ethical obligations while serving students, especially when we are attuned to the care, welfare and safety of the students we work with. From my early days as a first-year school counselor to the present, I can think of times when I have felt reluctant or not sure of my course of action in helping a student. Thankfully, we have an abundant amount of resources for school counselors, and they are right at our fingertips! As your AkSCA president, I encourage you to utilize the resources provided on our website. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) also provides a variety of ethical tips for school counselors, articles, webinars and helpful FAQ sheets that are easily accessible at a moment’s notice (see the article in this issue with those links). And membership in ASCA provides a wide range of tools we can apply. If you cannot find what you are looking for on the ASCA website, the ASCA SCENE is a vibrant online community that can help not just with ethical and legal issues, but with an array of topics and ideas to support your needs. As school counselors, we face ethical issues on a daily basis and the more tools we have in our toolboxes, the better! I hope this newsletter provides you with helpful insight or reassurance for those moments of uncertainty about legal and ethical issues.
I send you all warm wishes in these cold months and share this quote to reflect on as you continue your important, impactful work with our students: “To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold.” –Aristotle