School Group Counseling

Prepare a substantive response to the following:

How are the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors and the Baker article helpful in terms of creating goals and evidence-based practice in schools?

Full Answer Section

    The ASCA Ethical Standards address a wide range of ethical issues that school counselors may face, including confidentiality, informed consent, dual relationships, and professional boundaries. The standards also address the importance of school counselors promoting a safe and supportive school climate, advocating for students, and providing culturally responsive services. The Baker article provides an overview of the steps involved in evidence-based practice, which includes:
  1. Identifying a problem or issue
  2. Conducting a literature review to find research-based interventions
  3. Selecting an intervention that is appropriate for the specific problem or issue
  4. Implementing the intervention with fidelity
  5. Evaluating the effectiveness of the intervention
The Baker article also discusses the importance of using data to inform school counseling practice. By collecting and analyzing data, school counselors can track student progress and make informed decisions about how to improve their services. The ASCA Ethical Standards and the Baker article are both important resources for school counselors who are committed to providing ethical and evidence-based services. By following these guidelines, school counselors can help students reach their full potential. Here are some specific examples of how the ASCA Ethical Standards and the Baker article can be helpful in creating goals and evidence-based practice in schools:
  • The ASCA Ethical Standards can help school counselors to identify the needs of their students and develop goals that are aligned with those needs. For example, if a school counselor is working with a student who is struggling academically, the counselor could use the ASCA Ethical Standards to help the student develop goals for improving their grades, attending tutoring sessions, and getting involved in extracurricular activities.
  • The Baker article can help school counselors to find research-based interventions that are effective in addressing the needs of their students. For example, if a school counselor is working with a student who is struggling with anxiety, the counselor could use the Baker article to find research-based interventions such as cognitive-behavioral therapy or relaxation techniques.
  • The ASCA Ethical Standards can help school counselors to implement interventions with fidelity, which means following the intervention protocol exactly as it was designed. For example, if a school counselor is using cognitive-behavioral therapy to address a student's anxiety, the counselor would need to follow the specific steps of the therapy protocol.
  • The Baker article can help school counselors to evaluate the effectiveness of their interventions. For example, the counselor could use standardized assessments to measure the student's anxiety before and after the intervention.
By following the guidelines of the ASCA Ethical Standards and the Baker article, school counselors can create goals and evidence-based practice that are ethical and effective. This will help them to better serve their students and improve their academic, social, and emotional well-being. In addition to the ASCA Ethical Standards and the Baker article, there are other resources that can be helpful in creating goals and evidence-based practice in schools. These include:
  • The National Association of School Psychologists' (NASP) Principles for Evidence-Based Practice in School Psychology
  • The American School Counselor Association's (ASCA) Model School Counseling Program
  • The School Mental Health Program Development and Evaluation Resource Guide
By using these resources, school counselors can create goals and evidence-based practice that is based on the best available research. This will help them to ensure that they are providing the best possible services to their students.

Sample Answer

  The ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors (2016) and the Baker article (2017) are both helpful in terms of creating goals and evidence-based practice in schools. The ASCA Ethical Standards provide a framework for school counselors to uphold professional ethics and provide ethical school counseling services. The Baker article provides an overview of evidence-based practice in school counseling and how to implement it.