psychology services consent for therapy

We are seeking your consent to provide counselling services for your child, who is a
student at Third Academy using a holistic team approach.

How our counselling services operate

The counselling team, made up of masters practicum students supervised
by Registered Psychologists, team up with the classroom staff to support your child. In
addition to meeting with your child, the counsellor will:

• Provide advice to school staff about how to support your child to meet their
  behavioral and emotional goals. We will share information on a need to know basis.
• Observe your child in the classroom.
• Review your child’s school file.
• Meet with parent(s) as we mutually decide will be helpful. We prefer to meet with the parent(s) as soon as possible after counselling starts.
• If you desire family counselling, this will be provided by the Chief Psychologist and your child’s therapist.

We have counselling staff at the school every day, but all the counsellors and psychologists have part-time schedules. While your child will have a primary counsellor who will meet your child regularly, our service delivery model relies on a team approach in which other counsellors can deal with emergent issues if the primary counsellor is not on site.

Confidentiality and ownership of information

Counselling is confidential. All guardians have access to your child’s counselling file.
Confidentiality may be broken if:

• We become aware of potential child abuse, which must be reported to child protection authorities;
• If a child is imminently at risk of harming themselves or others;
• If a Court orders the release of information; or,
• If a guardian consents to the release
  of information.

Our team approach requires clinical supervision for practicum students provided by Registered Psychologists. Therefore, your child’s counsellor will be discussing their work with your child with their clinical supervisors.

Counselling notes will be kept separately from your child’s cumulative school file. Our files are subject to the Personal Information and Privacy Act of Alberta.

Ethical standards and legal requirements

Our counselling team follows the Canadian Codes of Ethics for Psychologists, and the
Standards of Practice for Alberta Psychologists. You can find these at
https://www.cap.ab.ca/resources-regulatory-information