Chapter News
Rapid City Family Law Practitioner
Speaks to Counselors
On Ethical Issues and Court Testimony
By Beverly Dafler, President
WRCA hosted a four hour workshop on October 29th at Western Dakota Technical Institute. The presenter, Linda Lea M. Viken has practiced Family Law in the Rapid City area for 28 years years. She spoke to area counselors on "The Ethical Dilemmas for Counselors When Testifying in Court." Ms. Viken covered ethical canons for school and mental health professionals, reviewed the statutory privileges outlined in South Dakota law for clients and professionals, illustrated these points with case law, and concluded with a discussion on witness preparation and conduct while testifying.
Ms. Viken stressed that the concepts of confidentiality and privilege are not absolutes. Courts have a variety of options in which to compel testimony or the release of records, and when this happens, counselors do have recourse in protecting themselves and their clients. Ms. Viken explained these options and the steps a counselor, agency, or school must take in concert with the court in order to provide meaningful information and testimony. "Your job is to protect yourself and your client and assert the privilege. When this is overruled, let the court or the attorney in question take on the responsibility," stated Ms. Viken. Disclosure is then inevitable, but disclosure need not mean that the mental health professional has committed an ethical violation injurious to self or client.
Thirty eight area school and mental health counselors attended the workshop. Of those participants, thirty-four received four continuing education contact hours approved by the National Board of Certified Counselors. These hours also meet the requirements for the 4.0 contact hours of required Ethics Continuing Education for each SD licensing period.
Dr. Fellner, an instructor at the West River Graduate Center in the Counseling and Human Relations Masters program through SDSU, will be the next workshop presenter. His workshop will be offered on January 28, 2006 and will be a review of ethical considerations for counselors. Registration forms for this workshop will be distributed in early January.
News from Central Chapter
Jean Blonigen, President
Jean.Blonigen@k12.sd.us
Central Chapter once again extends an invitation to everyone to attend the Spring Conference in Pierre at the Ramkota on April 20th, 21st and 22nd. We are looking forward to being your hosts for a great conference experience. There isn't a lot of "new" news this month for Central Chapter, but here are some reminders about upcoming events.
In the September 13th Chapter meeting held at the St. Charles in Pierre, membership, a project for Katrina victims, the December party and planning for the Spring Conference were the major items on the agenda. Please try to recruit at least one new member for Central Chapter and give the name to Kim Goebel, Membership Chair, or myself. If you have not renewed your membership for Central Chapter and SDCA, please do that as soon as possible.
Central Chapter adopted a project started by Kris Sanchez in Pierre entitled "Koins for Katrina". Money raised through the coin project at your work place will be sent through the Red Cross to aid Hurricane Katrina victims.
The Central Chapter Christmas party is still scheduled for Saturday, December 3rd at 3 PM at Char Nicholas's house at 1208 E. Capitol in Pierre. An e-mail will be sent out this week to members, but please contact Char or myself for more information.
Planning was begun at the meeting for the Spring Conference. Sign up occurred for the various committees for the conference, including the Auction, Registration/Information Table, Entertainment, Door Prizes, Decorations and Fun Run. IF YOU ARE ABLE TO HELP WITH ONE OF THESE COMMITTEES, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Thank you in advance for volunteering as committee work needs to begin soon. The next business meeting will be associated with Day on the Hill.
The SDCA Board will meet November 21st. If you have any concerns about the Spring Conference or other issues that you feel need to be addressed by Board, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thanks for your help and support.
SIOUX CHAPTER NEWS
By Kurt Turbak, President
Sioux Chapter continues the year with the theme "Your Invited". Over twenty chapter members answered the invitation in October to get up early for breakfast and learn more about a local agency that serves children and families. While enjoying fruit and muffins Pam Bollinger, CEO of VOA-Dakotas shared with members all the resources available through this mutli-faceted agency. While there, members also toured the Bowden Youth Center. The Chapter will meet next on December 9th for our annual Holiday Gathering. Sioux Chapter is also promoting our Wellness Program. Thirty-six members have signed up to be on a team to help promote taking care of themselves throughout the year. As care givers we often are promoting others to live a healthier lifestyle and then forget to take care of ourselves! The Wellness Program gives members a fun way to track wellness points in a friendly competition as they take care of themselves. Finally the Chapter continues to invite new and past members to renew their membership with the Chapter. If you know a counselor that is not a member invite them to join the Association and join in the networking and professional activities of the Sioux Chapter. I hope all of you may enjoy the remaining days of fall!
CORNBELT CHAPTER TO HOST WORKSHOP
The Cornbelt Chapter will be hosting a workshop on January 11, 2006. The workshop is titled, Counseling for Wholeness and Healing: Brain, Body Attachment, and Connectedness presented by Mary Helen Hopponen.
The workshop will be held at Southeast Technical Institute, Mickelson Building Room 101, Sioux Falls SD. Registration will be from 8:30 - 9:00. The workshop will be from 9:00-3:00. CEU's will be offered. Watch for more information!
NORTH CENTRAL CHAPTER NEWS
By Amanda Carter, President-Elect
The NC Chapter held its first meeting on October 27th after the J.C. Chambers workshop in Aberdeen. The meeting was held at the Coffee Smith, which was a delightful and cozy I must say. We had several first year graduate students attend, a few second year as well as professional counselors.
After introductions were taken care of we talked about upcoming events and planned our next meeting for December 2nd. Jill Stephenson will be hosting the meeting and it will include a wine tasting event.
We are thankful to Dr. Kelly Duncan and Jill Stephenson who discussed the LPC practice law and national certification for school counselors respectively.
As a side note, I would like to mention something I happen to come across while rummaging through my office. Beginning the year as a new counselor I thought to myself, what am I going to do with all these boxes and resources that I do not have a clue about. So I began sifting and sorting and came across this large frog poster, Freud Frog, with feelings and corresponding numbers placed around a spinner - game like. There is a velcro scale, labeled "How Much of the Time," from 1 to 10 that you can place the number/feeling on. Anyway, I have gotten so much use out of this Freud Frog, kids will come in, without any sort of prompt, identify some of their feelings. I found that it is a great way to help them talk about their feelings and use the scale for identifying change from week-to-week.