Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 12, March 22, 2024
a) Child and Adolescent Development
The competent school marriage and family therapist understands
the individual diversity of human growth, development and learning and provides
experiences that promote the physical, intellectual, social and emotional
development of the student.
1)
Knowledge Indicators - The competent school marriage and family therapist
understands:
A) theories of individual and
family development and transitions across life;
B) that students' physical, social,
emotional, cognitive, ethical and moral development influences
learning;
C) theories of learning,
personality development, attachment, child and adolescent development, and the
range of individual variation;
D)
how students construct knowledge, acquire skills and develop habits of
mind;
E) that differences in
approaches to learning and performance interact with development;
F) how systemic approaches and appropriate
interventions apply to the developmental stages of children and
adolescents;
G) human behaviors,
including developmental crises, disability, addictive behavior and
psychopathology, and situational and environmental factors as they affect
children and adolescents in the peer, family and school settings;
H) the characteristics and effects of the
cultural and environmental milieu of the child and the family, including
cultural and linguistic diversity, socioeconomic level, abuse/neglect and
substance abuse;
I) the role of
medications as they affect students' behavior; and
J) the characteristics of normal, delayed,
and disordered patterns of communication and interaction in peer, family and
school settings and their impact on learning.
2) Performance Indicators - The competent
school marriage and family therapist:
A) uses
theories of learning, personality and human development to plan activities and
experiences that respond to students' individual, group, family and school
needs at the appropriate level of development;
B) analyzes individual and group performance
in order to design interventions that meet learners' current needs in the
cognitive, social, emotional, ethical and moral, and physical domains at the
appropriate grade level;
C) plans
interventions appropriate to students' developmental levels;
D) utilizes strategies for facilitating
optimum student development over the life-span;
E) recognizes the characteristics of
individuals with various disabilities and the effects these may have on
individuals;
F) implements
interventions relevant to students' developmental levels;
G) recognizes the effects of addictive
behavior, psychopathology and situational and environmental factors as they
affect children and adolescents in the peer, family and school
settings;
H) recognizes the effects
of cultural and environmental factors on students' performance; and
I) recognizes that medications can have
effects on the educational, cognitive, physical, social and emotional behaviors
of individuals.
b) Assessment and Evaluation
The competent school marriage and family therapist understands
basic concepts of, technology for, and implications of various assessment and
evaluative instruments used within academic settings.
1) Knowledge Indicators - The competent
school marriage and family therapist understands:
A) the purposes and meaning of assessment
from multiple perspectives (historical, sociological, educational and
emotional) and utilizes both standardized tests and observational methods of
assessment;
B) the basic concepts
of standardized and non-standardized testing and other assessment techniques in
the assessment of behavior in individuals, families and other dyadic
interactions;
C) the use of
technology in assessment;
D) the
statistical concepts, including scales of measurement; measures of central
tendency; indices of variability; shapes and types of distributions and
correlation;
E) reliability (theory
of measurement error, models of reliability, and the use of reliability
information) and validity (evidence of validity, types of validity), and the
relationship between reliability and validity; and
F) the implications of age, gender, sexual
orientation, ethnicity, language, disability, culture, spirituality and other
factors related to assessment and evaluation.
2) Performance Indicators - The competent
school marriage and family therapist:
A)
analyzes testing information needed and selects appropriate tests, methods
and/or materials to gather information and/or perform assessments;
B) uses various strategies for selecting,
administering and interpreting assessment and evaluation instruments and
techniques in therapy;
C)
interprets and accurately uses the statistical concepts, including scales of
measurement; measures of central tendency; indices of variability; shapes and
types of distributions and correlation;
D) accurately selects and interprets
assessment tools based on reliability and validity when appropriate;
E) interprets assessments accurately with
understanding of diversity and its implications;
F) uses and applies appropriate technology in
assessment; and
G) interprets
results accurately and at the level that clients and families can best
understand the assessment outcomes.
c) School-based Systems Theory
The competent school marriage and family therapist has
knowledge of diverse family systems (e.g., single parent, foster parents,
bi-racial parents, sexual orientation of parents) and understands influences on
students' development, learning and behavior. Further, the competent school
marriage and family therapist has knowledge of systemic methods for involving
families in education and service delivery. The competent school marriage and
family therapist works effectively with families, educators and others in the
community to promote and provide comprehensive services to children and
families.
1) Knowledge Indicators -
The competent school marriage and family therapist:
A) understands:
i) how diverse family systems affect
students;
ii) the importance of
family involvement in education;
iii) the school-based systems theory and
model;
iv) methods of promoting
collaboration and partnerships between families/guardians and educators that
improve outcomes for students; and
v) the implications of cultural diversity on
family, home, school and community collaborations; and
B) has knowledge of school and community
resources and agencies available to students and families/guardians.
2) Performance Indicators - The
competent school marriage and family therapist:
A) designs, implements, monitors and
evaluates programs that promote school, family and/or community partnerships
and enhance academic and behavioral outcomes for students;
B) facilitates collaboration between schools
and parents/guardians by designing educational and therapeutic interventions;
and
C) identifies resources and
facilitates communication between schools, families/guardians and community
agencies.
d)
Intervention in Schools and Crisis Intervention
The competent school marriage and family therapist utilizes a
variety of systemic intervention strategies that support and enhance students'
educational and emotional development. Furthermore, the competent school
marriage and family therapist has training and experience in working with
various crises and trauma that might occur in the school or family
environments.
1) Knowledge Indicators
- The competent school marriage and family therapist understands:
A) the theory, process, techniques and
methods of individual, group and family crisis intervention and
counseling;
B) and develops skills
in advocacy, case management, community organization, consultation and
in-service training;
C) the
application of systemic concepts, theories and techniques to identify and
develop broad-based prevention and interventions;
D) the interdisciplinary approach to
collaborative service delivery within the educational environment;
E) how to integrate content and process
knowledge for appropriate intervention; and
F) the role of mandated reporters of
suspected child abuse and neglect and the function of the Department of
Children and Family Services (DCFS).
2) Performance Indicators - The competent
school marriage and family therapist:
A)
develops and implements prevention and intervention plans that enable children
to benefit from their educational, emotional and relational
experiences;
B) provides
individual, group and/or family counseling and other services to enhance
relational functioning while increasing success in the educational
process;
C) provides crisis
intervention therapy and other services to the school community;
D) provides consultation to teachers,
administrators, parents and community agencies;
E) develops and provides training and
educational programs in the school and community;
F) conducts diagnostic assessments and
participates in eligibility conferences for special education and other
programmatic options, students' educational planning conferences, and
conferences with parents;
G)
initiates referrals and linkages to community agencies and maintains follow-up
services on behalf of identified students;
H) mobilizes the resources of the school and
community to meet the needs of children and their families; and
I) initiates the appropriate reporting of
suspected child abuse and neglect to DCFS.
e) Consultation and Collaborative
Relationships
The competent school marriage and family therapist develops
consultative and collaborative relationships with colleagues, parents, teachers
and the community to support students' learning and well-being.
1) Knowledge Indicators - The competent
marriage and family therapist understands:
A)
the principles, practices and processes of individual, family and
organizational consultation;
B) the
collaborative process with parents, school personnel, community-based
organizations and agencies to enhance the student's educational
functioning;
C) the school's role
within the context of the larger community;
D) the variations in beliefs, traditions and
values across cultures and their effect on interactions among group
members;
E) the importance of
audience and purpose when selecting ways to communicate ideas;
F) how formal and informal political
implications affect communication;
G) language development, communication
techniques, and the role of communication in the learning environment;
and
H) the role of school personnel
as mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect.
2) Performance Indicators - The competent
school marriage and family therapist:
A)
initiates, develops and implements consultative relationships;
B) models and promotes ethical practices for
confidential communication;
C)
collaborates with colleagues, parents/guardians and community personnel about
students' needs;
D) encourages
relationships among colleagues to promote a positive learning
environment;
E) participates in
collaborative decision-making and problem-solving to promote students'
success;
F) facilitates a
collaborative relationship between general and special education systems to
promote a unified system of education;
G) models and promotes effective
communication among group members or between groups;
H) uses a variety of effective communication
modes with diverse target groups; and
I) assists mandated reporters of child abuse
and neglect in relaying and documenting information to the State's child
welfare agency.
f) Diversity
The competent school marriage and family therapist possesses
the knowledge and skills to appropriately address issues of diversity, cultural
difference and change with different types of learners.
1) Knowledge Indicators - The competent
school marriage and family therapist understands:
A) the implications of the therapist's own
social and cultural background;
B)
how the therapist's own cultural background and experiences influence the
therapist's attitudes, values and biases about psychological
processes;
C) the diverse groups
with which the therapist may work;
D) how race, culture, ethnicity, sexual
orientation, physical and mental characteristics, and other areas of diversity
affect personality formation, vocational choice and manifestation of
difficulties and strengths in academic, career and personal/social
development;
E) how gender affects
personality formation, academic choice, vocational choice, and manifestations
of difficulties and strengths in academic, career, and personal and social
development;
F) the impact of
sexual harassment on students' personal, social, emotional and academic
development;
G) the impact of
students' learning abilities, styles and capabilities on academic, career, and
personal and social development; and
H) the specialized needs and resources
available for students who are disabled, gifted or at risk, or who have dropped
out.
2) Performance
Indicators - The competent school marriage and family therapist:
A) incorporates an approach to social and
cultural diversity that is equitable for all students;
B) adopts intervention skills appropriate to
the specific diverse needs of the student;
C) develops programs for students that
acknowledge their diversity and meet special needs as appropriate;
D) incorporates a gender-equitable and
culturally sensitive approach in dealing with students, families, staff and the
community;
E) adopts appropriate
methods to intervene when students use inappropriate language or behaviors
relating to issues of social and cultural diversity; and
F) teaches how oppression, racism,
discrimination, intolerance, homophobia, heterosexism and stereotyping may
affect students personally and their work.
g) Professional Conduct and Ethics
The competent school marriage and family therapist is aware of
current legal issues and ethical guidelines of the profession and acts
accordingly.
1) Indicators - The
competent school marriage and family therapist understands:
A) legal standards, including the Illinois
School Code [105 ILCS 5] and the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities
Code [405 ILCS 5], that apply to the therapy and educational process;
B) the school marriage and family therapist's
responsibility for knowing and complying with federal, State and local
legislation, regulations and policies; and
C) that, in the event a conflict arises among
competing expectations, the school marriage and family therapist shall be
guided by the AAMFT Code of Ethics, published by the American Association for
Marriage and Family Therapy, 112 South Alfred Street, Alexandria VA 22314-3061,
https://www.aamft.org/Legal_Ethics/Code_of_Ethics.aspx
(January 1, 2015). No later amendments to or editions of these standards are
incorporated.
2)
Performance Indicators - The competent school marriage and family therapist:
A) demonstrates commitment to the values and
ethics of the marriage and family therapist profession;
B) adheres to the AAMFT professional
standards and Code of Ethics (see subsection (g)(1)(C)) as a guide to ethical
decision-making;
C) maintains
adequate safeguards for the privacy and confidentiality of
information;
D) informs students of
their ethical rights, the limitations of the counseling relationship, and the
confidentiality of the counseling relationship; and
E) follows State and federal laws, including
the School Code, the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code, the
Illinois School Student Records Act [105 ILCS 10] and the Family Educational
Rights and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C.
1232g).