A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of High School Counselors Involved In

187 Pages·2017·1.02 MB·English

by  Kathryn Goss Atanasov

W&M ScholarWorks
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects
Spring 2016
A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of High
School Counselors involved in Determining Serious and
Foreseeable Harm in Cases of Student Substance Abuse
Kathryn Goss Atanasov
College of William and Mary,
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A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF HIGH
SCHOOL COUNSELORS INVOLVED IN DETERMINING SERIOUS AND
FORESEEABLE HARM IN CASES OF STUDENT SUBSTANCE ABUSE

A Dissertation
Presented to
The Faculty at the School of Education

The College of William & Mary in Virginia

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Education

by
Kathryn Goss Atanasov
April 2015
A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF HIGH
SCHOOL COUNSELORS INVOLVED IN DETERMINING SERIOUS AND
FORESEEABLE HARM IN CASES OF STUDENT SUBSTANCE ABUSE

by

Kathryn Goss Atanasov

Approved April 8, 2016
by

Charles Gressard, Ph.D, Faculty Mentor and Chair

Johnston Brendel, Ed.D, Committee Member

Tracy Cross, Ph.D, Committee Member

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Dedication
I foremost dedicate this intensive labor of love to my husband, Vladimir Atanasov.
His support is what made my years of doctoral study possible. I thank him for his
patience and incalculable generosity.
I also dedicate this study to my children, Xander and Ava, who were 5 and 3.5
respectively when I began my doctoral studies almost four years ago. All too often
mommy didn't have time to get on the floor and play or cook dinner, but as kids are, they
continued their life journeys without much fuss.
Live long and prosper.
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Acknowledgments
I wish to express my gratitude to my parents, Loren Bruce Goss and DeAun
Lucile Crow Goss, for instilling in me a passion for life-long learning and education.
Although they have passed on, I miss them everyday. I send my love to my siblings
Cynthia, Robert, James, Kenneth, Debra (and her husband Ed), and my twin-sister Susan.
I also express my love and deep respect for my husband and our children for making my
life full and filled with new adventures.
I thank my dissertation committee, Drs Gressard, Brendel, and Cross, for their
guidance and wisdom during not only this study, but for many years of support and
mentorship throughout my studies at William & Mary. As Dr. Brendel likes to recall, we
shared our first day at the college together: he as a new faculty member and myself as a
new school counseling master’s student in the fall of 2005. Since then, he has remained a
steady rock of support and an exemplary example of good counseling practice and
organization. In similar fashion, Dr. Gressard saw me through both my master’s and
doctoral studies. I send my sincere appreciation to Dr. Gressard for guiding me through
the dissertation process, but for also providing his invaluable time and insight during my
clinical supervision over the last several years. Last, I express my appreciation to Dr.
Cross for jumping on board this study. Your guidance in phenomenology made this
study more substantial and rewarding.
I wish to acknowledge all school counselors for their work and commitment to
their students. School counselors work to impact and protect the academic,
personal/social, and career demands of numerous students every day. Substance abuse is
only one of many issues school they must deal with on a regular basis, while also trying
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juggle their own personal and social lives. I especially thank the ten vibrant and
charming high school counselors who participated in this study. Not only did they make
this study possible, they set a marvelous example for all school counselors to emulate.
Last, I wish to acknowledge the many substance users across the world. For those
who struggle with addiction, I continue to be amazed and awed by your fight to remain
clean and sober.

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Table of Contents
Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iii
Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................. iv
Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... vi
List of Tables .......................................................................................................................x
Abstract .............................................................................................................................. xi
Chapter 1: Introduction ........................................................................................................1
Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................7
Social Constructivism Model of Ethical Decision-Making in Counseling ..............7
Research Questions ..................................................................................................9
Definition of Terms ................................................................................................11
Summary ................................................................................................................14
Chapter 2: Review of the Literature ...................................................................................15
The Problem ...........................................................................................................15
Prevalence of Substances in Schools .....................................................................16
Harmful Effects of Adolescent Substance Abuse ..................................................18
Confidentiality Rights of Minors ...........................................................................23
Lack of Sufficient Substance Abuse Training .......................................................29
Confidentiality Challenges of Counseling Student Substance Abusers ................33
Research Overview and Conclusions .....................................................................40
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Chapter 3: Methodology ....................................................................................................42
Phenomenology ......................................................................................................42
Positionality Statement ..........................................................................................45
Target Population and Participant Selection ..........................................................52
Procedures ..............................................................................................................53
Role of the Researcher ...........................................................................................54
Data Analysis .........................................................................................................55
Ethical Considerations ...........................................................................................56
Chapter 4: Research Findings ............................................................................................58
Description of the Participants ...............................................................................59
Themes ...................................................................................................................66
Community and School Climate ............................................................................67
Residential Attributes .......................................................................................67
School Climate and Expectations ....................................................................77
Summary ..........................................................................................................83
Perceptions of School Counseling Role .................................................................84
Protector and Advocate ....................................................................................84
What the Job Is Not ..........................................................................................98
Summary ........................................................................................................101
Red Flags .............................................................................................................101
Drug Severity and Use Considerations ..........................................................101
Deal Breakers .................................................................................................110
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Summary ........................................................................................................118
Chapter 5: Discussion, Limitations, and Implications for Practice & Future Research ..119
Summary of the Process .......................................................................................119
Discussion of the Results .....................................................................................121
Community and School Climate ..........................................................................122
Perceptions of School Counseling Role ...............................................................124
Red Flags .............................................................................................................125
Further Discussion ...............................................................................................131
Limitations ...........................................................................................................136
Implications for Practice and Future Research ....................................................140
A Review of CACREP Standards ........................................................................140
A Need for Better Screening Instruments ............................................................141
Suggestions for a New Ethical Decision-Making Model ....................................147
Promotion of 42 C.F.R. Subpart B .......................................................................149
Taking this Research into the Future ...................................................................150
Conclusion ...........................................................................................................151
Appendix A: SC Model of Ethical Decision-Making in Counseling ..............................153
Appendix B: Interview Protocol ......................................................................................154
Appendix C: Participant Recruitment Letter ...................................................................157
Appendix D: Target Population Selection Questionnaire ................................................158
Appendix E: Informed Consent .......................................................................................160
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Appendix F: Thank You Letter To Participants ..............................................................161
References ........................................................................................................................162
Vita ...................................................................................................................................174

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