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RVCC Career Services

 

Distance Career Counseling Service - Informed Consent

Thank you for choosing the Raritan Valley Community College Distance Career Counseling service. It is important to your success and our professional confidence in serving you that seek the level of assistance and option that relates to your particular situation.
In order for clients and counselors to work effectively and ethically, clients must enjoy a high level of "informed consent." That is, you understand the assistance you need,and you agree to receive the right level of service you need.  Factors that influence these needs may include one or a combination of the following:
  • Age and related work experience
  • Awareness of their interests/skills/values
  • Knowledge of how to explore and research career fields
  • Experience with decision-making about careers
  • Skills for seeking employment and/or educational advancement
  • Reasons why the client is seeking career planning assistance
  • Overall experience with the career planning process

In order to further ensure this mutual understanding between client and counselor, Raritan Valley Community College Career Services office offers four distinct confidential service options or delivery models including: in-person individual career counseling; telephone counseling; email counseling; and video based counseling (this service requires use of a web cam at either an approved site on one of our campuses or within your own home). Please be aware that there are limitations to this confidentiality:

  1. in situations where there is evidence that you or someone else's safety is in danger
  2. legal situations where court orders are presented
Outside of the exceptions, your written permission will be required before information is shared with others.

It is important to your success and our professional confidence in serving you that you seek the level of assistance and service option that relates to your particular situation. Please review the information below to help us determine which service option(s) are best suited to your particular situation. You will need to consider the following issues (and tips) to successfully experience online counseling!

Student Role and Responsibilities

  • technology/computer skills 
    You have the capability to login to your counseling session at any time because you have unrestricted access to a computer and an Internet connection at home. Occasionally you may have a technical problem. Although the Counselor will work with you to formulate a plan should this occur.
  • reading 
    Online counseling can involve a lot of reading. Information that you would normally hear in an in-person counseling session will instead be required for you to read. If you like to read, have good reading comprehension and read fast you will do well in online counseling.
  • writing 
    Online counseling also involves a lot of writing. Things that you would normally say to a Counselor will have to be written. If youlike to write, have good writing skills and can type fast, you willdo well in online counseling.
  • self-directed learning/internal motivation 
    In online counseling, the Counselor is a facilitator. You must take the responsibility for the planning of your future. Information and web resources will be presented; it is up to you create your own learning path and monitor your own progress.
  • patience in communication 
    Our online counseling does not yet have an IM component so you may not receive immediate feedback. Sometimes you may need to wait for your scheduled appointment time until the Career Counselor is online to get an answer to a question or to have an issue addressed. You will need to plan ahead to allow for the time lag between questions and answers.

Like any other form of counseling, career counseling will only be successful if you commit to the process by:

  • Attending all appointments that you and your counselor decide are necessary
  • Being open about issues that are relevant to your career concerns
  • Conducting career research and completing other career-related tasks between appointments
  • Giving honest feedback to your career counselor about what is and what is not helpful

For additional information regarding ethical standards in career counseling, please refer to http://www.ncda.org.

By clicking on the Distance Career CounselingServices Request link below, you are acknowledging that you have read this page in its entirety, and will be an active participant in the distance counseling process should you be accepted. Please note that submission of the request form does not guarantee service.  All requests will be reviewed by a career counselor and approved on a per case basis.

Distance Career Counseling Services Request Form