New Referral Introductory Information
and
Informed Consent
Tiffany Johnson, MSW, LICSW
Minneota School Social Worker
Minnesota Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
School Counseling Graduate Certificate Student- MN State Moorhead
Minneota School Social Worker
Minnesota Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
School Counseling Graduate Certificate Student- MN State Moorhead
Welcome to Minneota Schools. I appreciate the opportunity to be of help to you. My webpage contains information about me, my social work program, as well as answers to some questions students and/or parents often ask about social work services and any counseling practices. It is important to me that you know how we will work together. I believe our work will be most helpful to you when you have a clear idea of what can be expected.
About Social Work and Counseling
I strongly believe you should feel comfortable with the social worker you choose, and hopeful about the changes you are making. One of my founding principals is based in therapeutic rapport. I believe a strong relationship is the key to any lasting change and I will work hard to ensure the students know I care about them as a person as well as their success. As a social worker, I am trained in developing relationships, helping students access needed services and facilitating change. Social workers attempt to understand individuals in the context of their larger environment - meaning I will look at all of the factors that might be influencing each situation. When I provide counseling services, I utilize approaches and techniques that I have learned are effective through experience and in my education and training programs. I am guided in my decisions about what technique to utilize for a particular problem by research that identifies evidenced based practices. If at any time you have any questions about my approach with you I hope you will not hesitate to ask me. My theoretical influences combine several schools of thought including: Strengths-Based, Solution Focused,
Cognitive-Behavioral and Relational.
My Background
I am an LICSW or an Independent Clinical Social Worker licensed by the state of Minnesota. I obtained a masters degree in social work from Augsburg College, an accredited university. Following the completion of that program, I completed two years of supervised clinical practice and passed two licensing exams. Clinical Social Workers need to maintain their licensure by following a code of ethical practice and obtaining ongoing training and education. I have over 11 years of experience providing inpatient and outpatient mental health services to individuals with a wide variety of presenting concerns and problems. I have experience working with students Pre-K through 12th grade.
My educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology (minor in Special Education) from Southwest Minnesota State University, and a Master of Social Work from Augsburg College. I also completed four courses, experiential hours and a oral presentation to complete my certification in Yoga Calm. I am also currently enrolled at Minnesota State University, Moorhead pursing a Post-Masters Certificate in School Counseling. (I LOVE learning!!) :)
My Competencies
I am competent to provide counseling to children, adolescents, and families and experiencing the following:
The Benefits and Risks of Counseling
As with any treatment, there are some risks as well as many benefits with counseling. You should think about both the benefits and risks when making any treatment decisions. For example, in counseling, there is a risk that student will for a time, have uncomfortable levels of sadness, guilt, anxiety or other negative feelings. Students may recall unpleasant memories. Sometimes, too, a student's problems may temporarily worsen after the beginning of treatment. Most of these risks are to be expected when people are making important changes in their lives. Finally, even with our best efforts, there is a risk that counseling may not work out well for you. While considering these risks, you should know also that the benefits of counseling have been demonstrated by scientists in hundreds of well-designed research studies. Students’ relationships and coping skills may improve greatly. They may get more satisfaction out of family relationships. Their personal goals and values may become clearer. They may grow in many directions—as persons, in their close relationships, in their work or schooling, and in the ability to enjoy their lives.
About Social Work and Counseling
I strongly believe you should feel comfortable with the social worker you choose, and hopeful about the changes you are making. One of my founding principals is based in therapeutic rapport. I believe a strong relationship is the key to any lasting change and I will work hard to ensure the students know I care about them as a person as well as their success. As a social worker, I am trained in developing relationships, helping students access needed services and facilitating change. Social workers attempt to understand individuals in the context of their larger environment - meaning I will look at all of the factors that might be influencing each situation. When I provide counseling services, I utilize approaches and techniques that I have learned are effective through experience and in my education and training programs. I am guided in my decisions about what technique to utilize for a particular problem by research that identifies evidenced based practices. If at any time you have any questions about my approach with you I hope you will not hesitate to ask me. My theoretical influences combine several schools of thought including: Strengths-Based, Solution Focused,
Cognitive-Behavioral and Relational.
My Background
I am an LICSW or an Independent Clinical Social Worker licensed by the state of Minnesota. I obtained a masters degree in social work from Augsburg College, an accredited university. Following the completion of that program, I completed two years of supervised clinical practice and passed two licensing exams. Clinical Social Workers need to maintain their licensure by following a code of ethical practice and obtaining ongoing training and education. I have over 11 years of experience providing inpatient and outpatient mental health services to individuals with a wide variety of presenting concerns and problems. I have experience working with students Pre-K through 12th grade.
My educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology (minor in Special Education) from Southwest Minnesota State University, and a Master of Social Work from Augsburg College. I also completed four courses, experiential hours and a oral presentation to complete my certification in Yoga Calm. I am also currently enrolled at Minnesota State University, Moorhead pursing a Post-Masters Certificate in School Counseling. (I LOVE learning!!) :)
My Competencies
I am competent to provide counseling to children, adolescents, and families and experiencing the following:
- Depressive Disorders
- Anxiety Disorders
- Adjustment Disorders
- Friendship/Relational Problems
- Problems related to Abuse or Neglect
- Attention Issues
The Benefits and Risks of Counseling
As with any treatment, there are some risks as well as many benefits with counseling. You should think about both the benefits and risks when making any treatment decisions. For example, in counseling, there is a risk that student will for a time, have uncomfortable levels of sadness, guilt, anxiety or other negative feelings. Students may recall unpleasant memories. Sometimes, too, a student's problems may temporarily worsen after the beginning of treatment. Most of these risks are to be expected when people are making important changes in their lives. Finally, even with our best efforts, there is a risk that counseling may not work out well for you. While considering these risks, you should know also that the benefits of counseling have been demonstrated by scientists in hundreds of well-designed research studies. Students’ relationships and coping skills may improve greatly. They may get more satisfaction out of family relationships. Their personal goals and values may become clearer. They may grow in many directions—as persons, in their close relationships, in their work or schooling, and in the ability to enjoy their lives.
Informed Consent
PRIVACY OF INFORMATION SHARED IN COUNSELING/THERAPY:
YOUR RIGHTS AND MY POLICIES
What to expect:
The purpose of meeting with a counselor or therapist is to get help with problems in your life that are bothering you or that are keeping you from being successful in important areas of your life. You may be here because you wanted to talk to someone about these problems. Or, you may be here because your parent, guardian, doctor or teacher had concerns about you. When we meet, we will discuss these problems. I will ask questions, listen to you and suggest a plan for improving these problems. It is important that you feel comfortable talking to me about the issues that are bothering you. Sometimes these issues will include things you don’t want your parents or guardians to know about. For most people, knowing that what they say will be kept private helps them feel more comfortable and have more trust in their counselor or therapist. Confidentiality is an important and necessary part of good counseling. I will explain confidentiality during our initial session and review it throughout our time together.
As a general rule, I will keep the information you share with me in our sessions confidential, unless I have your written consent to disclose certain information. There are, however, important exceptions to this rule that are important for you to understand before you share personal information with me in a therapy session. In some situations, I am required by law or by the guidelines of my profession to disclose information whether or not I have your permission. I have listed some of these situations below.
Confidentiality cannot be maintained when:
YOUR RIGHTS AND MY POLICIES
What to expect:
The purpose of meeting with a counselor or therapist is to get help with problems in your life that are bothering you or that are keeping you from being successful in important areas of your life. You may be here because you wanted to talk to someone about these problems. Or, you may be here because your parent, guardian, doctor or teacher had concerns about you. When we meet, we will discuss these problems. I will ask questions, listen to you and suggest a plan for improving these problems. It is important that you feel comfortable talking to me about the issues that are bothering you. Sometimes these issues will include things you don’t want your parents or guardians to know about. For most people, knowing that what they say will be kept private helps them feel more comfortable and have more trust in their counselor or therapist. Confidentiality is an important and necessary part of good counseling. I will explain confidentiality during our initial session and review it throughout our time together.
As a general rule, I will keep the information you share with me in our sessions confidential, unless I have your written consent to disclose certain information. There are, however, important exceptions to this rule that are important for you to understand before you share personal information with me in a therapy session. In some situations, I am required by law or by the guidelines of my profession to disclose information whether or not I have your permission. I have listed some of these situations below.
Confidentiality cannot be maintained when:
- You tell me you plan to cause serious harm or death to yourself, and I believe you have the intent and ability to carry out this threat in the very near future. I must take steps to inform a parent or guardian of what you have told me and how serious I believe this threat to be. I must make sure that you are protected from harming yourself.
- You tell me you plan to cause serious harm or death to someone else who can be identified, and I believe you have the intent and ability to carry out this threat in the very near future. In this situation, I must inform your parent or guardian, and I must inform the person who you intend to harm.
- You are doing things that could cause serious harm to you or someone else, even if you do not intend to harm yourself or another person. In these situations, I will need to use my professional judgment to decide whether a parent or guardian should be informed.
- You tell me you are being abused-physically, sexually or emotionally-or that you have been abused in the past. In this situation, I am required by law to report the abuse to Lac qui Parle Family Services.
- You are involved in a court case and a request is made for information about your counseling or therapy. If this happens, I will not disclose information without your written agreement unless the court requires me to. I will do all I can within the law to protect your confidentiality, and if I am required to disclose information to the court, I will inform you that this is happening.
(McKibbin, L., Mental health professionals, Inc..www.mentalhealthprofessionalsin.com, 2016)
Counseling Forms
consent_to_counsel_form_2015-2016.pdf |