Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-2-2025

Abstract

Counselor education programs are required to demonstrate a clear framework, effective implementation, and overall program effectiveness. The pandemic’s surge in online instruction influenced CACREP’s (2024) digital delivery (DD) standards, addressing ethical and legal implications alongside student outcomes. Guidance from digital health initiatives, telemental health ethics and legal practices can be invaluable in clarifying DD protocols for counselor education programs. Understanding the parallels between DD and digital health regulations (e.g., HIPAA, ACA [2014], and NBCC [2023] ethical codes) provides a solid foundation for protecting both students and programs. Integrating technology and modeling digital health practices can enhance counselor education, benefiting both training and program delivery. Public Significance Statement: This article emphasizes the importance of ethically and legally sound digital delivery frameworks in counselor education. As programs expand online learning opportunities, aligning digital instruction with established digital health and telemental health practices provides a model for protecting students, faculty, and institutions. By integrating standards from CACREP (2024), HIPAA, ACA (2014), and NBCC (2023), counselor education programs can strengthen ethical practice, enhance technological competence, and improve both training outcomes and overall program effectiveness.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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