A Documentary Study Analysis of the Scope of School Counselors’ Competence in Handling Clinical Cases in Indonesia

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of students’ mental health problems has positioned school counselors as key professionals in providing initial support within educational settings. However, the emergence of complex clinical cases in schools requires clear boundaries of competence to ensure that school counselors do not practice beyond their professional authority. This study aims to analyze the scope and limitations of school counselors’ competence in handling clinical cases in Indonesia through a documentary study of relevant regulations, professional standards, and scholarly literature. Using a qualitative documentary approach, the data were analyzed through six stages: document selection, categorization, content analysis, thematic analysis, narrative analysis, and contextual interpretation. The findings indicate that school counselors are authorized to provide promotive, preventive, educational, developmental counseling, initial assessment, simple screening, psychopedagogical support, and referral services. Nevertheless, they are not authorized to conduct clinical diagnoses based on the DSM-5, provide intensive psychotherapy, prescribe medication, or independently manage severe mental disorders, including major depression with suicide risk, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, complex post-traumatic stress disorder, severe eating disorders, and substance abuse. This study contributes a framework for defining school counselors’ competence boundaries, indicators of clinical cases requiring referral, and an interprofessional collaboration model involving school counselors, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, families, and school institutions. The findings emphasize that competence boundaries are not a professional limitation, but an ethical safeguard to protect students’ safety and well-being. The study recommends developing referral standard operating procedures, strengthening early mental health detection training, and enhancing collaboration between schools and professional mental health services.