SAC Technology & Digital Tools 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A SAC counselor wants to conduct a remote session with a homebound student. Which FERPA consideration is most critical when selecting a telehealth platform?
- Ensure the platform has a Business Associate Agreement and data encryption (Correct answer)
- Choose the platform with the lowest subscription cost
- Select any platform the student already uses socially
- Use standard consumer video apps since they are widely available
Correct answer: Ensure the platform has a Business Associate Agreement and data encryption
FERPA requires that student education records be protected; platforms handling this data must have appropriate security agreements and encryption in place.
Question 2: When documenting a student's substance use counseling session in a school's electronic student information system, the counselor should:
- Enter only behavioral observations using non-diagnostic language protected under 42 CFR Part 2 (Correct answer)
- Record full substance abuse diagnoses so all staff can assist the student
- Avoid documentation entirely to protect confidentiality
- Share session notes freely with the student's entire support team
Correct answer: Enter only behavioral observations using non-diagnostic language protected under 42 CFR Part 2
42 CFR Part 2 restricts disclosure of substance use disorder records; school counselors should use behavioral observations rather than diagnostic details in shared systems.
Question 3: A counselor notices a student's social media posts contain escalating references to hopelessness and self-harm. The BEST immediate digital tool response is to:
- Use the information to initiate an in-person safety assessment with the student (Correct answer)
- Screenshot and report directly to social media platform moderators only
- Send the student a supportive comment on the public post
- Monitor passively and wait for the student to self-refer
Correct answer: Use the information to initiate an in-person safety assessment with the student
Social media monitoring can serve as an early warning; the appropriate response is to convert digital observations into a direct, in-person safety assessment.
Question 4: Which digital screening tool is most widely validated for early identification of adolescent substance use risk in school settings?
- CRAFFT (Car, Relax, Alone, Forget, Friends, Trouble) (Correct answer)
- PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire)
- AUDIT-C (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption)
- DAST-10 (Drug Abuse Screening Test)
Correct answer: CRAFFT (Car, Relax, Alone, Forget, Friends, Trouble)
The CRAFFT is specifically designed and validated for adolescent substance use screening in primary care and school settings.
Question 5: A school district implements an online referral portal for student assistance services. To comply with IDEA and Section 504, the portal must:
- Be accessible to students and parents with disabilities, including screen reader compatibility (Correct answer)
- Require in-person completion to verify identity
- Limit access to school staff only to protect student privacy
- Collect social security numbers for identity verification
Correct answer: Be accessible to students and parents with disabilities, including screen reader compatibility
Section 504 and the ADA require that digital tools used in schools be accessible to individuals with disabilities, including assistive technology compatibility.
Question 6: When using a data dashboard to track student intervention outcomes, which metric BEST reflects program effectiveness for a SAC program?
- Reduction in disciplinary incidents related to substance use over time (Correct answer)
- Number of students enrolled in the school
- Total number of referrals received regardless of outcome
- Counselor caseload size per semester
Correct answer: Reduction in disciplinary incidents related to substance use over time
Tracking reductions in substance-use-related disciplinary incidents directly measures whether the SAC program is achieving its prevention and intervention goals.
Question 7: A counselor receives a parent email requesting all digital records of their child's counseling sessions. Under FERPA, the counselor's obligation is to:
- Provide access to educational records but may withhold personal treatment notes not shared with others (Correct answer)
- Release all records immediately without review
- Deny the request because counseling records are always confidential
- Require a court order before releasing any records
Correct answer: Provide access to educational records but may withhold personal treatment notes not shared with others
FERPA grants parents access to education records, but sole-possession treatment notes not disclosed to others are excluded from the definition of education records.
SAC Technology & Digital Tools 2
A SAC counselor wants to conduct a remote session with a homebound student.
Which FERPA consideration is most critical when selecting a telehealth platform?