Counseling student

Max is a student in a counselor preparation program at a local college. He is a returning adult student and does very well in classes. In fact, he’s on the Dean’s list in recognition of his high GPA. While Max does very well on his written work, his interpersonal interactions in class concern the faculty. Max’s behavior is quite bizarre; he frequently doesn’t bathe for many days at a time, and he occasionally blurts out unrelated statements during class discussions. Several of his classmates have shared with the faculty that Max has claimed that he believes that he’s being watched by the FBI, who will one day recruit him into a specialized program to combat alien invasions. While Max has earned very high grades in class, his instructors are concerned that he may not be mentally stable enough to work as a counselor. When his instructor talks with him, he becomes very defensive. The instructor cannot legally ask if Max is undergoing psychiatric treatment, but he does suggest that Max would benefit from seeking therapy. This is very upsetting to Max. He is now in his internship placement, which is a graduation requirement. His behavior at the internship placement is becoming a bit more bizarre, and his grade is just marginally passing. Should the faculty allow him to pass the internship and graduate? Or do you believe that they have the grounds as “gatekeepers” to block Max from graduating by assigning a failing mark? In this situation, Max is passing, and he would have to lose 2 points on his last in order to fail.