The Counselling Profession, Labour Mobility and Professional Regulation

1. The Counselling Profession, Labour Mobility and Professional Regulation Labour Mobility Working Group of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association HRSDC CCPA

2. Today’s Symposium: Development of a Framework for a National Code of Ethics Purpose: To create a national template for a professional Code of Ethics that: Has the flexibility to address provincial/territorial requirements Provides sufficient specificity to be helpful yet with sufficient generality to support the diversity of counselling and psychotherapy practitioners Uses the areas of alignment in existing Codes of Ethics across Canada as its foundation

3. Today’s Symposium: Development of a Framework for a National Code of Ethics Objectives of a National Code of Ethics Framework Jean Pettifor (2004) provides a compelling argument for a universal declaration of ethical principles for the profession of psychology. She refers to the comparative work of Gauthier (2002, 2003) and his findings that ethical principles and values seem relatively consistent across the: Canadian Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, European Federation of Psychologists Association, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

4. Today’s Symposium: Development of a Framework for a National Code of Ethics Objectives of a National Code of Ethics Framework Pettifor’s findings (2004) are consistent with the findings of the Project Working Group during their research into the counselling and psychotherapy profession. The profession of counselling and psychotherapy shares a scope of practice with psychologists and the Project Working Group (2008, 2009, 2010) has found that the consistencies across Codes of Ethics for various modalities of counselling and psychotherapy are extensive in Canada, United States, Australia, and United Kingdom.

5. Today’s Symposium: Development of a Framework for a National Code of Ethics Context: Gauthier identified common principles that anchored Codes of Ethics internationally. These are cited in Pettifor (2004) as: Respect for the dignity and rights of persons Caring for others and concerns for their welfare Competence Integrity Professional, scientific, and social responsibility (p. 264)

6. Today’s Symposium: Development of a Framework for a National Code of Ethics Context: Pettifor clarifies the objectives of Codes of Ethics: To promote optimal behaviour by providing aspirational principles that encourage reflection and decision making within a moral framework, and To regulate professional behaviour through monitoring and through disciplinary action against those who violate prescriptive and enforceable standards of conduct (Sinclair et al., 19878; Jordan & Meara, 1990; Lindsay, 1996; Pettifor, 1996; Fisher, 2003; Pack-Brown & Williams, 2003 in Pettifor, 2004, p. 264).

7. In Development: Framework for National Code of Ethics

8. Today’s Symposium: Development of a Framework for a National Code of Ethics Our work today: WHAT Consult with stewards Recommendations for research sources Recommendations for confirmation process Communication strategy HOW Small group / roundtable discussions Recorder (chart paper) Reporter (oral summary of findings)

9. Thank you / Merci