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Ethics: Guides for Professional Engagement

Learn about ethical responsibilities, codes, decision-making processes, and legal considerations in counseling practice. Understand foundational elements, legal issues, informed consent, confidentiality, boundaries, and multicultural perspectives.

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Ethics: Guides for Professional Engagement

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  1. Ethics: Guides for Professional Engagement

  2. Ethical Decision Making • Professional Codes of Ethics • Educate counseling practitioners about responsibilities of profession • Provide a basis for accountability • Protect clients • Mandatory Ethics • Ethical functioning following minimal standards • Aspirational Ethics • Striving for optimum standards of conduct

  3. Ethical Decision Making: Process and Procedure • Identify problem or dilemma • Identify potential issues (rights, responsibilities and welfare) • Examine codes of ethics • Consider applicable laws and regulations • Seek consultation • Brainstorm possible actions • Consider and evaluate consequences • Choose best possible course of action

  4. Foundational Elements of Ethical Practice • Counselor Competence • Informed Consent • Confidentiality & Privileged Communication • Boundaries • Dual Relationships

  5. Counselor Competence & Counseling Relationship • Primary responsibility of counselor • Respect the dignity and promote the welfare of clients • Put the needs of the client before the personal needs of the counselor • Do not practice outside of the boundaries of your competence • When training for a new specialty, arrange for supervision and consultation

  6. Legal Issues: Competence & Relationship Due Care • Counselor’s highest priority must be the care of the client. • Trust and mutual caring are key • Must inform within reason.

  7. Informed Consent • Intent is to empower clients and build trust • Promotes active cooperation of clients • ACA Code: • Must inform in writing and verbally review the rights and responsibilities of both the counselor and the client

  8. Legal Issues: Informed Consent Duty to Warn • Tarasoff v. Regents Of Univ. of CA (1976). • Must breach confidentiality if there is a threat to self or others.

  9. Dimensions of Confidentiality & Privileged Communication • Counselor’s responsibility to define the degree of confidentiality • Generally, confidentiality must be broken when client might seriously harm themselves or others. • Familiarity with local and state laws imperative • Sometimes there are conflicting ways to interpret a law.

  10. Boundaries • Best addressed within the context of counselor competence and/or dual relationships! • Counselors are responsible for establishing and maintaining appropriate boundaries

  11. Dual Relationships • Occur when counselors assume two or more roles simultaneously or seqentially • Overlap may cause harm to clients • ACA Code of Ethics • Addresses dual relationships in general form

  12. Dual Relationships, cont. • Sometimes are inevitable • Must weigh potential benefits vs. potential harm • Minimize potential risk to client Counselors must use their best judgment!

  13. Ethical Issues in the Assessment Process • Purpose of assessment • To provide measurements that are valid and reliable • Counselors must not misuse assessment results and interpretations • Do not utilize assessment procedures in which you have not been properly trained! • Never practice outside of the boundaries of your competence!

  14. Ethical Issues in a Multicultural Perspective • Individuals are best understood by considering important cultural and environmental variables. • Therapeutic strategies need to be congruent with a client’s values and behaviors. • Therapists must listen to clients. • Theory should serve as a guide.

  15. Ethical Complaints… • Failure to maintain professional conduct • Confidentiality violations • Dual relationships • Sexual intimacies • Meeting personal needs at client’s expense

  16. Ethical Decision-making • Review your actions and the process you used to make those decisions • Review the ethical guidelines that support your thinking • Discuss the situation with colleagues • Consult with professional organizations

  17. Legal considerations • In addition to ethical considerations, you must be aware of the legal aspects of counseling (both nationally and locally).

  18. Bottom line for ethical and legal issues • Abide by the ethical standards of the profession • Become familiar with the legal statutes not only for your state, but from a national perspective • Acquire knowledge about your agency’s or institutions policies and procedures.

  19. Limitations of Ethical Codes • Are general and idealistic • Seldom answer specific questions • Do not address all foreseeable professional dilemmas • Enforcement is often difficult • May be conflicts between legal and ethical codes

  20. Ethical Codes • NBCC Code of Ethics: • http://www.nbcc.org/code_of_ethics/ • ACA Code of Ethics: • http://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf • ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors: • http://www.schoolcounselor.org/asca/media/asca/Resource%20Center/Legal%20and%20Ethical%20Issues/Sample%20Documents/EthicalStandards2010.pdf

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