Counselor Ethics And Responsibilities Paper
Counselor Ethics and Responsibilities
Counselor Ethics and Responsibilities
An individual decides to become a counselor, the counselor is willing to work with individual who come from all walks of life, the counselors responsibility is to treat all clients with respect and equality (Corey, Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2014). Counselors are taught to remove his or her personal values and beliefs so the focus can be place on the client and the need for services for the client. The discussion in this paper will focus on the counselor’s values and beliefs and what steps are needed if the values and beliefs do not coincide with the clients. The counselor is still required to maintain a professional relationship with his or her …show more content…
client when providing services and knowing how to response to the client in professional and respectful manner to the client. When counselors are presented with certain situations to address such as abortion and assisted suicide, the counselor needs to understand when it is appropriate to share his or her personal values and beliefs. The counselor is working with clients to help address and provide services and in doing so the counselor needs to remember that clients have rights, remember to first do no harm, autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice and fidelity(Corey, Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2014). These are five principles a counselor will utilize to help protect the rights of the client he or she is working with. The counselor will need to understand the responsibility for duty to warn and duty to protect and the ethical guidelines to follow as well as the laws. The importance of client record keeping, making sure the client understanding what a release of information is for and the consent process (ACA 2005).
Counselor Values For some individuals abortion is a very sensitive topic, when a woman is thinking about abortion most likely she has already thought about the positive and negative consequences of an abortion (Katz, Beech, n.d.). As a counselor is open to sharing her thoughts and feelings about abortion this counselor could goes both ways, if the individual has been raped and becomes pregnant the counselor will support the individual if an abortion is what the individual is wanting. This counselor is open minded about the situations and is willing to take the time to understand and reserve judgment if the individuals feels strongly about abortion. If an individual becomes pregnant and does not want the responsibility of the pregnancy and baby the support would not be for an abortion. The reason for the abortion needs to make sense morally and ethically for this counselor, but the counselor will hold judgment and continue to support her clients and provide the support and guidance needed. For example a young 19 year old is the victim of rape, and from the rape the 19 year old is now pregnant. The 19 year old explains she wants to have an abortion; her parents are against the abortion and have threated to disown the daughter if she decides to follow through with the abortion. The 19 year old would like your help in changing her parent’s attitudes about the abortion (Katz, Beech, n.d.). The counselor would need to work with the client and her parents about 19 year olds reason for the abortion, allowing the family to discuss what has happened and working to help the parents understand the importance for the support. When doing this the counselor needs to think about the ethical issues which could arise, and support the client during the whole process. The counselor will seek support and guidance from the supervisor to make sure the counselor is following all the ethical guidelines as well as the law (Katz, Beech, n.d.). As a counselor you agree to provide support and services to individuals regardless of the situation the individuals are faced with, the counselor has values and beliefs that he or she is raised with. Those values and beliefs have guided the counselor, with certain situation those values and beliefs have been put to the waist side so the counselor can continue to assist the clients (Katz, Beech, n.d.). When a counselor is presented with a situation from his or her client pertaining to the terminal illness of cancer the client has been diagnosed with and her wish is to die by assisted suicide. The counselor may not agree with the client and this might not allow the counselor react in a professional manner, the counselor will need to consult with her supervisor to review the situation and the next best steps to take. The counselor will work with the client and help guide her in the discussion which needs to take place with her family. The counselor will reserve her values and beliefs and continue to support the client (Katz, Beech, n.d.).
Client Rights
A counselor will need to incorporate the following five principles to maintain the client’s rights.
The Code of Ethics was designed to provide principles and guidance to organizations, with the guidance comes the five principles, how to incorporation the following within an organization autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, fidelity (Corey, Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2014). When including autonomy, a counselor will value and treat all clients with equality, these individuals whom are seeking services. The organization would work with and understand the five principals and how the five principles relate, support and helps the clients. Autonomy will allow a client to make a decision pertaining to his or her own heath care, such as the type of treatment he or she wants (Corey, Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2014). With autonomy the counselor will obtain an informed consent prior to providing treatment for the client. Nonmaleficence is the responsibility of the counselor to help prevent the client from intentional harm, and beneficence is to do well for the client. When working with clients the counselor has an obligation to treat the client with fairness in a just manner for justice, and fidelity deals with a trust relationship, putting the client first even when the counselor is at odds with the values and beliefs of the client (Corey, Corey, Corey, & Callanan, …show more content…
2014).
The informed consent process is very important for the counselor and the client, this document covers important information about the treatment process, the release of information, the billing process for the services the client is receiving. Part of the informed consent process understands the protection the document provides for the counselor and the client, such as the right to privacy and HIPPA (Corey, Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2014). The document provides the client with all the necessary information, so the client believes he or she is well informed about the organization, the treatment, billing, his or her rights as a client and his or her right to privacy. When the client full understanding he or she will sign and date the document before any assessments for treatment has been done (Corey, Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2014).
Responsibility to Warn and Protect The responsibility to warn and protect is very important when a counselor is treating a client who has made a verbal threat to hurt others and possess the means to do so. The duty to warn the individuals who might be in harm’s way and to alert the authorities of the threat made by the client is very important and is also mandatory within the state of Arizona (Griffin, 2010). The justification to warn is based on the information disclosed by a client and of the intent to harm others (Griffin, 2010). The responsibility of a counselor to consider the duty to protect is when a client disclosed he or she is a victim of abuse by another, the counselor will work with the client to take the necessary steps to make sure the client will be safe (Griffin, 2010). The client chooses not to disclose additional information in fear of retaliation, so the counselor will seek support and guidance from his or her immediate supervisor (Buel, Drew, 2007). The responsibility of the counselor is to protect the client so no harm comes to the client, the counselor will work with the client to help take the necessary step to keep him or her safe. The counselor will need to work with authorities, the counselor needs to report the situation that is happening to the client (Griffin, 2010).
Client Record-Keeping
The record-keeping of a client is very important; the counselor will record all visits and work to complete all records pertaining to all clients who have received treatment as well as assessments (, 1993). The process of documentation by a counselor helps to ensure the plan for treatment is followed, it is the responsibility of the counselor to document all contact with his or her clients in detail. The documentation allows for the counselor and his or her supervisor determine the progress a client is experiencing as well at the outcomes. The informed consent process is important, the process gives the protection needed for the clients to receive the standard care needed for treatment (, 1993). The document that authorizes to release information is also an important document to review with all clients, explaining the importance of the document which provides the client with written consent to release protected information (Pomeranz, Handelsman, 2004). A counselor that maintains detailed notes of all contact with clients give him or her strong defense when if allegations are brought up (, 1993).
Conclusion
A professional counselor has specific responsibilities when working with clients, the counselor will have to put aside his or her personal values and beliefs, seek guidance and support from his or her immediate supervisor (Corey, Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2014). The counselor will maintain a professional with his or her client at all times, if he or she believes this cannot be done the counselor needs to seek guidance from his supervisor. A counselor needs to know the rights of a client, the counselor will keep accurate and complete records of client contact and work to protect the client’s records. A counselor needs to understand how the duty to warn and protect is handled within the state he or she will practice and understanding the legal aspect of the reporting process is very important (Corey, Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2014).
References
American Psychological Association, Committee on Professional Practice and Standards. (1993). Record keeping guidelines. American Psychologist,
48, 984–986.
American Counseling Association (2005). ACA code of ethics. Alexandria, VA: Author. American Psychological Association (2009). Report of the American Psychological Association Task Force on appropriate therapeutic responses to sexual orientation. Retrieved from: .apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/therapeutic--‐response.pdf
Buel, S., & Drew, M.
(2007). Do ask and do tell: Rethinking the lawyer’s duty to warn in domestic violence cases. University of Cincinnati Law Review, 175, 447-496. Retrieved from http://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/ethics-articles/Duty_to_Warn,_Duty_to_Protect/
Corey, G., Corey, M. S., & Corey, C. (2014). ISSUES AND ETHICS in the HELPING PROFESSIONS (9th Ed.). Retrieved from http://gcumedia.com/digital-resources/cengage/2014/issues-and-ethics-in-the-helping-professions_ebook_9e.php.
Katz, B., & Beech, R. P. (, May). Values and Counselors. Personnel & Guidance Journal, 58(). Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/eds/detail/detail?vid=5&sid=fa6c04ce-5f66-424f-8549-65d2d3aae929%40sessionmgr4005&hid=4213&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=6470059
National Conference of State Legislatures Staff Research; Edwards, Griffin Sims. Database of State Tarasoff Laws, February 2010; Soulier, M., et al. "Status of the Psychiatric Duty to Protect, Circa 2006." J Am Acad Psychiatry Law 38:457-73, 2010.
Pomeranz, A. M., & Handelsman, M. M. (2004). Informed
consent revisited: An updated written question format. Professional Psychology:
Research and Practice, 35, 201–205.
.
Counselor Ethics and Responsibilities
An individual decides to become a counselor, the counselor is willing to work with individual who come from all walks of life, the counselors responsibility is to treat all clients with respect and equality (Corey, Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2014). Counselors are taught to remove his or her personal values and beliefs so the focus can be place on the client and the need for services for the client. The discussion in this paper will focus on the counselor’s values and beliefs and what steps are needed if the values and beliefs do not coincide with the clients. The counselor is still required to maintain a professional relationship with his or her …show more content…
client when providing services and knowing how to response to the client in professional and respectful manner to the client. When counselors are presented with certain situations to address such as abortion and assisted suicide, the counselor needs to understand when it is appropriate to share his or her personal values and beliefs. The counselor is working with clients to help address and provide services and in doing so the counselor needs to remember that clients have rights, remember to first do no harm, autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice and fidelity(Corey, Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2014). These are five principles a counselor will utilize to help protect the rights of the client he or she is working with. The counselor will need to understand the responsibility for duty to warn and duty to protect and the ethical guidelines to follow as well as the laws. The importance of client record keeping, making sure the client understanding what a release of information is for and the consent process (ACA 2005).
Counselor Values For some individuals abortion is a very sensitive topic, when a woman is thinking about abortion most likely she has already thought about the positive and negative consequences of an abortion (Katz, Beech, n.d.). As a counselor is open to sharing her thoughts and feelings about abortion this counselor could goes both ways, if the individual has been raped and becomes pregnant the counselor will support the individual if an abortion is what the individual is wanting. This counselor is open minded about the situations and is willing to take the time to understand and reserve judgment if the individuals feels strongly about abortion. If an individual becomes pregnant and does not want the responsibility of the pregnancy and baby the support would not be for an abortion. The reason for the abortion needs to make sense morally and ethically for this counselor, but the counselor will hold judgment and continue to support her clients and provide the support and guidance needed. For example a young 19 year old is the victim of rape, and from the rape the 19 year old is now pregnant. The 19 year old explains she wants to have an abortion; her parents are against the abortion and have threated to disown the daughter if she decides to follow through with the abortion. The 19 year old would like your help in changing her parent’s attitudes about the abortion (Katz, Beech, n.d.). The counselor would need to work with the client and her parents about 19 year olds reason for the abortion, allowing the family to discuss what has happened and working to help the parents understand the importance for the support. When doing this the counselor needs to think about the ethical issues which could arise, and support the client during the whole process. The counselor will seek support and guidance from the supervisor to make sure the counselor is following all the ethical guidelines as well as the law (Katz, Beech, n.d.). As a counselor you agree to provide support and services to individuals regardless of the situation the individuals are faced with, the counselor has values and beliefs that he or she is raised with. Those values and beliefs have guided the counselor, with certain situation those values and beliefs have been put to the waist side so the counselor can continue to assist the clients (Katz, Beech, n.d.). When a counselor is presented with a situation from his or her client pertaining to the terminal illness of cancer the client has been diagnosed with and her wish is to die by assisted suicide. The counselor may not agree with the client and this might not allow the counselor react in a professional manner, the counselor will need to consult with her supervisor to review the situation and the next best steps to take. The counselor will work with the client and help guide her in the discussion which needs to take place with her family. The counselor will reserve her values and beliefs and continue to support the client (Katz, Beech, n.d.).
Client Rights
A counselor will need to incorporate the following five principles to maintain the client’s rights.
The Code of Ethics was designed to provide principles and guidance to organizations, with the guidance comes the five principles, how to incorporation the following within an organization autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, fidelity (Corey, Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2014). When including autonomy, a counselor will value and treat all clients with equality, these individuals whom are seeking services. The organization would work with and understand the five principals and how the five principles relate, support and helps the clients. Autonomy will allow a client to make a decision pertaining to his or her own heath care, such as the type of treatment he or she wants (Corey, Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2014). With autonomy the counselor will obtain an informed consent prior to providing treatment for the client. Nonmaleficence is the responsibility of the counselor to help prevent the client from intentional harm, and beneficence is to do well for the client. When working with clients the counselor has an obligation to treat the client with fairness in a just manner for justice, and fidelity deals with a trust relationship, putting the client first even when the counselor is at odds with the values and beliefs of the client (Corey, Corey, Corey, & Callanan, …show more content…
2014).
The informed consent process is very important for the counselor and the client, this document covers important information about the treatment process, the release of information, the billing process for the services the client is receiving. Part of the informed consent process understands the protection the document provides for the counselor and the client, such as the right to privacy and HIPPA (Corey, Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2014). The document provides the client with all the necessary information, so the client believes he or she is well informed about the organization, the treatment, billing, his or her rights as a client and his or her right to privacy. When the client full understanding he or she will sign and date the document before any assessments for treatment has been done (Corey, Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2014).
Responsibility to Warn and Protect The responsibility to warn and protect is very important when a counselor is treating a client who has made a verbal threat to hurt others and possess the means to do so. The duty to warn the individuals who might be in harm’s way and to alert the authorities of the threat made by the client is very important and is also mandatory within the state of Arizona (Griffin, 2010). The justification to warn is based on the information disclosed by a client and of the intent to harm others (Griffin, 2010). The responsibility of a counselor to consider the duty to protect is when a client disclosed he or she is a victim of abuse by another, the counselor will work with the client to take the necessary steps to make sure the client will be safe (Griffin, 2010). The client chooses not to disclose additional information in fear of retaliation, so the counselor will seek support and guidance from his or her immediate supervisor (Buel, Drew, 2007). The responsibility of the counselor is to protect the client so no harm comes to the client, the counselor will work with the client to help take the necessary step to keep him or her safe. The counselor will need to work with authorities, the counselor needs to report the situation that is happening to the client (Griffin, 2010).
Client Record-Keeping
The record-keeping of a client is very important; the counselor will record all visits and work to complete all records pertaining to all clients who have received treatment as well as assessments (, 1993). The process of documentation by a counselor helps to ensure the plan for treatment is followed, it is the responsibility of the counselor to document all contact with his or her clients in detail. The documentation allows for the counselor and his or her supervisor determine the progress a client is experiencing as well at the outcomes. The informed consent process is important, the process gives the protection needed for the clients to receive the standard care needed for treatment (, 1993). The document that authorizes to release information is also an important document to review with all clients, explaining the importance of the document which provides the client with written consent to release protected information (Pomeranz, Handelsman, 2004). A counselor that maintains detailed notes of all contact with clients give him or her strong defense when if allegations are brought up (, 1993).
Conclusion
A professional counselor has specific responsibilities when working with clients, the counselor will have to put aside his or her personal values and beliefs, seek guidance and support from his or her immediate supervisor (Corey, Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2014). The counselor will maintain a professional with his or her client at all times, if he or she believes this cannot be done the counselor needs to seek guidance from his supervisor. A counselor needs to know the rights of a client, the counselor will keep accurate and complete records of client contact and work to protect the client’s records. A counselor needs to understand how the duty to warn and protect is handled within the state he or she will practice and understanding the legal aspect of the reporting process is very important (Corey, Corey, Corey, & Callanan, 2014).
References
American Psychological Association, Committee on Professional Practice and Standards. (1993). Record keeping guidelines. American Psychologist,
48, 984–986.
American Counseling Association (2005). ACA code of ethics. Alexandria, VA: Author. American Psychological Association (2009). Report of the American Psychological Association Task Force on appropriate therapeutic responses to sexual orientation. Retrieved from: .apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/therapeutic--‐response.pdf
Buel, S., & Drew, M.
(2007). Do ask and do tell: Rethinking the lawyer’s duty to warn in domestic violence cases. University of Cincinnati Law Review, 175, 447-496. Retrieved from http://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/ethics-articles/Duty_to_Warn,_Duty_to_Protect/
Corey, G., Corey, M. S., & Corey, C. (2014). ISSUES AND ETHICS in the HELPING PROFESSIONS (9th Ed.). Retrieved from http://gcumedia.com/digital-resources/cengage/2014/issues-and-ethics-in-the-helping-professions_ebook_9e.php.
Katz, B., & Beech, R. P. (, May). Values and Counselors. Personnel & Guidance Journal, 58(). Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/eds/detail/detail?vid=5&sid=fa6c04ce-5f66-424f-8549-65d2d3aae929%40sessionmgr4005&hid=4213&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=6470059
National Conference of State Legislatures Staff Research; Edwards, Griffin Sims. Database of State Tarasoff Laws, February 2010; Soulier, M., et al. "Status of the Psychiatric Duty to Protect, Circa 2006." J Am Acad Psychiatry Law 38:457-73, 2010.
Pomeranz, A. M., & Handelsman, M. M. (2004). Informed
consent revisited: An updated written question format. Professional Psychology:
Research and Practice, 35, 201–205.
.