Legal and Ethical Issues in Counselling Suicidal and Homicide Clients Essay Example

Table of content
List of Abbreviations……………………………………………………………...2
CHAPTER ONE……………………………………………………………………….3
1.0 introduction……………………………………………………………………….3 1.1 Definition of Suicide and Homicide……………………………………………3 1.2 Homicide and Suicide Statistics ……………………………………………….3 1.3 Risk Factors……………………………………………………………………..4
2.0 Ethics and the Law: ………………………………………………………………5 2.1 Privileged Communication: …………………………………………………….6 2.2 Duty to Protect Potential Victims………………………………………………6 2.3 Duty to Warn……………………………………………………………………6 2.4 Privacy…………………………………………………………………………..7 2.5 Ethical and Legal Guidelines for Assessing Suicidal Behaviour ………………8 2.6 HIV/AIDS and the risk of Suicide……………………………………………...8 2.7 Confidentiality…………………………………………………………………..9 2.7.1 Statutory obligations to disclose……………………………………………...10 2.8 Negligence………………………………………………………………………10 2.9 Autonomy ……………………………………………………………………...12 2.9.1 Beneficence…………………………………………………………………..12
3.0 Conclusions………………………………………………………………………..13

4.0 LIST OF REFERRENCE……………………………………………………….14

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

APA: American Psychiatric Association

ARV: Anti-Retroviral

F. C: Football Club

PVS: Persistent Vegetative State

U N: United Nations

USA: United States of America

WHO: World Health Organization

WPV: Work Place Violence

CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction
Clients with suicidal and homicidal thoughts sometimes seek help from Counsellors. A client exploring end-of-life issues and the option of suicide may present as a complex, stressful, ethical, and legal case for a counsellor (Potter et al, 2004). While it is not possible to stop the murder of a determined client, it is possible to minimise the risk of such a tragic outcome. A counsellor is ethically and morally responsible to provide counselling and support for a client’s exploration of a decision about choosing whether or not to end her/his own life. This