11 Feb Counselor Ethics and Responsibilities Assignment Guidelines
Part One: The Counselor’s Role in Protecting Client Rights
Choose one of the 2 scenarios below. Use this scenario in order to explain the topics in Sections 1-3.
Scenario 1-Clinical Mental Health Counseling:
Emily, a 28-year-old woman, seeks counseling for stress and anxiety related to her job and personal life. She works in a high-pressure corporate environment and has been experiencing panic attacks. Emily is also dealing with unresolved childhood traumas, and her symptoms have started to affect her performance at work and relationships at home.
During the initial session with her counselor, Dr. Jane Roberts, several key areas are addressed, including the informed consent process and the ethical principles underlying clinical practice.
Scenario 2-School Counseling
Jessica Miller is a 12-year-old seventh grader at Silver Oaks Middle School. Recently, she has been showing signs of distress, avoiding school activities, and her grades have been declining significantly. Her parents, concerned about these changes, have set up a meeting with the school’s counselor, Mr. David Smith.
Mr. Smith, an experienced school counselor, understands the importance of addressing potential underlying issues such as bullying, family dynamics, or mental health challenges. During their session, Jessica admits she has been bullied by a group of students, leading to severe anxiety and depression. As Mr. Smith navigates this case, he must uphold the counselor’s role in protecting client rights by incorporating ethical principles and ensuring informed consent processes are followed.
1. One of the roles of clinical mental health counselors is to do no harm. Based on your chosen scenario and relevant research on the topic, describe how counselors incorporate the following six principles of ethical practice in order to maintain client rights.
· Autonomy
· Nonmaleficence
· Beneficence
· Justice
· Fidelity
· Veracity
2. In all clinical settings the informed consent process is important because it protects the privacy and dignity of the client. Reference your chosen scenario and discuss how the informed consent process protects client rights in the following areas:
· Billing
· Right to Privacy
· HIPAA compliance
· Compliance with credentialing board requirements for incorporating informed consent into practice
3. What are some of the important elements in the ACA Code of Ethics/ ASCA Ethical Code for School Counselors to consider if your session is via telehealth? How can you apply this information to your chosen scenario?
Part 2: Counselor Responsibilities
For part 2, address the items below. You will not be referencing the scenarios in Part 1.
1. Responsibility to Warn and Protect
Identify the factors that you will consider in order to determine your “duty to warn” and “duty to protect” responsibilities as a counselor. Be sure to consider ethical guidelines as well as the legal considerations pertaining to the “duty to warn” and “duty to protect” in the state in which you plan to practice.
2. Client Record-Keeping
Discuss the role of the counselor for client record keeping in one of the following settings:
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
· A client’s right to a professional standard of care
· The counselor from malpractice
· Notification of client’s rights
· Storing files and documents electronically
School Counseling
· What does the ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors say about student record keeping?
3. Counselor Values
Select one of the following issues you feel strongest about from the following:
Abortion. (A 19-year-old rape victim wants an abortion, but her parents are vehemently opposed to abortion on religious grounds and have stated that they will no longer consider her their daughter if she proceeds. The young woman is firm in her plans but wants your help in changing her parents’ attitudes.)
Gay adoption. (John and Bill, after living in a committed relationship for 7 years, decide that they want to begin a family. They have differing opinions about whether to use a surrogate mother or adopt a child.)
Assisted suicide. (Eleanor, an 87-year-old with terminal cancer, has decided to end her life but is undecided about how to discuss this with her family, or if she should discuss it with them at all. She seeks your guidance in this decision but is not interested in revisiting her decision to end her life.)
Extramarital affairs. (Both spouses in a couple you are counseling are having affairs, which they claim are not contributing in any way to their current marital difficulties. They want your help in strengthening their marriage, but they are both committed to the “open marriage” concept that does not require sexual monogamy.)
Describe your personal values and attitudes toward the selected issues as well as how you would advocate for the client(s) in each situation you selected. How would you work with a client who was in direct conflict with your advocacy group/ a group that you are passionate about? HINT: Make sure you review the respective code of ethics specific to your program of study (ACA or ASCA). Reference the relevant ethical codes in your response.
