Ethical Dilemmas Of The ACA Code Of Ethics

Ms. Smith reported severe sexual abuse by her biological father, between the ages 6-12. She attempted to advise her

In conclusion as I mentioned before counselors must remain confidential in all aspects of their job including testing and assessment. The ASCA and ACA provide codes of ethics to follow. Counselors should follow these code of ethics to prevent misuse of test, releasing client information and many more. Now that we live in an era where technology is advanced school counselors must be mindful to ensure that their clients information will remain confidential. There are numerous of assessments that require proper training before administering. Counselors must be competent in an assessment before they can administer it. It is up to counselor to determine of they are competent enough to administer a test but there are sources that can help a counselor

My Field Supervisor updated me about a report she received from a foster parent about child on child sexual interaction. Immediately a feeling of disgust came over me. As my mind started to process what she said, I began to wonder what have the children been exposed. Upon further investigation my supervisor told me that one of the foster children disclosed to the foster parent that they had engaged in sexual activity with her step-father. This made me feel sad for the foster child, because I have observed her in past visit and she is very temperamental. Learning about sexual abuse in children, I now understand the behaviors she displays. This was the first time she disclosed any type of sexual abuse. Hearing about this foster family made me angry, because the child is so young and innocent and it makes me mad that someone would take of advantage of her in this way. This makes me think about how I will react if a client discloses to me the field.

Great post! I like how you applied participants from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. In section A of the ACA code of ethics (2014), it focuses on the counseling relationship, that they encourage to actively attempt to understand the diverse culture backgrounds of the clients they serve.

Another patient, whose story affected me on a deep level, was molested as a child. As an adult she was married, and after a year of marriage her husband began to physically abuse her. She came to my program after a suicide attempt. It was a struggle for her to get out of bed every morning and come to the program. She would wear a

Taking the role of the school counselor in the case of the 11-year-old girl, the counselor would first empathize with the girl and let her know that she is very courageous for sharing the information. Additionally, the counselor would want to emphasize the importance of continuing the counseling relationship with the student to help her with this difficult situation. Next, the counselor would remind the student about the limits of confidentiality. Further, the counselor would tell the student that she is concerned for her safety and that based on the limits of confidentiality that was discussed during the beginning of counseling and the informed consent paper that was signed by parents and students at the beginning of the year, the counselor would need to get the student some help. The counselor would ask the student if she could share this information with her mother with the support of the counselor or get the student’s okay to share the information with her mom. This would help to keep the counseling relationship in tact. However, if the child did not want the counselor to tell anyone, the counselor would still be obligated as a mandated reporter to report the abuse to child protective services (State of Hawaii Department of Human Services, 2007). The counselor would also tell the student what the next steps would be and help her prepare for them. For example, the counselor would tell the student that she would be calling a person that would come visit her home to make sure she was safe.

All mental health professionals are expected to follow the Code of Conduct. Ethic codes reveal general principles and standards of conduct. It is expected that professionals respect the code of ethics; however, having a code of ethics does not guarantee that mental health providers will follow them.

There are multiple precautions and/or practices that private practitioners can adopt that will minimize their liability, while also promoting the best possible practice and therapy for their clients. Following the Code of Ethics, while maintaining current educational and supervision practices also help.

I believed that confidentiality could not be broken under any circumstances and that the only stakeholder would have been the client. Taking the act Utilitarian perspective, a helping professional needs to ask herself/himself whether that particular circumstance will result in the greatest happiness. Keeping this in mind, the therapist considers the potential consequence of each scenario. Thus, breaking confidentiality and reporting to the law enforcement is sometimes the best action to take as it would strop harm experienced by the client or others involved. In fact, maintaining confidentiality is not always an ethical decision. The therapist needs to consider the scenario that would bring the greatest good. Confidentiality might not always be the most important aspect, especially when treating a minor who is abused and/or neglected. This is when the notion of Consequentialism comes in handy, the good is determined by the consequences of the act. I believe this in particular is a very important ethical aspect that going forward with my studies, and eventually professional practice, will be especially

As a counselor is hired to work for any organization they should always remember that their first duty is always to the client. The ACA code of ethics A.6.a explains that counselors “have an obligation to advocate for individuals at an individual, group, institutional, and societal levels to examine potential barriers that inhibit success and growth (ACA, 2014). Counselors cannot truly be advocating for their clients if do have an understanding of their clients culture or the adversities and problems they face. In order to for counselors to truly help their clients they have to understand their clients world view (Sue & Sue, 2013). The first step that any counselor would need to take in working for an organization such as WEAVE, is to learn

Everything you talked about in your post conforms to the guideline of ACA. As we exercise our skills, we do so that we might better match the demands of our clients and create a healthier society.

You bring up some interesting and valid points, I agree with you that the therapeutic relationship need to be maintained and protected as well as Marcie’s confidentiality. Once again, I agree that Marcie needs to be involved with the decision making process of breaching confidentiality, and if she agrees to disclose to her mother, only disclose what she has agrees upon. As you stated, her mother brought her in, so it would seem that her mother is part of her support system, and informing her of what her daughter is going through would be wise and could help minimize harm to the client. Although, with that being said, she is a functioning adult and does not follow under the ACA codes A.2.d. or B.5.a., thus we are not obligated to inform her

At this point as a student, I believe I have a firm grasp on the foundations of the ACA Code of Ethics. The ACA Code of Ethics is organized for several valuable reasons. The ACA Code of Ethics serves the community, the members of the ACA, and helping professionals (CASEBOOK). The ACA Code of Ethics was created to protect and promote the wellness of the community, educate members of the helping profession and community, improve the practice of helping professionals, and protect the clients and the practitioners (LEGAL). The approach the ACA Code of Ethics uses is holding health professionals accountable for their clients. This allows clients to be protected and to be counseled in a safe and non-judgmental environment. There are five core values the ACA holds for all helping professionals. The first is enhancing growth and development for clients. The second core value is brining awareness to diversity and multicultural views. Third value is to promote social justice. Fourth value is building integrity and trust with the client. The last core value is practicing in an ethical manner (CASEBOOK). I understand the reason behind the ACA Code of Ethics, however I hope this class will teach me more about the individual codes.

I strongly believe this may be an opportunity to ask my client why he has kept this to himself for so long. Maybe if we explore this issue together I could find ways to better help the client and maybe getting this off his chest is what he needs. With further talk and information maybe the client will want to come clean so to speak and let the proper people know of his previous actions. I may myself as a therapist encourage the client to let the right people know of previous action. I think that he is

Child sexual abuse has been reported up to 80,000 times a year, but the number of unreported instances is far greater, because the children are afraid to tell anyone what has happened (American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry). Childhood sexual abuse is a traumatic experience affecting the lives of not only the victim, but those close to the victim as well. Many think there is only one person truly traumatized, but in fact, everyone involved is affected. The victim has to deal with their experience the rest of their lives. They may be more at risk for other mental issues as well, including depression. The family involved has to deal with its pain, often causing hardship and discord within the family. This is especially true