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Counselor Ethics and Responsibilities Assignment Mishmash Washington Grand Canyon university: PC 505 July 31, 2013 Counselor Values On the Issue of abortion with the 19-year old rape victim, I feel that she has a right to choose whether or not to go through with the abortion. As her counselor I have to put my personal feelings aside and help her to make the best decision for herself. My client is firm In her plans to have the abortion and since she Is an adult her parent’s have no legal right to make her change her mind.
I am unable to convince the aren’t to change their minds as they are not my clients and I have no input in how they feel. According to the AC (2005) I must be sensitive to the farmland cultural beliefs and in the case of the parent’s I am to work with them to cultivate a collaborative relationship between them and their daughter. I am not to take sides but I need to listed to both points of view neutrally and advise my client of the dangers of abortion and the positive aspects. I am unable to change the parent’s attitudes or my client’s attitude regarding abortion.
It is my responsibility to assist ere In whatever decision she makes. In the case of the client who wants an assisted suicide I would encourage her to speak to her family about her decision. The AC (2005) guidelines say as a professional counselor I must ” strive to take measures to receive complete and adequate assessments regarding their ability to make competent, rational decisions on their own behalf from a mental health professional who is experienced in end-of- life care practices. ” I would refer my client to a mental health professional who can then assist her in making the appropriate decision.
Her family should also be a part f this decision and it should not be taken lightly. In an article by Mitchell ; Reeves (2009) they state that after receiving counseling the victim may change his,’ her mind or they may make a firm decision to end their life. I will put my personal feelings about the issue aside in an effort to provide the most suitable support. As a professional I have the option of whether or not to break confidentiality about my client’s decision to end her life but I must seek consultation from my supervisor or a legal party. AC 2005) Client Rights As a professional counselor It Is my duty to protect my clients rights. The four most important rights a client has the obligation to protect are: the right to privacy, the right to confidentiality, the right to not be subject to discrimination, and the right to quality care. The first Is the right to privacy “Counselors respect client rights to privacy. Counselors solicit private information from clients only when it is beneficial to the counseling process. ” (AC 2005) The client should not be subject to giving Information to a counselor that has nothing to do with their Issue and the reason they are in counseling.
A counselor should stick to what’s important and not stray room that to discuss private, personal matters with the client. Secondly the client has ten relent to coincidentally. “Counselors ay not snare continental International walkout client consent or without sound legal or ethical Justification. ” (AC 2005) There may be times when a Judge will subpoena a counselor’s records and in those instances we need to respond accordingly. A counselor has the ethical obligation to protect the confidentiality of each of their clients.
We can discuss things with other professionals when seeking advice but we should maintain the anonymity of the client in these instances. According to the AMANDA (2011) whenever a counselor has to disclose confidential information about a client, the client should be informed as to who the information was released to and the reason for the release. Next the client has to right to be free from discrimination regarding religious practices, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, physical challenges, and many other aspects of their personal lives according to the AMANDA (2011).
There are so many differences in people’s personal and professional lives that it is impossible to find someone that isn’t have several aspects of life different from mine. It is my Job as a professional to put all those differences aside and view my client as Just that. A client of mine that has enlisted my help with an issue they are facing and my focus should remain on helping my client and not Judging them for their lifestyle. Lastly, clients have the right to quality care.
The AMANDA (2011) states, “The addiction professional espouses objectivity and integrity and maintains the highest standards in the services provided. ” As a professional counselor I will be an advocate for my clients. I will stay up to date with the latest research and counseling techniques. In an article by Bernstein (1977) he states ” Don’t use new styles or fads for treatment when they have not yet been accepted or approved by your professional body. ” Although we may use these new techniques we should be properly trained on how to use them properly first.
Clients deserve to be provided with the best we have to offer which meaner updated assessments and quick results. I will keep my personal opinions to myself and will not attempt to force them onto my clients. I will remain professional at all times. Responsibility to Warn and Protect The duty to warn and protect is the result of the Supreme Court case Attracts v Regents of the University of California. (Gearing 1982) In this case the courts decided that a psychotherapist having knowledge of the client’s intent to harm another individual, has the duty to warn that individual of the impending harm.
A scenario in which a counselor would need to make the decision of whether or not to break confidentiality is: A client comes to you and tells you they have been having several personal issues with a neighbor of theirs and gives you the name of the neighbor. The client tells you that if the neighbor continues to harass them they are going to teach them a lesson they won’t forget. They client is not specific about what the lesson will entail. You are aware of the fact that the client does possess a handgun and keeps it locked in a cabinet in his home.
In this situation the counselor would have to make the decision of whether to let the local police know about this situation or probe further to determine if the client meaner to physically harm their neighbor or end his life. Another scenario is a client telling you that he feels that his 5-year-old ice’s father may be sexually abusing her. The client does not have any proof except that he noticed that his niece’s behavior has changed drastically and she appears to be afraid of being alone with her father. The niece has advised the client that she nurses clown tenure (In near private area) out retunes to tell ml anything more.
I en client has tried to talk to the niece but she is very afraid and refuses to say anything negative about her father. The client is considering bringing the mother in on what he suspects but doesn’t know how to proceed. The counselor in this case does have a duty to protect the child and will need to make the decision of whether or not to bring child welfare in to investigate. Because of what happened in the Attracts case, counselors have a duty to warn an intended victim of impending harm. If they learn of a crime that is being committed they have a duty to report that also. The duty to warn is especially important for mental health professionals who have generally been found to exist in a special relationship with their clients”. (Gearing 1982) If we as professionals in the special relationship fail to warn we may then face liability or negligence. Client Record-Keeping “Most states require, at a minimum, that an outpatient record be kept, the content of which is usually left to the discretion of the therapist… ” (Guthrie & Hilliard’s 2001) State and federal laws mandate inpatient record keeping.
According to Guthrie ; Hilliard’s (2001) there are two reasons for retaining records of counseling, clinical and legal. Clinically we want to have a complete record of every interaction we have with a client in order to be able to accurately assess them and treat them. Any lapse in records could mean a patient not receiving the proper treatment. Legally if a client wants to sue us and have the records subpoenaed we want to make sure that we have complete and accurate records. If we have not been keeping accurate notes we could be subject to large fines and/or suspension of our licenses.
The AMANDA (2011) states “The addiction professional maintains records of professional services rendered, research conducted, interactions with other individuals, agencies, legal and medical entities regarding professional responsibilities to clients and to the profession as a whole. ” A complete record of every interaction with a client should be pet in the strictest of confidence and should be locked in a file cabinet in the counselor’s office or in a space that is not easily assessable by other professionals.
These records should be destroyed ten years after the client has left the service or ten years after a minor client has reached the age of 21 as stated by (Corey, Corey, ; Callahan 2011) Working with a Prejudiced Client A client I would have trouble working with is one who is blatantly prejudiced against others and feels that his/her race is the only race with any importance. Ethically if I had no choice but to work with this client, I would do my best to not let y personal feelings get in the way of his/her recovery.
This issue is significant to me because I feel that every race is equal and should have an equal chance at success. There have been so many races that have been down trodden and made to feel less important and I want to put an end to it. If during an initial consultation a client let me know that they prefer to work with someone of their own race I would try to get them referred to someone they feel could assist them better. I would let the referred counselor know the reason for the referral and let them decide if they wish to work with this client.
Regardless of the client’s personal views, they still deserve quality care. If I were unable to refer the client I would then advise the client of this and let him/her decide how they would like to proceed. I would also let the client know that even though he/she prefers a counselor of his/her own race that I would be willing to attempt to service teen IT teen would allow me to. I would Luscious ten case Walt my supervisors and other professionals to get their opinions on how I should proceed. It would be very difficult to put my personal feelings aside and work with this client but I would do it.
If the client was verbally abusive to me I would then terminate the relationship completely. Conclusion As professional counselors we are tasked to uphold ethical and legal rights of our clients. We have to be able to put our personal feelings aside at times in order to give the best care to our clients. We have to keep accurate and complete records and protect our client’s confidentiality at all costs. We have to also respect our client’s right to privacy and not invade their privacy during our counseling sessions. Each client should be made to feel comfortable in our care.