Reference no: EM133624166
Ethics are necessary because they represent the gold standard to which you should aspire as a counselor. Indeed, it is fair to say that most individuals who seek professional training in a helping profession are motivated to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to provide the highest-quality services possible. In fact, you can probably think of someone in the helping profession whom you admire and strive to model. Perhaps it is a senior colleague with whom you work or even someone you have seen portrayed in a movie. You may think of this person as representing the gold standard with regard to professionalism and integrity. This is a person who, more or less, serves as your reference point when ethical issues arise. In other words, your default option is to place yourself in the shoes of someone you admire and operate from within their framework when resolving the issue. Perhaps you have accumulated enough experience that you can start using yourself as a reference point.
1. Who is your ethical standard? Why? How have they influenced your future ethical decisions?
2. So with all of the 'ethics' training professional counselors receive why are there still so many ethical violations? What do you think contributes to this?
Look at the following scenario:
Jack is a recovering alcohol counselor working in a treatment program. He has a short lapse after losing a close friend. He promptly goes to AA, shares with his sponsor, and makes an appointment to see a grief counselor. He does not drink again. The treatment center where he works has a policy that requires two years of continuous sobriety. No one knows of Jack's lapse and it has not impacted his work. He fears he might lose his job if he discloses his lapse to the employer. He comes to you as a trusted coworker and asks your advice. (There are a lot of 'rights' in this scenario...right to Jack, right your friendship with Jack, right to the employer, right to the clients, right to the profession, and right to you.)
3. What do you do?
4. What do you say to Jack?
5. If Jack does not want to tell his supervisor about his lapse would you?