The following examples are representative of ethical dilemmas in social work that correspond to some of the field's key values and principles. The therapist who received this information does not know the other therapist well, but has provided some consultation for the therapist in the past. However, he researches the APA Ethics Code and believes that he may be acting inappropriately. He also wondered if he should contact the patients lawyer, with her permission, to disclose his perceptions about the quality of the report and his perceptions about the conclusions. Looking through his files, the therapist cannot find his file, so it must have been more than five or six years ago. We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Prior to providing extra-therapy support, Dr. The therapist cannot remember many details about the patient. The Center for Ethical Practice has been approved by National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as an Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. Posted Feb 15, 2019 . How easy or how difficult would it be to take those steps? During those calls, the conversations typically focus on careers, family members, and the whereabouts about other classmates. Considering the setting, parental rights and minor's rights. Ethical dilemmas in psychotherapy: comparison between patients, therapists and laypersons (1) Patients have different ethical codes from therapists and laypersons regarding the issues of confidentiality. When working as a substance abuse counselor at an LGBQT center, there are very ethical dilemmas that arise. The therapist is involved in a busy practice, specializes in treating eating disorders, and receives only occasional referrals from this physician. This article will take a closer look at what the therapist's ethical responsibilities entail and examine some common ethical problems faced by mental health professionals. Two important principles are beneficence - 'a commitment to promoting the client's wellbeing' and non . You will receive a high quality report that offers diagnostic possibilities, suicide potential, and treatment planning options for new patients. He needs assistance and monitoring with daily tasks, such as home care, shopping, transportation, understanding the settlement process, reading his mail, and paying his bills. Dr. Smith was treating Mrs. Simpson for depression precipitated, in part, by a separation and pending divorce. If you were Dr. Miller, what are your emotional reactions to this situation? Ethical issues in counseling can occur in various cases and may be overwhelming for both the professional and the client. In general, an ethical dilemma arises when a social worker must choose between two equally valid, mutually exclusive choices of action, both of which result in some sort of harm to a person or persons. . Dr. Goodfriend receives a call from Buddy, his very close high school friend. The therapist and patient discussed the type of job she was entering, because knew she might experience rejection from doctors, nurses, and other office personnel. His family lives at a distance and provides minimal help. The Center maintains responsibility for this program and its content. The contact is now requesting that Dr. Bishop begin to screen individuals for homosexual tendencies because, according to the doctrines of the denomination, such individuals are not eligible to become clergy. The physician wants the therapist to treat his 17-year-old daughter, who suffers with what he describes to be an eating disorder and perhaps some Borderline Personality Disorder traits. 2. There were contentious issues dealing with the custody arrangements of the children. Prior to returning the call, Dr. Jordan reviews the patients chart. He also divulged that his risk-taking behavior has increased as well, such as speeding. This has caused both his physical and She actually attended his graduation party briefly and hired him to cut her lawn for two years. The ethical use of assessments is important in Jennifer's case, especially in terms of using classified assessments that are deemed to be valid and reliable. After her 6 weeks of training, the company assigns her to a regional director that the therapist knows personally. Workers Compensation refuses to pay for the case management services of an independent social worker. You arrive in the intensive care unit where the patients respiratory status is rapidly deteriorating. It may rather be a sign that one is fully engaged in the life of a community. Dilemma6: Referral and Treatment Boundaries, Dilemma9: Therapist as Character Witness, Dilemma 10: Multiple Relationships Revealed, Dilemma 14: The Psychology of Advertising, Dilemma 15: To Evaluate or Not to Evaluate, Dilemma 18: Co-authorship with a Former Patient. Correct writing styles (it is advised to use correct citations) A female therapist in a suburban area has worked with a male patient for about one year. 3. DILEMMA ONE She eventually blurted out that, during a heated discussion, her boyfriend indicated that looking at online pornography was not as bad as what his uncle did. Sexual and romantic relationships between counsellors and clients are deemed unethical by both APA and ACA standards. White Plains, NY: Longman. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. She went on to detail how her boyfriend described how his uncle was involved in collecting and distributing child pornography but remained faithful to his aunt. And it has a big confusion to everyone if morality is relative. Case Study: Ethical Dilemmas In School Counseling. The client asked if she could just give Dr. Tell the information about the uncle so that she could report it to the authorities and leave her out of the situation. As the session winds down, Mr. Drapier spontaneously asks for a second opinion about his treatment with Dr. Cooper. He thinks that she is young and impressionable. New Therapist, 58, 18-26. With her husband, the patient and the ex-wife? What are the ethical issues involved in this situation? (2) Patients and lay persons are less strict than therapists regarding issues of boundaries. Buddy also shares that he has been short tempered with his wife and kids. Counselors may or may not know how to counsel people of different race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity socioeconomic status, disability, age or spirituality. At the end of the day, he listens to voicemail messages to learn that a former patient is reaching out to him for a request. Then, explain brieflyin one paragraphyour ethical rationale for your . At that time, Dr. Miller not only wanted to evaluate the marriage, but to evaluate how impaired the husband was, and to decide whether Mrs. Drapier had assessed her husbands depression and the marriage accurately. Nellie the niece of the judge had good points on a lot of the cases that where presented to them and Joseph the Lawyer had some good points as well, but it all comes down to what is the right decision for the good of all. These steps are: a). Twenty-seven school counsellors in Turkey were asked to respond to 13 vignettes with ethical dilemmas. Vignette 10: Multiple Relationships Revealed. Registration number: 419361 Dr. Smith is a therapist who has worked with a young woman for about 9 months. : ethical dilemmas, burnout, stress, practicing counselors. When dealing with the EAP program, she thinks her title of doctor might put people off, so she announces herself as Sue when dealing with EAP clients. The patient reveals that he became aware of that information after several dates and recently felt comfortable revealing this to the therapist. Retrieved from https://graduateway.com/ethical-vignette/, Ethical Dilemma on Competency and Self-Determination of Client. Here are some of the main areas that can bring up ethical and legal issues in counseling. If you were the psychologist, how would you feel about the situation? Dr. An examination by parenting professionals of the concept of overparenting, Intercultural model of ethical decision-making: Addressing worldview dilemmas in school counseling, Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation, Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook, Bir metafor almas: rencilerin rehberlik servisine ilikin alglar [A metaphor study: Students perceptions related to the guidance service], Journal of Social Sciences of Mu Alparslan University, Trkiyenin ruh sal yasas ile imtihan [Turkeys exam with mental health act], Special issue: Legal and ethical issues in school counseling, Reporting suspected child abuse: Conflicting roles for the counselor, Ethical, legal, and professional issues in counseling. Step 2: Reach out to the ACA. Plenty acting beyond the limits of her competency? a variety of upgrades, the web developer/consultant suggests that he add a testimonial page where former patients describe their positive experiences in therapy. A therapist receives a letter from an attorney indicating that he has inherited an old car from Frank Palmer. The video presentation made me look at the types of decisions that have to be made and the thought process of making these decisions. Open Document. This qualitative research aimed to define school counsellors' ethical dilemmas and their responses to such situations. Ethical dilemma is defined as "a situation which is caused by the chaos between two values in a decision-re- quiring circumstance" or "in circumstances when two or more options are encountered and there is a difficulty in deciding about which one is better; as a result of which the existing necessities cannot be met by present alternatives". Amazon.com: Case Studies in Multicultural Counseling and Therapy: 9781118487556: Sue, Derald Wing, Gallardo, Miguel E., Neville, . Dr. Bishop feels uneasy about this situation, as homosexuality has not been considered a mental illness since the 1970s. The test is designed to determine if the patient can benefit from psychotherapy, psychotropic agents, or other psychological services. Dr. Solomon, a psychologist on an inpatient psychiatric treatment team, is concerned about the pending discharge of a current inpatient. Mr. Drapier acknowledges many cognitive, behavioral, and physical symptoms of serious depression. An example of the practical steps that can be followed is: 1) Identify ethical problem, situation or issue. Ethical dilemmas. He indicates that, in order for him to benefit from the treatment, he feels a need to pay what he makes an hour. I will reflect on a video presentation as well as the North Carolina rules and regulation and the ACA Code of Ethics as it relates to confidentiality and ethics. Applying the ASCA and ACA ethical codes and the legal issues. What are the possible steps Dr. Crane can take to mitigate any potential difficulties? 8 Pages. Feeling somewhat uncomfortable with the medication management issue, the therapist indicates that she will have to look at her schedule and call him back. Mr. Biggy pulls Dr. Smith aside and explains how he has become very attracted to a new sales representative. What are the potential ethical issues in this case? She has been doing much of the case management work, e.g. From that positive experience, Dan wants to start a support organization for other GLBTQ students on campus. The physician explains that he has been medicating her for about four months with Prozac and Klonopin, once he became aware of her eating disordered behavior. Next, most vignettes have more than one ethical issue that can be addressed. To use provided clinical vignettes to practice how to recognize the ethical and legal issues. Counselors disclose information only with appropriate consent or with sound legal or ethical justification. The most frequent ethical dilemmas involved the limits of confidentiality, confusion about counsellors' professional roles in school settings, uncooperative behaviours among stakeholders, and . Rob West, President and CEO of PsychBuilder Inc. located in San Jose, California. Reaction Paper: "Ethical Dilemmas" Morality is the behavior that conforms to an accepted standard of right and wrong. ethical issues can be further complicated by the fact that legal, ethical, and school policy issues often conflict (Stone & Zirkel, 2010) and few resources exist to aid school counselors in making adequate ethical decisions (Remley & Herlihy, 2007). Mr. Drapier smelled as if he had been drinking, and he admitted that his alcohol use has increased. Patient contact information will be part of the administration process. During the course of their work, he discussed . Ethical dilemmas At stake here are several conflicting values, the concern for a fellow human being, self-preservation, success of the company and the pressure to perform. Based on the video Presentation, North Carolina Boards rules and regulation, and the ACA Code of Ethics I will make sure that I have an available copy of these documents near my work station and also an electronic copy on my Ipad so that I can easily reference them in counseling sessions or while talking with other colleagues. hasContentIssue true, The Author(s), 2022. My company has developed a unique opportunity for you and your associates. Can the client contact Child Protective Services anonymously in this case? I began to change my thought process on how serious this really is. The common ethical dilemmas experienced in all institutions were found out as "limitations to privacy", "entering into multiple relations", and "transfer of competences and values". Mrs. Simpson thought it would be good for Dr. Smith to review the report in order to help him with their therapy. The test usually takes approximately 40 to 60 minutes to administer. Dr. Tell allowed several moments to pass before asking the patient what was happening. The purpose of these psychological evaluations is to identify individuals who have gross psychopathology, strong personality disorders, or other characteristics that would make them incapable of performing their religious duties adequately. possible courses of action, d). The cost of the online administration is $25, to be paid by the patient. Also during the course of the phone contact, Chuck expresses some homicidal rage toward his parents, particularly around financial issues and early childhood sexual abuse from his father. Practical, realistic advice is proffered through vignettes that showcase typical situations and dilemmas faced by practicing counselors. Due to their lack of knowledge in that area, ethical issues may arise. The ex-wife moved back to the area about six months ago. A counselor may face several ethical issues in counseling, from bias or double relationship, involuntary patient, breach of confidentiality, moral dilemmas and other significant factors. Plenty had Mr. DiMencha sign a document explaining her fees for the additional services. (Note that choosing to not make a decision is a decision.) cite it correctly. Dr. Smith asked if he needed to inform the patient of his impressions of the report and the seemingly erroneous conclusions. Dan indicates that they may also want to engage in fundraising in order for GLBTQ students to attend state or national events. The interview schedule was related to six vignettes about "ethical dilemmas." The vignettes were established by analyzing Turkish ethical codes. While Chuck now lives in an apartment in town, she remembers him well. Need a custom essay sample written specially to meet your The counsellor is also conscious. From: PsychBuilder High Tech Psychology at Low Cost, Subject: Online Assessment Tool to Promote your Practice. While there are many different modalities, the American Counseling Association provides an ethical decision-making model that has counselors identify a problem, apply ACA code of ethics, apply state and . If you were the psychologist, what would be your emotion response to this situation? For example, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) adopts an 'Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions'. What are Dr. Millers potential ethical issues in this situation? T. he counseling field is rich with ethical issues (American Counseling Association [ACA], 2014; Bodenhorn, 2006; Herlihy & Dufrene, 2011), so counselors have to be knowledgeable about current ethical and legal topics and attentive to their day-to-day clinical work. A court appointed custody evaluator performed a child custody evaluation. What factors make this situation potentially easy for you as a therapist? Simultaneously, he strongly believes he made the right decision. (2016, Apr 28). What are the options for the therapist for both his relationship with his patient and his relationship with Mr. Biggy? Because of busy primary care practices, the PASS-2 can be completed at home, if the office does not have internet access for patient use. Case Vignettes for Review. The survey consisted of 10 vignettes based on the above ethical issues in. Mr. DiMencha demonstrates a variety of cognitive deficits. The attorney-patient indicates that he earns about 2.5 times what the psychologist asked. Bartering in psychotherapy & counseling: Complexities, case studies and guidelines. The therapist then phones you for an informal consultation. He is talking with a young man, most likely his cousin. An ongoing theme in therapy revolves around his sexual orientation. Where ethics is more than a code Wednesday, October 12, 2011 Dilemma 6: Referral and Treatment Boundaries A psychologist receives a phone call from a well-known internist in her area. What are the ethical issues involved in this scenario? Dr. Jordan thanked her for the compliment and indicated that he needed to think about the request. In this paper I will discuss the ethical vignette as it deals with confidentiality and ethical dilemmas that counselors face. After reviewing the information presented, it is clear to the treating therapist that the other therapist breached confidentiality. Dont Chuck is a 20-year old man who immediately expresses a great deal of agitation and anger. What are the ethical concerns in this scenario? Along with. He complains loudly about his parents and his girlfriend. In the process of conversation, Dr. Thomas realizes that Chuck is the son of her next-door neighbors. The therapist and the young man have been engaged in psychotherapy for the past 2 years. What are the ethical issues, if any, involved in this case? In order for a counselor to gain knowledge . 2 Print version: page 62 6 min read These two guides offer the same basic principles for ethical counselling. Mr. Biggy indicates that he wants to talk more about his feelings. Mrs. Simpson read the report and admitted that she did not understand some of the psychological jargon used in the report and had difficulty understanding what the conclusions of the report were. During the 90-minute call, Dr. Goodfriend tries to be a good listener, empathizes with Buddys difficult situation, offers advice on ways that Buddy can better manage his stress, provides him with general encouragement, and suggests a book that outlines stress management and anxiety reduction strategies. In case you can't find a relevant example, our professional writers are ready His mother had suffered from a combination of severe respiratory problems and Alzheimers. About the author. Abstract. The therapist knows that the ex-wife had been struggling with isolation and loneliness as well. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 30(3), 261-268. The client is feeling very helpless and vulnerable about this bind. The therapist has not worked with the patient for about two years. While it is not a complete assessment, it can guide patients to you for further psychological consultation. Because of his status as a well-known internist, he does not want to refer his daughter to a psychiatrist because he believes that he can handle the medication piece of her treatment. As a mandated reporter, would Dr. Tell report place her clients confidentiality be at risk? After the initial greetings, the former patient indicates that she has finally started to write down more thoughts, memories, and recollections about her abusive experiences. Dr. Bishop developed a strong relationship with this religious institution and they have been quite satisfied with his work.