Scenario Analysis Assignment
Directions: Read the four scenarios below. Provide a 75-150-word response to each question in all four of the scenarios presented below. Use the ACA and NAADAC Codes of Ethics and other scholarly resources to support your responses. You must provide at least one properly formatted APA citation and accompanying reference to support your response for each scenario.
Scenario One: Barbara is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) working for a nonprofit social service agency. Many of the clients in the agency are female domestic violence victims. The director of the agency has asked Barbara to develop a counseling group to serve the needs of these individuals.
Question One: What ethical matters should Barbara consider as she plans this group?
As Barbara, a licensed professional counselor, plans a counseling group to serve the needs of female domestic violence victims, the following are essential ethical matters to consider. First, she should undertake constructive consultation, explaining the requirements and standards to maintain in the group consultation process. To be part of the group, the members have to understand and uphold the first ACA ethical guidelines of beneficence and non-maleficence. To achieve this, no harm should be done to a client in any form including by words or actions. Privacy and confidentially are another key standard that has to be maintained at all costs. Having been informed of these rules and guidelines, the clients will now choose whether to take part or not.
.Question Two: What methods should Barbara use to ensure confidentiality in the context of group counseling?
In the context of group counseling, ensuring confidentiality is one task that has to be highly prioritized. It is a role that will not only be played by the counselor, but by the whole group. With reference to the ACA group’s ethical guidelines, every individual has to be valued and respected (Glowiak, Stargell, & Romero, 2018). This should be a platform where one can share their insecurities and experiences and receive empathy without judgment and malice. Therefore, for safe practice, all members have to be adequately informed beforehand and constantly reminded of the need for confidentiality. Besides, the counselor should be very intentional in setting the direction wherein the members will emulate. Through both her words and actions, Barbara should demonstrate value for trust, respect, privacy, and confidentiality.
Question Three: If breaches of confidentiality occur, how should Barbara manage them?
In cases of breaches of confidentiality, Barbara should solve the dilemma through open and unbiased communication. Since the group is cooperative, the issue should be addressed in the presence of all members. The individual responsible for breaching confidentiality will be re-schooled the group rules and explained to the need for meeting these ethical guidelines. The offended client together with the group will now decide whether to continue or terminate the individual. However, if the ethical breach is extreme and cannot be informally managed through the above ways, Barbara could opt to engage the state ethics committee.
Scenario Two
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Question One: What ethical matters should David consider before beginning to see Steve and his wife?
The case of David who is both a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) is an example of a dual relationship. Before beginning the couples counseling service, David should be ready to create an equal status for both clients (NAADAC, 2013). In assuming the two roles, he should be keen to not base his counseling on a prior judgment from his sessions with Steve. The two should remain different sessions with different content as introduced by the couple. Maintaining these ethical guidelines will safeguard Steve’s wife from harm and prevent exploitation and a conflict of interests.
.Question Two: What special issues of confidentiality may arise in the case? How should David address these issues?
Various issues of confidentiality would arise in the couples counseling sessions when David discloses information that Steve did not want to be known to his wife. This could happen accidentally, without consent from the husband and or in cases where the disclosure is inevitable. Here, the spouse will feel discriminated against and exploited, and the result of solving the marriage conflict will be tarnished. It is therefore best for David to let the couple raise issues without bringing in a new discussion from their previous interactions with Steve. This requires the counselor to remain accurate and cautious. David and Steve could even meet privately and discuss what needs to be said and what to be left out.
Question Three: How might differences in personal values and gender/cultural issues create ethical dilemmas in this case?
Ethical dilemmas could arise from differences in personal values and gender or cultural issues in this case. This is because David is working with a couple rather than a one-on-one individual. The two will have different perspectives and opinions based on their morals and cultural beliefs. For example, Steve’s wife might feel that what the spouse did was wrong while that same action could be accepted in their culture. David will have to remain neutral by neither picking sides nor insinuating partiality. Instead, he should decide on the best interest of the parties.
Scenario Three: Stephanie is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) who has decided to start a private practice as she transitions from public to private practice. As she makes her plans, there are many ethical issues she must consider. While these issues are of concern to all counselors, she must consider how they specifically impact a counselor in private practice.
Question One: How can she ethically handle limited resources, deal with cost containment issues, respond to discrimination, and promote community change?
To ethically handle limited resources, Stephanie could make an effort to provide the people with reduced fee services and allow for efficient bartering. On dealing with cost containment issues, the private practice counselor could promote the use of group counseling for clients with compatible needs and preferences. On discrimination, the advertising strategy of the private practice counselor should adequately emphasize the value of equality, justice, integrity, and respect in the company. The counselor could promote community change by connecting with the leaders and those in authority to advocate against vices such as racism, discrimination, gender-based violence, and other social injustices. By creating such a foundation and engaging with local groups, the result will be successful and change in the community will be promoted.
Question Two: As a service provider, with what ethical issues and practices related to state insurance laws and managed care must she be familiar?
Relating to state insurance laws and managed care, Stephanie has to be well aware of the ethical issue of confidentiality and privacy. When working with managed care providers, any relationship with clients should be bounded by trust and integrity. As a service provider, it is also a professional responsibility to offer ultimate non-discriminatory services that improve the lives of the people and promote their wellbeing.
Question Three: What are the ethical obligations and limitations faced by a counselor who serves clients who have been the victim of discrimination, injustice, poverty, or lack of access to behavioral health services? What best practice community-based interventions could she refer her clients to?
When serving clients who have been victims of discrimination, injustice, poverty, and lack of access to behavioral health services, one of the ethical obligations is to strive to win their trust. From this, they will slowly outgrow the spirit of social injustices and regain cooperation. The best practice community-based intervention is to engage them in communal groups counseling where they can feel appreciated. However, Stephanie has to be careful in designing these groups to avoid the limitation of people with incompatible needs trolling over them.
Section Four: Amari has recently passed her NCMHCE and will soon be considered an independent clinical practitioner. Her husband is in the military and they travel often. Amari hopes to strictly provide distance counseling in her private practice. She has never provided distance counseling, nor does she know of anyone who does it. Rely heavily on Section H: Distance Counseling, Technology, and Social Media of the American Counseling Association’s Code of Ethics to consider the following.
Question One: What should Amari consider in regard to distance counseling?
First, Amari should make special considerations on learning the new trends in technology and social media based on digital counseling. Across different states, the legal requirements pertaining to counseling have to be adhered to. This should account for both the laws of the counselor and Amari’s residential area at the time. In addition, distance counseling does not exclude the need for ethical boundaries. Clients should be prior informed of the ethical standard prohibiting personal relations or virtual friendships. Therefore, Amari has to be keen on keeping all interactions professional and giving technology informed consent to all her clients.
References
Glowiak, M., Stargell, N., & Romero, D. (2018). Key considerations for counselor community engagement. Retrieved November 5, 2018, from Counseling Today: https://ct.counseling.org/2018/11/key-considerations-for-counselor-community-engagement/
NAADAC. (2013). NAADAC Code of Ethics. Retrieved October 23, 2013, from Illinois Institute of Technology: http://ethics.iit.edu/ecodes/node/5582
