Decision-Making Models
When using ethical decision-making models, remember to keep the six ethical principles in mind, which are:
1. autonomy
2. nonmaleficence
3. beneficence
4. justice
5. fidelity
6. veracity
According to the NBCC Code of Ethics, what is our number one directive as counselors?
Do no harm
What title should you have when running a not-for-profit counseling agency?
Executive Director
Most ethical dilemmas are related to ______
Confidentiality
You find yourself sexually attracted to a client. This is known as:
Countertransference
_______ is defined as the intentional separating of a counselor’s personal values from his or her professional values or the intentional setting aside of the counselor’s personal values in order to provide ethical and appropriate counseling to all clients, especially those whose worldviews, values, belief systems, and decisions differ significantly from those of the counselor.
Ethical Bracketing
According to the NBCC Code of Ethics, how long should a counselor retain client records?
NCCs shall retain client records for a minimum of five years unless state or federal laws require additional time. After the required retention period, NCCs shall dispose of records in a manner that protects client confidentiality.
What should be your first step when forming your own non-profit agency?
Familiarize yourself with 501(c)3 IRS regulations
You are counseling your first cousin for depression. Is this ethical? Why or why not?
Generally unethical as it would constitute a dual/multiple relationship
This case decided that a counselor does have a duty to warn if there is clear and imminent danger
Tarasoff v Board of Regents UCA
According to most decision-making models, what are the steps to making an ethical decision?
Identify the problem
Gather Information/Define Potential Issues
Review relevant ethical guidelines
Generate possible decisions
Assess possible consequences
Weigh risks and benefits of decision vs. consequences
Make the decision
According to the NBCC Ethical Code, what is the appropriate amount of time to wait before pursuing a sexual relationship with a supervisee?
At least 2 years after the final supervision session.
Ideally, what professions should make up the executive board of a non-profit agency?
Professionally diverse group; Ex:
Attorney, Meteorologist, Accountant, & Counselor
During a counseling session a 42 year-old male client threatens suicide. According to ethical guidelines, you should:
Alert his emergency contact (wife?) and advise of possible suicide precautions. In most scenarios, suicide is grounds for clear and imminent danger.
In the late 1970s, AACD (known as ACA since 1992) began to focus very heavily on professional credentialing. This led to the formation of the:
NBCC
The American Counseling Association (ACA) ethical standards for counselors are based on moral principles that include the following EXCEPT:
Beneficence
Veracity
Integrity
Justice
Integrity
A client asks you for classical psychoanalysis yet you have no training whatsoever in this area. If you agree to analyze the client, you are:
Many non-profits have an attorney on their board of directors, but is it ever appropriate to have more than one attorney on the board - why or why not?
Yes, only if the attorneys practice different areas of the law; Ex:
One attorney for personal liability matters, and another attorney for real estate matters.
A 16 year-old girl threatens to kill herself, and you fail to inform her parents. Your behavior as a counselor is best described as:
Negligence
A counselor reveals information that is extremely damaging to a client's reputation. This counselor could be accused of ________
Defamation
Jan, an incest survivor, is covered for six sessions by her insurance. Her counselor is in private practice and knows that Jan needs more sessions. She decides to offer Jan her services pro bono. In making the ethical decision to ensure that her client has equal access to services, the counselor is using the basic moral principal of:
Justice
According to the NBCC Code of Ethics, what steps should you take if you notice unethical behavior from a colleague?
NCCs who become aware of another mental health professional's unethical behavior shall first attempt to resolve issues through reasonable means except when state regulations require immediate reporting. In the event that it cannot be resolved, the NCC shall report the matter to all appropriate professional regulatory organizations and agencies.
When budgeting for a non-profit, how much should allocated for the board members' salaries?
None; the board of directors do not get paid.
A man has a rare, highly contagious disease that is fatal. He is keeping it a secret and insists that he will never tell his wife. You should:
Break confidentiality and tell his wife.
_____________ refers primarily to counselors' ethical duty to keep client disclosures private, whereas, _____________ is a legal term that protects certain counselor-client communication in the court system.
Confidentiality; Privileged Communication