Ethics I: Brief Review

ACA Practitioner's Guide to Ethical Decision Making

100

This step involves reviewing the ethical codes that apply to the dilemma. 

Step 2 Apply the ACA Code of Ethics

200

This step involves reviewing relevant professional literature to ensure you are using the most current professional thinking. 

Step 3 Determine the nature and dimensions of the dilemma.

300

This step entails eliminating the options that clearly do not give the desired results or that cause even more problematic consequences. 

Step 5 Consider the potential consequences of all options and determine a course of action. 

400

This step applies three simple tests to the selected course of action to ensure that it is appropriate: justice, publicity, and universality. 

Step 6 Evaluate the selected course of action.

500

This step involves brainstorming as many potential course of action as possible.

Step 4 Generate potential courses of action.

Foundational Principles

100

This principle reflects the counselor's responsibility to contribute to the welfare of the client. 

Beneficence

200

This principle is the concept of not causing harm to others. 

Nonmaleficence

300

This principle involves the notions of loyalty, faithfulness, and honoring commitments.

Fidelity

400

This principle addresses respect for independence, and self-determination, allowing an individual the freedom of choice and action. 

Autonomy

500

This principle involves fairness, moral rightness, and the equitable treatment of individuals. 

Justice

Ethics vs. Law

100

This dictates minimum standards of behavior that society will tolerate. 

Law

200

This represents the ideal standards expected by the counseling profession. 

Ethics

300

This U.S. law protects the privacy and security of clients' medical and mental health information.

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)

400

When a counselor receives this legal document, they should consult an attorney before releasing any client information. 

Subpoena

500

This document ensures that clients understand the nature, risks, benefits, and limits of counseling before agreeing to participate. 

Informed Consent

Professional Identity of Counselors

100

This is the primary national voluntary certification agency within the profession. 

NBCC (National Board for Certified Counselors)

200

This organization sets the standards for counseling programs and accredits them in the United States. 

CACREP (Council for Accredited of Counseling and Related Educational Programs)

300

This counseling model focuses on promoting overall mental, physical, and emotional health rather than just treating illness.

Wellness Model

400

This term refers to a counselor who defines reality according to one set of cultural assumptions and fails to evaluate other viewpoints, which renders the counselor insensitive to cultural variations. 

Culturally encapsulated counselor

500

At the associate level, this is the minimum amount of supervision per month that counseling trainees are required to receive to ensure proper professional development. 

4+ hours per month of supervision

Ethics 101

100

These refer to the personal principles or beliefs that guide an individual's sense of right and wrong.

Morals

200

This refers to a client's right to control their personal information and decide what is shared.

Privacy

300

This is primarily an ethical issue.

Confidentiality

400

This is primarily a legal issue.

Privileged communication

500

This is the purpose of the code of ethics in client-professional relationships. 

Protect and promote the welfare of the client.