Although counselors in 44 states are mandatory reporters of child maltreatment, they may lack an understanding of their legally designated role. This article presents the results of a systematic review of child maltreatment reporting laws in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The authors apply relevant legislation to real-life contexts for counselors.
Learning Objectives:
Examine the laws and subsequent responsibilities of counselors as mandated reporters in all states and the District of Columbia
Understand how state laws vary regarding acts that constitute abuse and neglect; types of reportable abuse; which professionals are labeled as mandatory reporters; and the penalties and liabilities for failure to report
Over the last decade, conscience objections have surfaced in the public arena, raising questions as to whether counselors may legally refuse services to LGBTQ+ clients due to a counselor’s personally held beliefs. These laws not only deny services to LGBTQ+ clients, but are in direct violation of the ACA Code of Ethics (2014). In addition to values-based referrals, this presentation will address other challenging and complex ethical and legal issues all counselors, particularly those working with LGBTQ+ adults, need to know.
Learning Objectives:
Understand the impact of conscience clause legislation on the counseling profession.
Examine the intersection of values and ethics in counseling.
New technology offers new opportunities for counselors and their clients—but it also offers ethical and legal complications which must be thoroughly considered. Distance counseling is a growing industry in which counselor and client do not necessarily meet in person but communicate through other devices such as computers and cellular phones. Marlene Maheu, PhD., defines and discuses distance counseling and its compatibility with HITECH and HIPAA regulations. She also provides information on complicate with the law and the ACA Code of Ethics. Dr. Maheu is a licensed psychologist, the executive director of the TeleMental Health Institute and editor-in-chief of the TeleMental Health Newsletter.
Summarize the basic tenets of Dr. Marlene M. Maheu webinar presentation.
Discuss Distance Counseling, HITECH, and HIPAA regulations.
Provide viable information on compliance with the law and code of ethics.
*Counselors requiring New York State approval must contact ACA upon completion to obtain customized CE certificate
One of the most popular services provided by the American Counseling Association is its ethics consultation for members. The 2014 ACA Code of Ethics is a key tool for all counselors looking for guidance in navigating ethical quandaries in their practices. Perry C. Francis, Ph.D., and Linda Shaw, Ph.D., address the issues of referrals, value, and competence in a clear and practical fashion. They review the ethics code and provide an illustrative case to help counselors provide a quality standard of care for a diverse client population. Dr. Francis is a practicing counselor, supervisor, and counselor educator at Eastern Michigan University. Dr. Shaw is a professor and department head in the Department of Disability and Psycho-educational Studies at the University of Arizona.
Summarize the basic tenets of Dr. Perry Francis and Dr. Linda Shaw’s webinar presentation: Ethics, Competence, Values, and Referrals.
Address the issues of referrals, values, and competence in a clearer fashion.
Review ethics and a illustrative case that will help you provide a quality standard of care for a diverse client population.
*Counselors requiring New York State approval must contact ACA upon completion to obtain customized CE certificate
What is the best way for a counselor to resolve an ethical dilemma? One of the first resources should an ethical decision-making model. Jeannette Baca, Ph.D, LPCC, provides an overview of the fundamental principles of professional ethical behavior. She also discusses values and competence as it relates to termination and referrals. Dr. Baca served as president of the New Mexico Counseling Association and was Ethics Chair for six years. She also served on the American Counseling Association’s Ethics Revision Task Force.
Summarize the basic tenets of Dr. Jeannette Baca’s webinar presentation: Resolving Ethical Issues.
Provide an overview of the fundamental principles of professional ethical behavior.
Discuss values and competence as it relates to termination and referrals.
*Counselors requiring New York State approval must contact ACA upon completion to obtain customized CE certificate
The 2014 ACA Code of Ethics contains a new section on distance counseling, technology, and social media. The code provides ethical considerations and guidance for the use of these mediums in the profession and with clients. Michelle E. Wade, LCPC, and Jeannette Baca, Ph.D, LPCC, discuss why this new section was needed in the code and provide examples of technologies currently being used within the mental health profession. Their presentation will assist participants in developing protocols for working with these new technologies. Ms. Wade is a doctoral candidate from Argosy University–DC whose dissertation focuses on social media and counseling. Dr. Baca served as president of the New Mexico Counseling Association and was Ethics Chair for six years.
Summarize the basic tenets of Michelle Wade, MS, M.Ed, NCC, LCPC and Dr. Jeannette Baca’s webinar presentation: Distance Counseling, Technology, and Social Media.
Discuss Ethical Considerations, and reasoning behind including Section H in the 2014 ACA Code Ethics .
Provide examples of technologies currently being used within the mental health profession
*Counselors requiring New York State approval must contact ACA upon completion to obtain customized CE certificate
Ethics is one of the most complicated areas that counselors must master, because it is a wide field with many nuances and challenges. Barbara Herlihy, Ph.D., LPC, LPC-S, and Gerald Corey, Ed.D., ABPP, address a range of topics related to the revised 2014 ACA Code of Ethics and provide highlights on the new seventh edition of the ACA Ethical Standards Casebook (2015) and the third edition of Boundary Issues in Counseling (2015). They focus on competence, managing value conflicts, counselor education and supervision, and effectively and ethically managing boundary issues in the practice of counseling. Dr. Herlihy is a university research professor in the counselor education program at the University of New Orleans. Dr. Corey is a professor emeritus of human services at California State University at Fullerton.
To offer audience participants an opportunity to raise questions of the presenters on the topics of the program.
To explore the role of values in the counseling process and to provide guidelines for ethically managing a counselor’s values in his or her professional work.
To highlight a few of the challenges involved in acquiring and maintaining competence.
To explore a few ethical issues in clinical supervision.
To examine some of the 2014 standards that apply to counselor education.
Source: Using Technology to Enhance Clinical Supervision, edited by Tony Rousmaniere and Edina Renfro-Michel
Description: In this chapter, we focus on ethical guidelines that are available for counseling supervisors and the underlying ethical principles and virtues to consider in the use of technology-assisted-supervision (TAS).
Objectives:
Examine guidance from the literature, ethical principles, and virtue ethics on the use of technology in clinical supervision.
Explore common ethical issues counselors encounter in technology-assisted supervision (TAS).
Source: Counseling Research: A Practitioner-Scholar Approach by Richard S. Balkin and David M. Kleist
Description: The historical antecedents leading to the formation and implementation of institutional review boards (IRBs) are rooted in human tragedies from a multicultural context. An understanding and practice of ethical behavior in research is a federal mandate as well as a professional obligation. The requirements of meeting this charge, from both a legal and moral standpoint, are explored in this chapter.
Objectives:
Understand historical antecedents leading to the formation and implementation of institutional review boards, federal guidelines, and research ethics
Examine federal regulations from Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP)
The 2014 ACA Code of Ethics outlines the ethical responsibilities of its members and provides guidance to counselors in fulfilling their professional responsibilities. The ethics code is revised every seven to 10 years to reflect changes in society; changes in the way we, as professional counselors, view our relationships with our clients; and our evolving view of competent practice.
As the counseling profession matures, actions that the American Counseling Association takes help crystalize who we are as a profession. Ethics, foundational moral principles and professional values are central to who we are, what we believe and how we should carry out our responsibilities to others. Each iteration of the ACA Code of Ethics, beginning with the 1961 code, has attempted to highlight that.
ACA’s ethics codes have always put clients first. The 2014 ACA Code of Ethics built upon previous codes to further clarify the expectations for ethical behavior by counselors. The current code makes it clear that counseling is about the client, not the counselor.
Learning Objectives:
Develop an understanding of some changes to the 2014 Code of Ethics;
Understand the issues regarding personal values in counseling; and
Gain an understanding of competence and referrals.
