Week 2 Assignment

Standards for Ethical Practice

Ethics and Legal Issues

Standards for Ethical Practice

There are a various list of code of ethics that help guide professional counselors in their path to provide ground breaking treatment to clients. These standards of ethical practice are part of our duty to create positive change within the societies we are apart of. The purpose of this assignment is to two code of ethics that I will be using in this course. Also this paper will explore how these codes of ethics apply to my work as a future counselor.

What are the Codes of Ethics

As future professional counselors there will be various codes of ethics that we will use during our course work that will help impact the greatness we will look to achieve in our years to come helping clients in the best ways possible but also being ethical in our guidancess. Two codes of ethics that will be beneficial in this course are Standards A.2. Confidentiality and Standards C.2. Non-discrimination (Cite). Confidentiality is defined by AMHCA (2010) as “Mental health counselors have a primary obligation to safeguard information about individuals obtained in the course of practice, teaching, or research. Personal information is communicated to others only with the person’s consent, preferably written, or in those circumstances, as dictated by state laws. Disclosure of counseling information is restricted to what is necessary, relevant and verifiable.” In similar terms this means that a mental health counselor has a right or obligation to protect information that is shared with them, from clients. If a client’s information is shared with other individuals, that counselor must have some type of consent by the client itself or directed under law to share.

Non-discrimination is the second code of ethic than will play a key role in our course work in this class. Non-discrimination is defined by AMHCA (2010) as “Mental health counselors do not condone or engage in any discrimination based on age, color, culture, disability, ethnic group, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, or socioeconomic status.” This means that although mental health counselors are not prefect they must not bring biases, judgments, or discrimination into their counselor sessions or interactions with clients and collages.

Similarities vs Differences

Although non-discrimination and confidentiality are two different codes of ethics they have some similarities when it comes to providing positive change in client’s lives. They both make counselors check their beliefs, biases, and judgment at the door. These two codes of ethics put the client first, they rights are protected in everyone. For example, if a client shares information with their counselor about drug use or involvement, a counselor can not share that information with others with their consent. This counselor also can not express racial discrimination because this client is African American.

As many codes of ethics may have similarities they also have many differences, which is way they are in different sections and subheads. The biggest different between the two is that non-discrimination main focus is to make discrimination nonexistent when it comes to treatment for clients. For a therapeutic relationship to be effective a counselor must be aware of their own difference, biases, and limitation and make the conscious effort to not let it effect the work they do with clients. Confidently focuses on the rights of the client, giving them a voice but also making the environment they share their information in trust worthy enough to continue.

Future Professional Counselors

As a future professional counselor the code of ethics is what we stand for, it is not only a place to protect clients and their rights, but also counselors. These codes of ethics remind and help counselors of their duty to protect and create positive change in the communities they reach. For me non-discrimination and confidentiality are very key in my future as a counselor. I must be able to see the world from a client’s perspective, that includes knowing our limitations, biases, and judgments. We must be able to take clients to a place we have been ourselves in order to help them. Confidentiality gives clients the right to make sure the information they share with us stays with us unless otherwise granted permission from them or instructed by law. This create trust in the therapeutic relationship.

This paper discussion two important key codes of ethics I will use in this course; it also explores the importance of these codes of ethics to my future as a professional counselor. Confidentiality in terms means that a mental health counselor has a right or obligation to protect information that is shared with them from clients. If a client’s information is shared with other individuals, that counselor must have some type of consent by the client itself or directed under law to share. Non-discrimination means that although mental health counselors are not prefect they must not bring biases, judgments, or discrimination into their counselor sessions or interactions with clients and collages.

References

American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA). (2010). 2010 AMHCA code of ethics [White Paper]. Retrieved from