Comparing Ethics Codes for Specialist Counselors
Summary
This report seems at the variations among the codes of ethics introduced by three experienced counseling organizations The American Counseling Affiliation, The American Association of Christian Counselors and the American Affiliation of Pastoral Counselors. The report examines the discrepancies in the memberships of the business, the ensuing distinctions in the organizations’ code of ethics and discusses one particular lacking factor in each code.
Normal Observations on the three Codes
The codes mentioned below were published by the American Counseling Association (ACA, 2005), the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC, 2004), and the American Affiliation of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC, 1993).
The ACA Code of Ethics is revised just about every 10 yrs and was previous revised in 2005. The code has 8 sections: the counseling romantic relationship, confidentiality, specialist obligation, relationships with other experts, evaluations, supervision and teaching, investigate, and resolving moral troubles. Counseling These days summarized the Code’s recent adjustments to contain: enhanced emphasis on multiculturalism allowing for twin relationships if it consists of possibly valuable interactions broadened acceptable use of technological know-how in investigation, history keeping and counseling extra depth language on counselor impairment and transfer of customers and at last, alterations in numerous phrases but not the which means as an illustration “exams” are now referred to as “assessments”. (Highlights of ACA Code of Ethics, 2005)
The AACC code was finalized in 2004 soon after 10 yrs and 4 provisional codes. This is the longest of the 3 codes. The Code’s key sections are: applicability of the code, introduction and mission assertion, Biblical foundation principles, moral expectations, and procedural principles. The ethical specifications section is divided between the several groups of membership. The AACC Code consists of the most in depth portion on resolving conflicts and handling of grievances.
The AAPC is the shortest of the 3 codes. The code was final revised in 1993 and at this time the procedural part was separated from the Code of Ethics (Beck, 1997). The Code has 7 sections: prologue, experienced practices, customer relationships, confidentiality, supervisee, college student and staff interactions, interprofessional relationships and advertising.
Background of organizations
The ACA, AACC and AAPC, as companies, have unique charters and membership.
The ACA is an group geared toward providing services to qualified licensed counselors from all backgrounds and globe-views. For example, a member could have a earth-see centered in atheism, Buddhism, Islam or Christianity. The ACA can not think any related ethical belief or qualifications among its member.
The AACC membership has a wide part in the definition of counselor and a narrow factor in that the customers are Christian. The AACC Code of Ethics encompasses sections relevant to expert certified counselors, pastoral counselors, and lay helpers.
The AAPC has the narrowest of memberships. Full membership in AAPC needs the member have an M. Div and be ordained by a denominational organization. The denominational business does not have to be a Christian denomination. The AAPC Code in the Prologue portion precisely states the counselors are also issue to their dominations code of ethics.
Moral Descriptors Comparison
In evaluating two Christian codes from the American Affiliation of Pastoral Counselors and the Christian Association for Psychological Reports with two secular codes from the American Counseling Association and the American Psychological Affiliation, Beck the employs the 23 vital moral descriptors. The descriptors are from Williams Index of Moral Code Terminology that was recognized by Austin, Moline, and Williams (1990) as contained in the six codes they examined (Beck, 1997). Table 1 incorporates the 23 descriptors, extra terms determined and cross-references the respective codes sections to each and every descriptor or phrase.
The ACA Code consists of all of the 23 ethical descriptors discussed by Beck and most of the additional phrases. The only segment that the ACA Code does not involve is the special care sections bundled in the AACA Code linked to compound abuse, abortion, divorce, client sexual affairs, and homosexual behaviors.
The AACC Code addresses all the descriptors apart from for refusal of cure, fraud, tactics and like the AAPC Code does not include things like the more descriptors associated to the use of technological know-how, session and forensic evaluation.
The AAPC Code includes the least descriptors of the a few codes. It does not incorporate the descriptors linked to measurement tests, defense, reporting colleagues, multicultural shoppers, teams, certain treatment situations, technological innovation, consultation or forensic evaluations.
Even although the codes may perhaps consist of sections related to each individual descriptor, it does not stick to that each Code presents for similar cure of the descriptors. Two illustrations of descriptors that are managed in different ways are suicide and dual interactions.
Segment A.9 of the ACA Code discusses suicide. This portion leaves the selection to support or not aid assisted suicide up to the counselor and states that the counselor should strive to “permit purchasers to work out the maximum degree of self-determination doable”. The AACC Code discusses suicide in area E1-127. The AACC Code delivers counselors will have to refuse to “condone or advocate for energetic kinds of euthanasia and assisted suicide”. The AAPC Code does not deal with this matter. A counselor who is a member of the ACA and AACC would be subject to conflicting Codes of Ethics in the space similar to counselor steps in regards to assisted suicide.
The change linked to dual relationships are not as obvious as in suicide, but the language of the a few codes does appear to present of spectrum of assistance on twin relationships.
The ACA Code, in 2005, was improved to reduce the restriction on twin interactions. Segment A.5.d of the ACA Code now will allow a dual connection if the romantic relationship is valuable to the counseling marriage. The ACA wording seems suggest an acceptance of twin relationships. Section ES 1-140 to 1-146 of the AACC Code point out that some dual relationships are unethical. The AACC Code does enable for an exception but states that is vital for the counselor to doc the dual partnership and to plainly doc the logic for the romance in the shopper notes. The language utilized in the AACC Code seems to be fewer supportive of twin interactions than the ACA Code. The AAPC Code appears to be the most restrictive in stating in Principle III E. ” We prevent twin romance with shoppers… which could impair our skilled judgment”. The AAPC Code does not admit a good dual romance or deliver steering on how to determine or cope with a optimistic dual marriage.
Summary
Hathaway (2001) raises the problem of what basis is offered to assist the ethics code? He goes on to observe that Christian and secular expert codes are equivalent on numerous important details. He motives that this is because of to the actuality that all psychological health and fitness pros are properly trained in the exact same or similar instruction packages, work in the exact ecosystem and get the job done towards the exact targets. A equivalent question is lifted by Freeman, Engels, and Altekruse (2004) when they stated, ” these who exercise…behavioral sciences frequently make moral/ethical judgments about the appropriateness or inappropriateness of specific steps, but what is the foundation for such judgment? How are they justified?” The a single component lacking from all 3 products is the foundation for the moral selection-earning. This leaves the practitioner with no a supportive framework to reference in cases that do tumble specifically into the norm or exactly where sections of several codes conflict as pointed out higher than. The Tarasoff situation as referenced by Freeman et al. (2004) is a fantastic example of this issue. The three codes require the counselor to keep confidentiality of details similar to the counselee and counseling sessions. But how does the counselor know when a competing component of the code, such as do no hurt, would outweigh another portion with out a seem knowing of the theoretically underpinnings of the code and/or a outlined conclusion-generating design.
As the decision building model is still left up to the authors of the codes, these code will be subject to continuous redrafting to satisfy transforming examples of moral troubles that are introduced.
References
American Affiliation of Christian Counselors. (2004). AACC Code of Ethics. Alexandria, Va.
American Association of Pastoral Counselors. (1993). Code of Ethics. Fairfax, Va.
American Counseling Association. (2005). ACA Code of Ethics. Alexandria, Va.
Austin, K.M., Moline, M.E., & Williams, G.T. (1990). Confronting Malpractice: Lawful and Ethical Dilemmas in Psychotherapy. Newbury Park, Calif.: Sage.
Beck, J. (1997). Christian Codes, Are They Superior? Christian Counseling Ethics (pp. 313-325). Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press.
Freeman, S., Engels, D., & Altekruse, M. (2004, April). Foundation for ethical expectations and codes: The function of moral philosophy and idea in ethics. Counseling and Values, 48, 163-174.
Hathaway, W. (2001). Common Sense Professional Ethics: A Christian Appraisal. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 29, 224-233.
Highlights of ACA Code of Ethics. (2005, October). Counseling Right now, 1,16-17,63.
