Ethical Case Study 3 (SLO)
NOTE:
This assignment assesses the learning covered in the course content to date and explored during our weekly live Collaborate sessions. For this project, students will demonstrate understanding and practical application of ethical and legal standards in professional counseling.
The final paper will need to be in APA 7th Edition – Student Version format and 5-7 pages in length.
Prompt
You are a member of the North Carolina State Licensure Board. Use the information we have discussed, and the case study below, to create your findings regarding the outcome of the case against the Licensed Professional Counselor/ Licensed Clinical Mental Health (LPC/LMHC) described.
Introduce your analysis with information about legal and ethical standards in professional counseling, and conclude your analysis with a reflective discussion and ethical decision-making in professional counseling. Use the eight-step decision-making model described below to organize the body of your paper. Use section headings and other APA formatting to organize your work. Use a separate header for each of the eight steps.
Case Study
‘‘At least I have an hour to catch up on paperwork.’’ Shelly thinks contentedly as she walks toward her office just after 8 o’clock in the morning. ‘‘Oh, how I need this hour before I see any clients!’’ Pleasant thoughts of catching up on paperwork are soon dashed as she enters the reception area of her office and hears a child excitedly exclaiming, ‘‘Good morning, Dr. Shelly!’’ Disconcerted, Shelly quickly recognizes a family obviously awaiting her arrival. Quickly, she tries to recall when their appointment is scheduled. ‘‘Nine o’clock. Please let it be nine o’clock,’’ she thinks.
Hesitantly smiling, she looks at the family, ‘‘I thought you were scheduled for nine this morning?’’ ‘‘No,’’ one of the parents patiently tells her. ‘‘When we scheduled with Kasey last week, you said eight o’clock this morning is best for you.’’ Shelly quickly glances at Kasey for confirmation, and Kasey raises her eyebrows while nodding, indicating that the parent is correct. ‘‘Just give me a minute,’’ Shelly says. ‘‘I’ll be right back with you. I am so sorry. I guess I just got mixed up on the time.’’ Shelly dashes out of the lobby and into her office, berating herself and thinking, ‘‘This is just perfect. This is the second time I’ve done this lately. How could this happen again? I am getting so absent-minded!’’ Walking into her office, she quickly moves to a file cabinet to retrieve the client’s file.
Out of the corner of her eye, she notices a red light on her voicemail informing her she has a message. ‘‘What now?’’ she thinks as she pushes the button to listen. Suddenly, a stern voice states ‘‘This message is urgent! Your car payment is 46 days overdue, and you must contact us immediately to make payment arrangements. If you do not do this today, we will take drastic action!’’ Shelly stares at the machine as if she has just been slapped. Panicked, Shelly thinks of the overdue car payment. She is been waiting to make the payment because she does not have the money. She is waiting to be paid herself. She filed papers a month ago with a third-party payer and has been expecting to receive their payment anytime. ‘‘I should have been paid by now!’’ she thinks.
Hesitantly, even though her client was waiting, she called Kasey using the office intercom. ‘‘Have you heard anything from the claims we filed last month?’’ Before answering Shelly, Kasey slightly hesitates. ‘‘Yes, and you’re not going to like it. They said they tried to process everything, but you didn’t fill out the whole form. They still need the diagnostic information.’’ She adds, ‘‘They said it’ll be another four weeks before they can process the claims and send payment.’’ Stiffening her jaw in disbelief, Shelly replaces the telephone receiver and stares blankly at the computer screen on her desk. ‘‘Just take a deep breath,’’ she tells herself. Almost overcome with panic and anger, she realizes that her heart is beating rapidly. ‘‘I need to get some coffee. Coffee will make me feel better.
I wish I had something to eat. I didn’t have time for breakfast again, and I sure won’t have time for lunch. I am just so tired.’’ Slowly standing, a bit weak in the knees, she walks out of her office and goes to the break room. While pouring herself a large cupful of coffee, she thinks ‘‘At least the caffeine will keep me going.’’ Smiling sarcastically, she swallows a mouthful of the hot coffee, straightens her shoulders, and pastes a smile on her face. Walking toward the lobby to greet her clients, she thinks, ‘‘How in the world am I going to get through this day?’’ As she begins the session, Shelly begins to explain to the client the challenges she is having, and the client is now comforting her and helping her to resolve what she's explaining.
Introduction: In your own words and without using direct quotations, briefly describe how knowledge of legal and ethical standards are important to professional development for counselors. Also, explain the function of the ACA Code of Ethics.
Body: Write an analysis of the assigned case using the following: The Ethical Decision-Making Model
Identify the problem.
What are the main ethical issues in the case?
Apply the ACA Code of Ethics and relevant laws.
Name, explain, and describe applications of the ACA Code to the situations described in the main ethical issues in the case.
Discuss and evaluate relevant federal or local
Discuss how you would resolve the ethical dilemma using an ethical decision-making model (EDM) of your choice, but one that is appropriate for the ethical dilemma
Discuss why you chose the EDM and how it can be integrated with your theoretical approach.
Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the EDM.
“Tune into your feelings” and relevant personal cultural views/ belief systems (Chapter 3).
a. Address cultural considerations, including the EDM's appropriateness for the cultural group(s).
Generate potential courses of action
Discuss possible consequences for the ethical decision, and their impact on all participants in the scenario, as well as their impact on the therapeutic relationship and outcomes, and possible ways to resolve potential negative consequences.
Evaluate the selected course of action.
Implement the course of action. Specifically, list your recommended course of action. Use only the choices provided and do not add remediation. State, justify, and provide support for your “vote” as a board member.
Conclusion: Write a reflective and summative description of the case analysis. Write a statement about your experience in performing this kind of learning activity (why might counselors-to-be perform analysis of this kind of case in ethical practice?).
Writing Standards
Include a title page and reference list per APA 7th Edition – Student Version formatting. Do not include direct quotations other than citations of the Standard or Laws.
****PLEASE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS AS LISTED AND REFERENCE THE TEXTBOOK THAT IS ATTACHED IN PDF FORMAT****