The video of the helpful receptionist was about a wife who was having sessions and he asked the receptionist to message his wife if she could get the children because he had to go out of town. The client was going through a dispute with the husband and the receptionist confirmed her going to that counselor without her permission. Also, the receptionist was not following HIPAA law about releasing information.

The state that I live in is Hammond Louisiana; the paper should be written in APA 7

Benchmark Ethical Vignette Paper Assignment Instructions

Overview

Counselors must abide by the ACA Code of Ethics, the laws and regulations of the state in which they practice, and federal laws. Understanding and knowing these standards, laws, and regulations are imperative to a counselor’s practice standards. This assignment helps you become familiar with the ethical decision-making model, the ACA Code of Ethics, state laws, regulations, and federal laws. You will learn how to apply both ethical standards and laws to common ethical scenarios.

Instructions

Your paper must be in current APA format (title page, abstract, introduction, conclusion, reference page, etc.). The body of your paper must be 3-5 pages and your paper must include at least 4 scholarly references published within the last 5 years. Citations for both the ACA Code of Ethics and your state code of ethics must be included and count towards the 4 required scholarly references. Note that the title page and reference page do not count toward the required page length. Your paper must be well-thought-out and demonstrate critical thinking. Also, all references must be from professional sources (professional academic journals and professional texts; no informal websites; no materials from courses within the degree program).

Step 1: Choose one watch item (A Helpful Receptionist or Whose Records) from the assigned module to complete this assignment.

Step 2: Now that the scenario presented has happened to you, read the Practitioner’s Guide to Ethical Decision-Making. Read each step carefully. For this assignment, pay specific attention to steps 1-4 of the ethical decision-making model as this will become the headings for your paper as outlined in step 4 below. Step into the shoes of the counselor (as though you are the counselor in the scenario you watched).

Step 3: Read, the remaining assignment instructions in its entirety. Then, watch the selected watch item again while taking copious notes to identify the problem.

Step 4: Divide your paper into the following required headings and answer the questions below in 1st person:

Identify the problem

·    Clearly state the facts of the scenario. Do not provide innuendos, assumptions, hypotheses, or suspicions.

·    Correctly and clearly identify the problem(s) in the scenario.

·    Answer the questions: “Is this problem an ethical, legal, professional, clinical, or technology problem? Is it a combination of more than one of these?”

Apply the ACA Code of Ethics

·    Identify two to three applicable standards from the 2014 ACA Code of Ethics. Which standards apply, or can address, the problem(s) presented in the scenario?

·    Make sure to cite the standard numbers and state how the standards apply to the scenario.

Applicable State Codes/Laws and Federal Mental Health Laws

·    Which ethical codes from your state licensure laws, rules, or practice act apply to this scenario?

·    Correctly and clearly identify any Federal Mental Health Laws that apply to this scenario.

·    Make sure to include the code number(s) and state how the code(s) apply to the scenario.

Determine the Nature and Dimensions of the Dilemma

·    Identify which ACA moral principle(s) apply to this scenario. Autonomy, beneficence, justice, nonmaleficence, fidelity, and/or veracity? How do the identified principle(s) apply to the scenario?

·    If more than one applies, determine which one is priority based on the problem identified in the scenario.

·    Review relevant professional literature from professional, refereed journals, related to the identified problem and moral principle to find the most recent professional thinking regarding the ethical dilemma. Materials must be outside of your textbooks, course materials, and materials from other classes. You need at least 2 journal articles published in the last 5 years.

·    Provide two experienced professional counselors (supervisors, peers, etc.) who also abide by the ACA Code of Ethics and two state and/or national professional counseling organizations you will consult to help you with the dilemma.

Generate Potential course of action

·    Brainstorm 3-4 potential courses of action to explain how you would address or resolve the problem. Make sure this section is written in 1st person and fixes the problem. You are not preventing the problem.

·    For each potential action item, provide evidence from the literature to support your decision. Do not state you will work through the ethical decision-making model as this is the ethical decision-making model. You need at least 2 scholarly journal articles published in the last 5 years.

Step 5: When you have completed your paper, save it as a Microsoft Word document under your name and assignment title (Example: Doe_J_Ethical_Vignette_Paper). Submit your paper via the assignment submission link in Canvas and Tevera. If the final paper you submit contains entire sentences or paragraphs that have a high similarity index to other sources, it may indicate either unintentional or intentional plagiarism. You may be contacted by your instructor.

Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool