Ethics in Career Counseling - Report Example

Introduction The term ethics is derived from the Latin word ethic which refers to moral philosophy. It is used to refer to the study of customs and values of an individual or a group. It encompasses the analysis and use of concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, and responsibility. Ethical norms are the moral standards that help us judge good from bad or right from wrong and living morally. This involves articulating the good habits or character that we should have, the consequences of our behavior on us and others and the duties that we are supposed to follow. Ethical issues touch on the basis of individual beliefs and they are bound to differ with individuals depending on cultural and social factors of the individual. Career counseling ethics is a form applied ethics that evaluates ethical guidelines and moral issues that can come up in a counseling environment. The counseling environment during the 21st century have become focused and conscience. Consequently, the need for more ethical counseling behavior, actions and processes is increasing. As a result, pressure has been mounted on the career counselors to improve their counseling ethics through laws and refined public initiatives. The variety and quantity of ethical issues in career counseling shows the extent to which the professional is considered to be in line with ethical values. Over the years, the concept of career counseling ethics accelerated sharply between the 1980s and 1990s within major organizations. (Savickas, 1993) Importance of career counseling Career counseling is important as it helps in; Making informed career resolutions and setting proper directions Changing and choosing degree programs and also majors Planning for job after graduating Determining resources that support career chose and actions (Crites, 1981) What career counseling involves Career counseling entails confidential meetings with a well trained professional for example a psychologist, or a social worker who follows the laid down ethics and standards in the profession. The career counselor will ask some questions concerning your career and your plan of life, and discuss about the main personal influences that will influence your career. Career counseling normally entails setting goals and objectives and learning to determine good career decisions. (Savickas, 1993) Career counseling does require the professionalism of trained experts since careers issues are complex and normally requires a comprehensive approach by the career counselor who should have extensive training education and experience. At the same time they are several bodies which have come of with ethical codes that the career counselors need to follow when performing their duties. Among these bodies is the National Board for Certified counselors (NBCC) the ethical code of the NBCC was adopted by the National Career development NCDA in the year 1987 and was revised in 1991. The NCDA is a scientific, educational, and professional body that is dedicated in enhancing the dignity, potential, worth and uniqueness of all individuals and at the same time serves the community. (NCDA, 2007) The National Career Development Association (NCDA) is the main body that guides the ethical conduct of career counselors in the country. The body has specific ethical conduct rules and regulations which each career counselor and other parts that are concerned are supposed to follow. The ethical code of conduct is meant to elucidate the manner of ethical responsibilities for the current and the future career professional counselors. We shall examine the ethical code of conduct in details. (NCDA, 2007) Though there are various ways of defining ethics, basically ethics and ethical conduct is about being professional and transparent. The NCDA code of ethics has been formulated as a guide to career counselors. The code of ethics offers defined principles which can be used in different situations and settings. The code serves both the careers professional counselors and those who are getting services from the counselors so that they are in a position to understand their responsibilities and rights as consumers. The ethical code of conduct is divided into nine main parts which are; Professional relationships Confidentiality and privacy Relations with other experts Evaluation, interpretation and Assessment Using the internet in career counseling services Supervision teaching and training Research findings and publication Resolving of ethical issues Professional relationship ethical code of conduct Career professional counselors support customer growth and development in a manner that enhance the welfare and interests of the customer and enhances creation of a healthy relationship. Career counselors actively try to comprehend the different cultural backgrounds of the customers they offer services to and how they affect their values and belief. Counseling relations The primary duty of a career counselor is to promote and respect the integrity and the well being of his client. Not withstanding whether the client is an individual or a group. If the career counselor is dealing with a group then, he should be responsible for ensuring that no individual suffers because of interactions in the group. It is important that career counselor keeps the information between him and the client confidential and in consistent with lawful requirements of the profession Respect; As professionals counselors they have a responsibility of respecting the dignity and promoting the wellbeing of their clients. (NCDA, 2007) Services provided; Career counselors are also supposed to differentiate between the types of service they offer. For example, career planning and career counseling should be clearly be stated as they are different from each other. (NCDA, 2007) Records; career counselors are supposed to keep records as stipulated by the law; the records have to be sufficient and timely. They have also a responsibility of ensuring that the records precisely show the progress of the client and the services being provided. In case of any errors the career counselors are supposed to correct those errors. The career counselors are expected to be aware and follow all related local, state, federal or and institutional laws, statutes and procedures relating to record keeping. (NCDA, 2007) Confidentiality and privacy; privileged communication Career professional counselors should know that trust is a keystone of the professional relationship with the client. The counselor should work to be trusted by the client. The counselor need to create partnerships, establish and uphold appropriate limits, and keep confidentiality. The counselor is supposed to ensure that he observes the following; Respecting the client rights; career counselors are supposed to keep alertness and sensitivity in regard of the cultural meaning of privacy and confidentiality. The counselor is supposed to respect the rights of the client to privacy. He should only solicit private information from the client if the information it useful to the client. Confidential information should not be shared out without direct consent of the client or by proper legal or ethical validation. However, where legal requirement and danger is, the information can be disclosed. Example, of when a career counselor can disclose information is where there is actual or suspected child abuse or if the client has a threatening disease that is communicable and may affect other people. (NCDA, 2007) Information shared with others; career professional counselors are supposed to ensure that confidentiality and privacy of client’s information is observed his subordinates who may include supervisees, employees, clerical assistant students and volunteers. Permission to record; professional career counselors should get permission from their clients before recording information from the client. It is important that when a client requests information from the counselor the professional should offer consultation and assistance in interpreting the information. (NCDA, 2007) Professional responsibility ethical code of conduct Career counselors provide honest, accurate and open communication when dealing with other professionals and that public as whole. They practice their work without discrimination within the limitations of personal competence and professionalism and have a responsibility of keeping the NCDA code of ethics. Career professional counselors have a duty to the public in engaging in ethical conduct. Thus, they should practice the underlined professional ethical conduct; Competence boundaries; professional career counselors need to practice their profession within boundaries of their capability, depending on their training, education and experience. Career counselors should only agree to be employed in areas in which they qualify depending on the education levels. It is important they also hire professions who are qualified and also competent. (NCDA, 2007) Accurate Advertising; when advertising professional counselors are supposed to state their professional credentials accurately so that, they do not mislead or deceit the public. when advertising their products or training programs, the career counselors are supposed to ensure that advertisement about these products are accurate and have full and accurate information about the product or training being advertised so that consumers or clients an make informed information. (NCDA, 2007) Nondiscrimination; as professionals, career counselors are not supposed to be engaged in any kind of discrimination behavior against any person on the basis of culture, age, race, physical/mental disability, ethnicity, religion, gender, creed, sexual orientation language preference, marital status or socioeconomic status or any other feature. Sexual Harassment: sexual harassment can be defined as soliciting for sexual favor; physical moves, nonverbal or verbal conduct which is sexual in nature, that takes place in relation to professional activities or duties, and which offensive, unwelcome, or lead to hostile workplace. Professional ethical code entails that; career counselors should not engage or pardon sexual harassment. (NCDA, 2007) Relationships with other professionals, ethical code of conduct Career professional should know that value of their contact with other colleagues can manipulate the quality of the services that they provide to the clients. Career counselors should there fore develop a constructive working relationship and good communication systems with colleges in order to enhance their services to clients. Under this code, the career counselor should follow the following discussed issues. Respecting different approaches; career counselors are supposed to respect different ways to career services which are different from their own. Ethical conduct dictates that career counselors should be respectful of practices and traditions of other experts with whom they work with. (NCDA, 2007) Establishing ethical and professional obligations; if a career counselor is a member of a multidisciplinary team, then he needs to clarify ethical and professional responsibilities of the whole team and of individual team members. In case a team decisions creates an ethical concern, the career counselor should try and solve the concern being raised within the team. If no solution is found career counselor should purse other ways to address the issue so that it is consistent with the welfare. (NCDA, 2007) Protection from punitive act; ethics implies that a career counselors should not dismiss or harass an worker who have acted in a responsible manner and exposed another worker or employee who have been practicing unethical policies. Informed permission in consultation; career counselors who provide consultation services have an ethical obligation to evaluate both in orally and in writing the rights and duties of career experts and consulters. It is important that they use plain and understandable language when informing clients concerning the services that are going to be offered, analyze cost, potential benefits and risks involved, and the boundaries of confidentiality. Career counselors have to formulate an understandable problem definition, goals and targets for change, and anticipated outcome of interventions which are culturally sensitive and suitable to the needs of the client. (NCDA, 2007) Evaluation interpretation and assessment Career counselors need to use ethical instruments in assessments as one of the constituent of career counseling services processes. It is important that the counselor should consider the clients cultural and personal context. Career counselors enhance the welfare of clients either individually or as a group in developing and applying suitable, educational, career and psychological evaluation tools. (NCDA, 2007) Assessment; the main purpose of career, educational and psychological career evaluations is to offer valid measurements which are also reliable by absolute or comparative terms. Some of the evaluations undertaken are measuring ability, interest, personality, skills, intelligence, achievements, performance and skills. Career counselors should perform these evaluations in an ethical manner and interpret the results well. Client welfare; career counselors are supposed not to misuse evaluation outcomes and interpretations. At the same time the career counselors are supposed to take measures to ensure that the results from the assessments are not misused by other. Ethical code demands that the career counselors respect the client’s rights of knowing their results, the explanations made, and the basis for career counselors’ recommendations and conclusions. (NCDA, 2007) Appropriate use; career counselors have a duty for suitable application, interpretation, scoring and use of evaluation tools that are suitable to the requirement of the client. It does not matter if they make the evaluations themselves or use technology in evaluating. However, it is important that ethical assessment tools need to be applied and proper guidelines have to be followed. (NCDA, 2007) Explanation to clients; before undertaking any assessment, career counselors need to explain the purpose and nature of the evaluation that will be carried out and the particular use of the outcome by prospective recipients. The career counselor has to give the explanation using the client’s language. Career counselors have to take in account the cultural background of the client, the understanding level of the client and the effects of the outcome on the client. Recipient of the results; careers counselors are supposed to examine the welfare, clear understanding and previous agreements to determine who is supposed to receive the assessment outcomes. Accurate and apt interpretations of the results should be included in the final assessment results. (NCDA, 2007) Release of the results to other qualified professionals; before releasing client’s information to other professionals it is important that the client give the consent or the client’s lawful representatives gives the concert. It will be unethical for the career counselor to release the information before getting the consent. More so, such results or information should only be given to those individuals that the career counselor identifies as qualified and able to interpret the information in agreement with all appropriate local, state, federal or /and institutional laws, regulations, statues and procedures. (NCDA, 2007) Use of the internet in providing career services ethical code Career counselors have embraced the new technologies such as the internet in providing the services to their clients. The counselors are using the internet in providing/supporting the services they are offering. However, when using the internet, it is important that it evaluate it use depending on the client’s cultural and personal context. More important the careers professional counselors should ethically practice and continue to enhance the clients both as individuals or a group. (NCDA, 2007) Limitations and benefits; Career counselors have to inform their clients about the limitations and benefits of using the information technology in their professional relations and also in the business/ billing processes. The information technology includes computer hardware and software, the internet, telephones and other communication tools. Statutes and laws; career professional counselors are supposed to make sure that the use of any technology service is in line with the applicable local, state or federal regulations laws, statutes and procedures. More so, if the technology is being used is cross state boundaries. (NCDA, 2007) Continuous client support; when career counselors are using the technology assisted long distance career services, it is important that the career counselors regularly monitor the progress of the client. If it id found out that little progress is being achieved then it is important the career counselor should discuss the possibility for a face-to face counseling. The career counselor has to assist the client in getting another services provide. (NCDA, 2007) Supervision teaching and training ethical code of conduct Career counselors promote respectful and meaningful professional relations and observers limitations with students and supervisees. Career professional have got pedagogical and theoretical establishment for their work and should target to be accurate, honest and fair when assessing students. To that end the code of ethics stipulates that; Client welfare; the main duty of supervisors is to supervise the services being provided by other professionals. Supervisors also oversee the client welfare and monitor the performance and also professional development, in order to meet these duties supervisors are supposed frequently with supervises to assess case notes and samples of work. Client rights and informed consent; as supervisors, it is vital that they inform their supervisees of their rights which includes protection of privacy of the client. Also confidentiality and professional relationships need to be ensured by the supervisor. Ethics dictates that supervisees do provide clients with information about professional disclosure, and tell them how supervision process does influence the boundaries of confidentiality. Teaching ethics; professional counselors who are educators have a responsibility of making students and supervisees sensitive of the ethical duties and standards in the profession and at the same time inform students of the ethical duties in the profession. At the same time there should be no romantic relationship between the student and the educators. Publication and research code of ethics Career counselors who do research are expected to make contribution to the knowledge foundation in the profession and enhance a good understanding of the situations which leads to a healthier and just community. Career counselors are supposed to support research efforts and respect various diverse research programs. (NCDA, 2007) Avoiding injuries; career counselors who carry out research using human participants should be responsible in ensuring the safety of the participants during the research process. The counselors need to take enough caution to prevent any injuries whether emotional, psychological, social or physical. (NCDA, 2007) Rights of the participants; participants have their rights to consent to be part of the research. In seeking for the consent the counselor should use ethical ways and procedures to get the consent of the participants. The participants also should not be any way forced or cheated into participating in the research. (NCDA, 2007) Relationship with the research participants; career counselors carrying out research are supposed not to have romantic or sexual relationship in the course of the research. This will ensure that the professionalism in the industry is being observed and the research findings are not compromised. (NCDA, 2007) Resolving ethical issues; Career counselors are professional and they need to observe ethical conduct when they are caring out their work. Career counselors should protect the client as trust in the profession depends on upholding high professional conduct. Incase a career counselor is in an ethical dilemma then he should try to involve all parties concerned in solving that dilemma (Crites, 1981) General information Career counselors play an important role in the profession of counseling and their constant improvement and professional services, practices and research play an important role in the profession. In order to serve well in the procession, career counselors remains with a responsibility of ensuring that they offer professional services that are in generally agreement to the principles and regulations of the institutions are place at which the counselor is working. Ethical behavior and conduct among the career counselors is expected at all times. In case the career counselor have doubt on how to access information about the ethical conduct of the profession then, the counselor may contact the relevant authorities so that he gets correct information. The counselor more so has to follow the laid down channels in ensuring that he establishes the right way of getting information. Ethical conducts when well followed protects the career counselor from the lawful suits and at the same time protects the integrity of the profession. (Savickas, 1993) Counseling is important both to the parties in this case, the client and the career counselor. Ethical conduct ensures that the rights of the clients are protected and the client gets better services from the career counselor. With raising awareness about ethical conduct in the profession, it has become increasingly important that the career counselors abide by the ethical conduct as it is a very sensitive profession. Ethical issue in the profession also needs to be followed by the clients who come for services of counseling. It is important that client follow the agreement with the professional career counselor and avoid an ethical conducts on his/her side. This will crate a good working relationship between the client and the career. Ethical issues remain sensitive as they touch on personal beliefs of a person. (Savickas, 1993) Concussion Career counseling is very important in this 21st century when a lot of people want information about career development and enhancement. However it is important the career counselor observes ethics in the profession so that they can offer better services for their clients. Ethics dictates that proper and professional ways be followed when the career counselor in performing his/her duties. National Career Development Association (NCDA) is the main body and has formulated a specific ethical code of conduct that is supposed to be followed by all professional career counselors and other parties such as the clients so that services in the professional can be streamlined. It is important also that career counselors observes the laws, regulations, statues and procedures of the federal, state or institution where the career counselor is practicing in order to avoid against going beyond the stipulated boundaries. Ethics remains an important issue in the profession and all career counselors have ca challenge of following ethical code of conduct. Reference: Crites, J.O. (1981): Career counseling: Models, methods, and materials. New York: McGraw Hill National Career Development Association (NCDA) (2007): Code of Ethics; retrieved from; www.ncda.org/pdf/EthicalStandards.pdf accessed on 29/10/07 Montross & Shinkman, C.J. (1985): (Eds.) Career development in the 1980’s. Theory And Practice. Springfield I11 Savickas, M.L. (1993): Career counseling in the postmodern era. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly, 7, Vecchione, T. (1996): Career counseling and personal counseling: You can't have one without the other, Counseling Today, Read More