Scenario 1
Jane is faced with several dilemmas as a result of her decision to go on vacation. Significantly, her decision is based on the feeling that she is suffering from dealing with many cases without taking a break to relax. There is the question of whether or not she is right to inform some of her clients through email. Jane is a professional counselor and has several cases that are yet to meet the desired result.
Identifying the Problem
The primary issue is that Jane is developing exhaustion from her daily work routine. As a professional, she may fail to be productive to her clients. This issue relates to the counselor being a professional issue, and therefore it is necessary to take a break. In essence, there is the imminent risk of Jane breaking down since she is likely to develop depression episodes from anxiety and pressure from her work. A vital fact is that there is a need to ensure that the counselor is safe in terms of her physical and mental health (ACA, 2014). This problem is a personal issue to Jane as a professional since apart from her inability to deliver the right quality of services, she is likely to suffer crises as a result of her emotional and psychological issues.
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On the other side, Jane tells some patients about her absence and assumes that the others do not need to know. This issue is an ethical one and relates to the client. There is the assumption that the other clients are not in crisis. Significantly, as a professional, she must not assume that the clients are out of risk without completing the sessions and doing a follow-up analysis of each of them (Davis & Forester-Miller, 2011). The clients have a right to information as it affects them directly.
Also, her failure to find other ways to ensure that she takes care of the clients while she is away is risky as it may cause harm to the patients. The imminent health risk as a result of the abandonment of the clients is an ethical one as it disregards the necessity for non-maleficence (ACA, 2014). Assumedly, the neglect affects the clients as they may be at risk of relapse or development of crises. Besides, the decision to inform her clients through email may be viewed as another problem, which is a professional issue relating to the counselor. First, there is an absence of equality in the release of information to the clients, which is an ethical issue (ACA, 2014). On the other hand, the use of the email to deliver the message as confidential and crucial, as this is an issue. These two problems affect the clients, whether they are informed or not.
ACA Code of Ethics
Essentially, the code of ethics is essential in protecting both the counselor and their clients. In this case, the problems are likely to occur as Jane is putting the patients in the way of harm. Essentially, this action is unethical as the professional must; first of all, ensure that the clients are safe. It is noteworthy before anything to ensure the health of the clients by avoiding harm and helping them make decisions of their own (ACA, 2014). The communication, in this case, has been compromised as regards distance counseling and the use of technology.
The code of ethics cautions against the use of social media to deliver confidential information to clients. Notably, there is a necessity for contemplation of the boundaries that are involved in the use of social media platforms such as this (Zakaria & Warren, 2016. Emails may be at risk of breaching confidentiality since careless use may violate privacy and lend access to other parties. This issue, therefore, is against ethical regulation number B.1.C, which is under section B of confidentiality and privacy (ACA, 2014).
As a way of resolving the issue of her mental health, Jane fails to consult with other professionals. Essentially, there is a need for consultations with other professionals in her organization or outside (Kaplan et al., 2017). These consultations may help her to make the required decision, especially regarding the continuation of the client's sessions despite the absence of the counselor.
Significantly, in regards to Counselling relationships, number 12 states that a professional should not abandon their client (Ponton & Duba, 2009). In this case, Jane is neglecting her client without a proper plan. Under section C number 2.h, the expert is supposed to make sure there is a program of the handover of clients in case of incapacitation (ACA, 2014). Such scenarios include death, ailment, and where one is terminated from service. In this case, Jane needs to solve an Impending health issue. Therefore, there is a need to make a proper plan before she leaves. This plan may help her know who will take care of the client's counseling needs when she is away.
Nature and Dimension of Dilemma
Significantly, despite these shortcomings regarding the American counseling association code of ethics, she is right to take care of her health. This responsibility includes making sure that she is of good mental health. There is a need to balance her health as the professional and the health of the clients. Despite the mental health of the clients being significant, the health of the counselor is similarly essential (Willis & Molina, 2018). Therefore, Jane needs to explore the various options that are present in the current situation.
Through the decision to leave the clients in the middle of their therapy, the clients may suffer disappointment and drop out of the sessions that are remaining. This risk includes the patients losing interest in the courses and discontinuing the meetings or even sinking into depressive incidents due to an unresolved crisis after cessation (Hinz, 2017).
Additionally, justice is a principle that ensures there is fairness in the delivery of information, which lacks in the selective action to inform some clients, which involves advising only a few clients (Lindsay, 2017). Jane needs to tell all the other clients that she is leaving. Significantly, on these dilemmas, there is a need for Jane to consult her colleagues at work in the organization. This action will be fruitful as she will identify the right person to delegate her duties too. Nevertheless, this action must be discrete to avoid violating the right to privacy and confidentiality of the client (ACA, 2014). Additionally, Jane may consult the American counseling association, which may help her make the right decision informed by the code of ethics of the association.
Courses of Action
Significantly, Jane needs to address the issues that arise from her inability to provide services to her clients. For instance, there is a need to ensure that the clients are aware of her absence and failure to continue with the schedule of individual sessions. It may be necessary to call the entire group and brief them that their meetings will be halted in the time that she is away.
Essentially, this occurrence means that Jane has to reschedule all appointments to suit the clients, especially starting with the cases that need her attention without delay. Therefore, this fact means that she has to take the shortest time possible to ensure that further delay is avoided. The significance of avoiding taking long in the vacation is to avoid cases of relapse and to pull out of the sessions.
On the other hand, Jane should establish that the clients continue with the sessions by finding a counselor to continue with the sessions while she is away. This action is vital as the clients need to resolve their crises in the shortest time, which is not much time as Jane is away for some time. In essence, Jane has to consult a counselor who she thinks is up to the task to ensure that the counselor takes over from her. However, some cases, especially of those she did not initially discuss her departure with, can wait as their cases may not be severe.
Additionally, it may be necessary for her to follow-up on the clients she sent the emails to since they may have failed to receive the message. Emails are not always reliable, and some of the clients may not have seen them due to reasons such as lack of access to their emails or late delivery. The follow-up message may be sent to their phones or through letters, which she may deliver herself to the various addresses.
Evaluation
Significantly, to assess the viability of referring to all her cases, there is a need to conduct tests. Essentially, this decision is fair to both parties. For instance, there is a need for Jane to take care of her mental health. Taking care of her mental health ensures that she delivers her services well and adequately. Also, by telling all of them in person, she provides that there is justice as the clients all deserve to have the necessary information concerning their sessions.
Regarding publicity, the behavior that is represented in this decision is professional as it ensures there is confidentiality by selecting professionals to whom the referrals will be made. Therefore, the action that is resultant from this may be reported to the press. However, the reporting should exclude personal details such as pas names.
Regarding universality, this action is recommendable to other counselors since it is the best course of action considering the various situation. Both Jane and her clients are at risk of mental ill-health. Hence, the considerations must be directed to them. Therefore, any counselor in a similar situation may apply this course of action.
Implementation
As part of the implementation process, Jane should first ensure that she informs the other counselor on the personal progress of the client. This way, the counselor will be able to take the appropriate measures to deal with Individual cases. The files of these clients should be handed over to the counselor with clear indications that the information is private and confidential. Also, the clients should be handed over to the new counselor in person and the introduction of cases done by Jane. Additionally, after the vacation, Jane should ensure that she follows up on the matters to understand the progress before the files are closed.
References
American Counseling Association. (2014). 2014 ACA code of ethics. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association .
Davis, T., & Forester-Miller, H. (2011). A Practitioner’s guide to ethical decision making. Dictionary. com. (nd). Retrieved , 12 .
Hinz, L. D. (2017). The ethics of art therapy: Promoting creativity as a force for positive change. Art Therapy , 34 (3), 142-145.
Kaplan, D. M., Francis, P. C., Hermann, M. A., Baca, J. V., Goodnough, G. E., Hodges, S., ... & Wade, M. E. (2017). New concepts in the 2014 ACA Code of Ethics. Journal of Counseling & Development , 95 (1), 110-120.
Lindsay, D. S. (2017). Sharing data and materials in Psychological Science.
Ponton, R. F., & Duba, J. D. (2009). The ACA Code of Ethics: Articulating counseling's professional covenant. Journal of Counseling & Development , 87 (1), 117-121.
Willis, N. G., & Molina, V. (2018). Self-care and the social worker: Taking our place in the code. Social work , 64 (1), 83-86.
Zakaria, N. S., & Warren, J. (2016). Counseling ethics education: Teaching and learning development reformation. In Fast forwarding Higher Education Institutions for Global Challenges (pp. 83-96). Springer, Singapore.
