Ethical Issues in Career Development Interventions Chapter 14

Ethical Issues in Career Development Interventions Chapter 14

Classifying Practitioner Behavior • Ethical and Legal ------------- • Ethical and Illegal • Unethical and Legal ------------- • Unethical and Illegal

Ethical “Rules of Thumb” • Dual relationships with the potential to exploit client trust and vulnerability are unethical. • Consult with professional colleagues who understand career interventions when unsure about how to resolve a dilemma. • Be aware of client’s values and those imbedded in career intervention models.

Ethical Dilemmas vs. Moral Temptations • Kidder (1995) contends that an ethical dilemma occurs only in instances when there are competing “rights” or there is a struggle to determine the “least bad” course of action.

Using Principles to Resolve Ethical Decisions • Van Hoose (1986) recommended that counselors use ACA’s five principles to guide their ethical practice: – Autonomy – Nonmaleficence – Beneficence – Justice – Fidelity (Herlify & Corey, 1996, p. 4 -5)

Additional Principles • Beauchamp and Childress (1995) identified additional relevant principles to guide professional-client relationships: – Veracity: Tell the truth and do not lie or deceive others. – Privacy: Allow individuals to limit access to information about themselves. – Confidentiality: Allow individuals to control access to information they have shared.

Relevant Ethical Codes for Career Practitioners • American Counseling Association (ACA) • National Career Development Association (NCDA) • American Psychological Association (APA) • International Association of Educational and Vocational Guidance (IAEVG) • National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)

Strategies for Minimizing Insensitivity to Clients’ Values • Become informed about variety of values held in society. • Be aware of your own values. • Present value options to clients in an unbiased manner. • Be committed to client’s freedom of choice.

Strategies for Minimizing Insensitivity, continued • Respect clients with values that differ from your own. • Consult with others when necessary. • Consider referring clients to another counselor when substantial moral, religious or political value differences exist.

Special Ethical Challenges • Are all individual career interventions counseling? • Should those without traditional training and credentials provide career services? • How should the Internet be used in career development interventions?

Reasons for Using the Internet in Career Service Delivery (current NCDA guidelines) • To deliver occupational information • To provide online searches of occupational databases for the purpose of identifying occupational options • To deliver interactive career counseling and career planning services • To provide online job searches

Six Sections of NCDA Ethical Standards • • • Section A - General Section B - The Counseling Relationship Section C - Measurement and Evaluation Section D - Research and Publication Section E - Consulting Section F - Private Practice

Ethical Standards and Ethical Practice for Career Counselors • Offer only services they are competent to offer. • Respect and value individual differences among clients and potential clients. • Treat information received from and about clients as owned by the client and held in trust by the counselor.

Ethical Standards, continued • Do not engage in any professional relationship in which the counselor’s objectivity and ability to work for client’s welfare might be impaired. • Assume professional responsibility for clients and, if unable to assist, help the client obtain alternative services.

Ethical Standards, continued • Recognize they have obligations to other members of the profession and to society to act in responsible ways and to consider the effects of their behavior on others.