___________________________________ Code of Ethics for Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists
Director Disclosure The division planner and director have disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned. Accreditations & Approvals NetCE has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6361. Pro- grams that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. NetCE is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. This course has been approved by NetCE, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits, NAA- DAC Provider #97847. NetCE is responsible for all aspects of their programming. Designations of Credit NetCE designates this continuing education activity for 6 NBCC clock hours. About the Sponsor The purpose of NetCE is to provide challenging curricula to assist healthcare professionals to raise their levels of expertise while fulfilling their continuing education requirements, thereby improving the quality of healthcare. Our contributing faculty members have taken care to ensure that the information and recommendations are accurate and compatible with the standards generally accepted at the time of publication. The publisher disclaims any liability, loss or damage incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents. Participants are cautioned about the potential risk of using limited knowledge when integrating new techniques into practice. Disclosure Statement It is the policy of NetCE not to accept commercial support. Furthermore, commercial interests are prohibited from distrib- uting or providing access to this activity to learners. HOW TO RECEIVE CREDIT • Read the entire course online or in print. • Complete a mandatory test (a passing score of 75 percent is required). Test questions link content to learning objectives as a method to enhance individualized learning and material retention. Provide required personal information and payment information. • Complete the mandatory Course Evaluation.
INTRODUCTION Mental health professionals today face complex ethical consid- erations related to a host of factors. Increasing client diversity, changing family dynamics, and new methods of providing counseling and therapy through digital technology and social media bring new ethical challenges. Ethical practice requires counselors and therapists to reconsider issues of confidential- ity, informed consent, multiple relationships, patient privacy, and records security. The practitioner must keep pace with revised ethical standards of practice and the needs of an increasingly diverse popula- tion. A working knowledge and daily application of revised ethical guidelines are required of all mental health counselors, therapists, and staff to provide the highest level of service to their clients. • “Ethics” refers to the beliefs that individuals hold about what is right and what is wrong. • “Morals” are similar and have been described as a person’s individual values that guide their behavior based on their beliefs of right and wrong. • “Ethical conduct” refers to the behaviors exhibited by the counselor and the therapist. Good ethical conduct in counseling and therapy is grounded in moral principles, professional standards, decision making skills, understanding ethical codes, and a commitment to client welfare. Both laws and ethical codes regulate the practice of therapists and counselors. Professional organizations do not enforce laws; rather, they develop standards and guidelines to assist the prac- titioner in delivering services based on ethical principles. Laws are defined and enforced by governmental definitions of the minimum standards of conduct that are acceptable to society. Common types of ethical violations that occur in the counsel- ing profession include errors in informed consent, breach of confidentiality, inappropriate relationships with clients, false or misrepresented statements, fraudulent billing practices, and boundary violations. In order to educate and guide counselors and therapists, profes- sional associations have developed codes of ethics as resources, as well as processes to review ethics complaints to protect clients. Recent revisions to these codes will be discussed, with policies and procedures to address ethical complaints if a violation is alleged. The “Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information,” or the Privacy Rule, establishes a set of national standards to protect health information. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued the Privacy Rule to implement the requirement of the Health Insurance Porta- bility and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). The Privacy Rule addresses the use and disclosure of individuals’ health information by professionals subject to the Privacy Rule [1].
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