M5 A2 Module 5 Overview .png”
M5 A2
Module 5 Overview
.png” alt=”http://myeclassonline.com/ec/courses/AUO_files/AU_spacer.gif”>
Module 5 isdevoted to ethics—one of the cornerstones of the mental health professions.It is important to know professional codes of ethics such as those developedby the American Counseling Association (ACA), the American PsychologicalAssociation (APA), and other professional organizations as they providestandards for all aspects of professional work. It is also important to beaware of the existence of other guidelines that have been developed by theprofessional organizations that offer additional information about workingwith multiculturally diverse clients. Finally, counselors should alsoconsider possible legal aspects involved in working with culturally diverseclients. Some of these legal aspects will be reviewed briefly in Module5. In this module, you will review ethical codes and guidelines and applythem to a vignette. You will also address ways to train mental healthprofessionals, both in graduate programs and through continuing educationworkshops.
What Are Ethics
Welfel (2010, p. 4) proposed fivedimensions that comprise ethics in the mental health professions:
Having sufficient knowledge, skill, andjudgment to use efficacious interventionsRespecting the human dignity and freedom ofthe clientsUsing the power inherent in theprofessional’s role responsiblyActing in ways that promote the confidenceof the public in the professionCommitting to placing the welfare of theclients as the professional’s highest priorityShe further stated that professional codesof ethics serve as guidelines in following these five dimensions ofprofessional behavior. It is easy to see how Welfel’s five dimensions encompassworking with culturally diverse clients.
Vasquez (2010) discussed several areas thatcounselors should consider when working with clients in order to provide moremulticulturally competent and, therefore, ethical services. These includerecognizing the importance of the therapeutic alliance, understanding some ofthe barriers to effective treatment, being aware of one’s own unconscious bias,and monitoring self for missed opportunities to exhibit empathy toward theclient. In addition to recognizing the adversities that culturally diverseclients may face, it is also important to recognize their areas of strength andresilience. Such acknowledgment can legitimately contribute to clients’ senseof empowerment and self-efficacy (Vasquez, 2010).
References:Vasquez, M. J. T. (2010). Ethics inmulticultural counseling practice. In J. G.
Ponterotto, J. M. Casas, L. A. Suzuki, & C. M. Alexander (Eds.),
Handbook of multicultural counseling (3rd ed., pp. 127–145). Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage.Welfel, E. R. (2010). Ethics in counselingand psychotherapy: Standards,
research, and emerging issues (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
Codes of Ethics and Multiculturalism
.png” alt=”http://myeclassonline.com/ec/courses/AUO_files/AU_spacer.gif”>
Both ACAâ€s (2005) and APAâ€s (2010) codesof ethics specifically address cultural diversity. Both of theseorganizations emphasize the acknowledgment of diversity in introductorysections to their codes of ethics. The ACAâ€s (2005) code of ethics states,“Association members recognize diversity and embrace a cross-culturalapproach in support of the worth, dignity, potential, and uniqueness ofpeople within their social and cultural contexts†(“Preamble,†p. 1).Principle D in the APAâ€s (2010) code of conduct states that psychologists aresensitive to and respectful of cultural diversity and lists a number ofcharacteristics that contribute to diversity (e.g., age, gender, race,religion, sexual orientation, etc.). Both codes have additional sections thataddress multiculturalism; some of these sections apply to therapistsensitivity and awareness, while others address the issue of competence whenworking with culturally diverse individuals. At times, the relationshipbetween specific sections of codes of ethics and cultural diversity may bemore oblique. For example, the ability of a client to give informed consentfor treatment may be affected by the language used. If the informed consentis written in English and the client speaks Urdu, can the client really giveinformed consent? Other professional organizations have codes of ethics witha similar emphasis on sensitivity to multiculturalism.In regard to professional competence,Pope and Vasquez (2011) discussed two aspects of competence associated withworking with culturally diverse clients. First, the counselor should beknowledgeable of the client’s culture. However, the counselor should avoidmaking stereotypes about the client based on this knowledge. Pope and Vasquezsummarized this dilemma nicely, “Knowledge of cultural and socioeconomiccontexts becomes the basis for informed inquiry rather than the illusion ofuniform group characteristics with which to stereotype the client”(2011, p. 262).References:American Counseling Association.(2005). ACA code of ethics. Alexandria,VA: Author.Retrieved from http://www.counseling.org/Resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdfAmerican Psychological Association.(2010). Ethical principles of psychologistsand code ofconduct. Washington, DC: Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspxPope, K. S., & Vasquez, M. J. T.(2011). Ethics in psychotherapy and counseling:A practical guide(4th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Additional Guidance
.png” alt=”http://myeclassonline.com/ec/courses/AUO_files/AU_spacer.gif”>
It is easy to see the importance ofmulticulturalism to professional organizations when one reviews the number ofadditional guidelines on various aspects of working with cultural diversity.Sometimes, divisions of professional organizations develop additionalmaterials. For example, within ACA, the Association for Spiritual, Ethical,and Religious Values in Counseling has developed its own competencies.Another division within ACA, i.e., the Association for MulticulturalCounseling and Development, has its multicultural counseling competencies.Professional organizations also developadditional guidelines that help inform their members and the mental healthprofessions as a whole. APA has created a number of guidelines addressingvarious aspects of multiculturalism (e.g., education and training in the areaof cultural diversity; working with older adults; working with individualswith disabilities; working with women and children; and working with lesbian,gay, and bisexual clients). The National Association of Social Workers hasprepared an additional document specifying indicators for culturalcompetence.You, as a mental health professional,should know that these resources exist and how to review them. They providehelpful guidance and serve as professional standards of practice.
Legal Factors to Consider
.png” alt=”http://myeclassonline.com/ec/courses/AUO_files/AU_spacer.gif”>
One area of multiculturalism andcounseling that has seen recent legal involvement is dispute over refusal tocounsel specific groups of clients. One case involved the dismissal of agraduate student enrolled in a counseling program at Eastern MichiganUniversity after the student refused to work with a gay client. The studentwas subsequently dismissed from the program; he or she sued the university.This case was heard in federal court and then appealed through the federalcourt of appeals (Ward v. Polite, 2012). It would be worthwhileto review professional codes of ethics to see if they offer any guidance onthis type of situation.Legal issues related to multiculturalismmay come into play in unexpected ways. Pope and Vasquez (2011) presented anexcellent scenario for consideration. Essentially, the scenario involves you,as a therapist, who works in an office with other therapists, one of whom isJewish. One night, your colleague’s office is vandalized with paintedderogatory symbols and phrases. You suspect that one of your clients hascommitted this crime due to statements he or she has made during your counselingsessions. Questions are posed about actions you might take: Would you shareyour suspicions about your client with the victim of the vandalism or hatecrime? Would you notify the police of your suspicions? If so, would you haveconcerns about breaching confidentiality? Would you talk with your clientabout your suspicions? Would you address his or her attitudes toward Jewishpeople? (Pope & Vasquez, 2011, pp. 273–274). These are interestingquestions to consider, and the answers are not clear or easy.References:Pope, K. S., & Vasquez, M. J. T.(2011). Ethics in psychotherapy and counseling:A practicalguide (4th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.Ward v. Polite, 667 F.3d 727 (6th Cir.2012).
Conclusion
.png” alt=”http://myeclassonline.com/ec/courses/AUO_files/AU_spacer.gif”>
In this module, you became familiar withthe many resources that are available to mental health professionals throughprofessional organizations. It is important to have a good understanding ofthese sources of information as they provide standards and guidelines forethical practice. Counselors should be familiar with revisions to codes ofethics and guidelines as they are expected to follow the most recent versionof such documents. When a counselor has questions about working withmulticultural clients, ethical resources are an excellent starting place inresearching answers.In this moduleâ€s assignments, you willexplore when it is the right time to refer clients to another mental healthprofessional for therapy. You will also create a syllabus for a multiculturalcourse for mental health graduate students and summarize two continuingeducation courses or workshops.
M5 A2Assignment 2: Multiculturalism inGraduate Programs and Continuing EducationIf one accepts the premise that knowledgeof multiculturalism is important for mental health professionals, thendecisions must be made on when and how professionals should learn thisinformation. How should graduate training programs integrate multiculturalisminto their curricula? Is the training that professionals receive in graduateprograms sufficient or should they supplement their knowledge after graduationthrough continuing education opportunities? Hopefully, these two commonlearning modalities—individual courses and continuing education units—providesufficient information for a counselor to develop awareness, knowledge, andskills in working with culturally diverse individuals.Tasks:
Part 1: Create a syllabus for amulticultural course for mental health graduate students. You may eithercreate a course that is specific to multiculturalism (i.e., amulticultural or diversity course) or create a course that coversdifferent subject matter (e.g., assessment, diagnosis, theories ofcounseling, etc.) that you expand upon to integrate multiculturalinformation. For your syllabus, include the following information: coursetitle, target audience, credit, course description, learning objectives oroutcomes, and an outline of assignments.Part 2: Summarize two continuingeducation courses or workshops that are offered by or approved by theAmerican Counseling Association, the American Psychological Association,or your local or regional professional organization. Given the descriptionof the course or workshop, recommend whether it would be beneficial foryou to complete it. Explain why the course or workshop would be beneficialor unnecessary, given your current level of awareness, knowledge, andskills in working with culturally diverse individuals. Provide suggestionson ways you would improve the course or workshop if you were thepresenter.Your final product will be a Word document, approximately 5–6pages long. Utilize at least 3–4 scholarly sources in your research. Makesure that you write in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrateethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources;and display accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Submission Details:
By Wednesday, June 10, 2015, save your MicrosoftWord document as M5_A2_Lastname_Firstname.doc and submit it to the M5Assignment 2 Dropbox.
This assignment is worth 100 points andwill be graded according to the following rubric.
"You need a similar assignment done from scratch? Our qualified writers will help you with a guaranteed AI-free & plagiarism-free A+ quality paper, Confidentiality, Timely delivery & Livechat/phone Support.
Discount Code: CIPD30
WHATSAPP CHAT: +1 (781) 253-4162
Click ORDER NOW..
