Describe two ethical violations and two instances of professional misconduct presented in the case study

Ethical Violations—When Things Go Wrong

Most complaints against clinical mental health counselors are in the areas of competence and conduct (e.g., client abandonment, sexual conduct, dishonesty); business practices (e.g., billing, reports, documentation); and professional practices (e.g., termination referrals, employment opportunities, nonprofessional relationships).

Specific information regarding ethical complaints to state licensure boards, despite its obvious importance, can be difficult to obtain. Complaints can be filed by clients, colleagues, attorneys, or some other interested party, such as an employer or parent of a client. The process of investigating these complaints is quite tedious and can lead to actions or sanctions against the counselor. This, in turn, can affect the counselor’s ability to practice. Clearly, no counselors are exempt from having complaints filed against them; therefore, the best protection is to maintain an ethical practice.

For this Discussion, use the Case Study Analysis Worksheet located in the Learning Resources for this week. Then select one case study from the ACA Ethical Standards Casebook and consider potential consequences of engaging in these violations and how you would safeguard against them in your own counseling practice.

Post by Day 3 a brief description of the case study you selected from the ACA Ethical Standards Casebook. Describe two ethical violations and two instances of professional misconduct presented in the case study. Explain one consequence that may result from each of these situations. Finally, explain what you would do to safeguard against each in your counseling practice.

Be sure to use the Learning Resources and the current literature to support your response.