Description
COU 605 Week Four Journal Guidelines and Rubric
Journal activities in this course are private between you and the instructor.
In your case conceptualization, you will need to address ethical and multicultural considerations presented in a case. This journal is an opportunity for you to
explore how you will address your own barriers when helping clients.
In a journal, reflect on the following:
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Discuss two ethical codes that seem most challenging to you and how you plan to address them.
Discuss two multicultural considerations or barriers that seem most challenging to you and how you plan to address them.
Make sure to tie in your selected counseling theory when appropriate.
Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Submit assignment as a Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins.
Critical Elements
Ethical Codes
Proficient (100%)
Discusses two ethical codes that
seem most challenging and how you
plan to address them
Multicultural
Considerations or
Barriers
Discusses two multicultural
considerations or barriers that seem
most challenging and how you plan
to address them
Articulation of Response
Journal assignment is mostly free of
errors of organization and grammar;
errors are marginal and rarely
interrupt the flow
Needs Improvement (70%)
Discusses two ethical codes that
seem most challenging and how you
plan to address them, but lacks
detail or clarity
Discusses two multicultural
considerations or barriers that seem
most challenging and how you plan
to address them, but lacks detail or
clarity
Journal assignment contains errors
of organization and grammar, but
errors are limited enough so that
assignment can be understood
Not Evident (0%)
Does not discuss two ethical codes
that seem most challenging and
how you plan to address them
Value
45
Does not discuss two multicultural
considerations or barriers that seem
most challenging and how you plan
to address them
45
Journal assignment contains errors
of organization and grammar
making the assignment difficult to
understand
Total
10
100%
2014
ACA
Code of Ethics
As approved by the ACA Governing Council
AMERICAN COUNSELING
ASSOCIATION
counseling.org
Mission
The mission of the American Counseling Association
is to enhance the quality of life in society by promoting
the development of professional counselors, advancing
the counseling profession, and using the profession and
practice of counseling to promote respect for human
dignity and diversity.
? 2014 by the American Counseling Association.
All rights reserved. Note: This document may be reproduced in its entirety without permission for non-commercial
purposes only.
Contents
ACA Code of Ethics Preamble
ACA Code of Ethics Purpose
Section A
The Counseling Relationship
Section B
Confidentiality and Privacy
Section C
Professional Responsibility
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?4
?6
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Section D
Relationships With Other Professionals ? 10
Section E
Evaluation, Assessment, and
Interpretation ? 11
Section F
Supervision, Training, and Teaching ? 12
Section G
Research and Publication ? 15
Section H
Distance Counseling, Technology,
and Social Media ? 17
Section I
Resolving Ethical Issues ? 18
Glossary of Terms ? 20
Index ? 21
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ACA Code of Ethics Preamble
The American Counseling Association (ACA) is an educational, scientific, and professional organization whose members
work in a variety of settings and serve in multiple capacities. Counseling is a professional relationship that empowers diverse
individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals.
Professional values are an important way of living out an ethical commitment. The following are core professional values
of the counseling profession:
1. enhancing human development throughout the life span;
2. honoring diversity and embracing a multicultural approach in support of the worth, dignity, potential, and
uniqueness of people within their social and cultural contexts;
3. promoting social justice;
4. safeguarding the integrity of the counselor?client relationship; and
5. practicing in a competent and ethical manner.
These professional values provide a conceptual basis for the ethical principles enumerated below. These principles are
the foundation for ethical behavior and decision making. The fundamental principles of professional ethical behavior are
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autonomy, or fostering the right to control the direction of one?s life;
nonmaleficence, or avoiding actions that cause harm;
beneficence, or working for the good of the individual and society by promoting mental health and well-being;
justice, or treating individuals equitably and fostering fairness and equality;
fidelity, or honoring commitments and keeping promises, including fulfilling one?s responsibilities of trust in
professional relationships; and
veracity, or dealing truthfully with individuals with whom counselors come into professional contact.
ACA Code of Ethics Purpose
The ACA Code of Ethics serves six main purposes:
1. The Code sets forth the ethical obligations of ACA members and provides guidance intended to inform the ethical
practice of professional counselors.
2. The Code identifies ethical considerations relevant to professional counselors and counselors-in-training.
3. The Code enables the association to clarify for current and prospective members, and for those served by members,
the nature of the ethical responsibilities held in common by its members.
4. The Code serves as an ethical guide designed to assist members in constructing a course of action that best serves
those utilizing counseling services and establishes expectations of conduct with a primary emphasis on the role of
the professional counselor.
5. The Code helps to support the mission of ACA.
6. The standards contained in this Code serve as the basis for processing inquiries and ethics complaints
concerning ACA members.
The ACA Code of Ethics contains nine main sections that address the following areas:
Section A: The Counseling Relationship
Section B: Confidentiality and Privacy
Section C: Professional Responsibility
Section D: Relationships With Other Professionals
Section E: Evaluation, Assessment, and Interpretation
Section F: Supervision, Training, and Teaching
Section G: Research and Publication
Section H: Distance Counseling, Technology, and
Social Media
Section I: Resolving Ethical Issues
Each section of the ACA Code of Ethics begins with an
introduction. The introduction to each section describes the
ethical behavior and responsibility to which counselors aspire.
The introductions help set the tone for each particular section and provide a starting point that invites reflection on the
ethical standards contained in each part of the ACA Code of
Ethics. The standards outline professional responsibilities and
provide direction for fulfilling those ethical responsibilities.
When counselors are faced with ethical dilemmas that
are difficult to resolve, they are expected to engage in a carefully considered ethical decision-making process, consulting
available resources as needed. Counselors acknowledge
that resolving ethical issues is a process; ethical reasoning
includes consideration of professional values, professional
ethical principles, and ethical standards.
Counselors? actions should be consistent with the spirit
as well as the letter of these ethical standards. No specific
ethical decision-making model is always most effective, so
counselors are expected to use a credible model of decision making that can bear public scrutiny of its application. Through a chosen ethical decision-making process
and evaluation of the context of the situation, counselors
work collaboratively with clients to make decisions that
promote clients? growth and development. A breach of the
standards and principles provided herein does not necessarily constitute legal liability or violation of the law; such
action is established in legal and judicial proceedings.
The glossary at the end of the Code provides a concise
description of some of the terms used in the ACA Code
of Ethics.
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? ACA Code of Ethics ?
Section A
The Counseling
Relationship
Introduction
Counselors facilitate client growth
and development in ways that foster
the interest and welfare of clients and
promote formation of healthy relationships. Trust is the cornerstone of the
counseling relationship, and counselors
have the responsibility to respect and
safeguard the client?s right to privacy
and confidentiality. Counselors actively
attempt to understand the diverse cultural backgrounds of the clients they
serve. Counselors also explore their own
cultural identities and how these affect
their values and beliefs about the counseling process. Additionally, counselors
are encouraged to contribute to society
by devoting a portion of their professional activities for little or no financial
return (pro bono publico).
A.1. Client Welfare
A.1.a. Primary Responsibility
The primary responsibility of counselors is to respect the dignity and promote
the welfare of clients.
A.1.b. Records and
Documentation
Counselors create, safeguard, and
maintain documentation necessary
for rendering professional services.
Regardless of the medium, counselors
include sufficient and timely documentation to facilitate the delivery and
continuity of services. Counselors
take reasonable steps to ensure that
documentation accurately reflects client progress and services provided.
If amendments are made to records
and documentation, counselors take
steps to properly note the amendments
according to agency or institutional
policies.
A.1.c. Counseling Plans
Counselors and their clients work
jointly in devising counseling plans
that offer reasonable promise of
success and are consistent with the
abilities, temperament, developmental
level, and circumstances of clients.
Counselors and clients regularly review and revise counseling plans to
assess their continued viability and
effectiveness, respecting clients? freedom of choice.
A.1.d. Support Network
Involvement
Counselors recognize that support
networks hold various meanings in
the lives of clients and consider enlisting the support, understanding,
and involvement of others (e.g., religious/spiritual/community leaders,
family members, friends) as positive
resources, when appropriate, with
client consent.
A.2. Informed Consent
in the Counseling
Relationship
A.2.a. Informed Consent
Clients have the freedom to choose
whether to enter into or remain in
a counseling relationship and need
adequate information about the
counseling process and the counselor.
Counselors have an obligation to review in writing and verbally with clients the rights and responsibilities of
both counselors and clients. Informed
consent is an ongoing part of the
counseling process, and counselors
appropriately document discussions
of informed consent throughout the
counseling relationship.
A.2.b. Types of Information
Needed
Counselors explicitly explain to clients
the nature of all services provided.
They inform clients about issues such
as, but not limited to, the following: the purposes, goals, techniques,
procedures, limitations, potential
risks, and benefits of services; the
counselor?s qualifications, credentials,
relevant experience, and approach to
counseling; continuation of services
upon the incapacitation or death of
the counselor; the role of technology; and other pertinent information.
Counselors take steps to ensure that
clients understand the implications of
diagnosis and the intended use of tests
and reports. Additionally, counselors
inform clients about fees and billing
arrangements, including procedures
for nonpayment of fees. Clients have
the right to confidentiality and to be
provided with an explanation of its
limits (including how supervisors
and/or treatment or interdisciplinary
team professionals are involved), to
obtain clear information about their
records, to participate in the ongoing
counseling plans, and to refuse any
services or modality changes and to
be advised of the consequences of
such refusal.
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A.2.c. Developmental and
Cultural Sensitivity
Counselors communicate information
in ways that are both developmentally
and culturally appropriate. Counselors
use clear and understandable language
when discussing issues related to
informed consent. When clients have
difficulty understanding the language
that counselors use, counselors provide
necessary services (e.g., arranging for
a qualified interpreter or translator)
to ensure comprehension by clients.
In collaboration with clients, counselors consider cultural implications
of informed consent procedures and,
where possible, counselors adjust their
practices accordingly.
A.2.d. Inability to Give Consent
When counseling minors, incapacitated adults, or other persons unable
to give voluntary consent, counselors
seek the assent of clients to services
and include them in decision making
as appropriate. Counselors recognize
the need to balance the ethical rights
of clients to make choices, their capacity to give consent or assent to receive
services, and parental or familial legal
rights and responsibilities to protect
these clients and make decisions on
their behalf.
A.2.e. Mandated Clients
Counselors discuss the required
limitations to confidentiality when
working with clients who have been
mandated for counseling services.
Counselors also explain what type
of information and with whom that
information is shared prior to the
beginning of counseling. The client
may choose to refuse services. In this
case, counselors will, to the best of
their ability, discuss with the client
the potential consequences of refusing
counseling services.
A.3. Clients Served by Others
When counselors learn that their clients
are in a professional relationship with
other mental health professionals, they
request release from clients to inform
the other professionals and strive to
establish positive and collaborative
professional relationships.
A.4. Avoiding Harm and
Imposing Values
A.4.a. Avoiding Harm
Counselors act to avoid harming their
clients, trainees, and research participants and to minimize or to remedy
unavoidable or unanticipated harm.
? ACA Code of Ethics ?
A.4.b. Personal Values
Counselors are aware of?and avoid
imposing?their own values, attitudes,
beliefs, and behaviors. Counselors
respect the diversity of clients, trainees, and research participants and
seek training in areas in which they
are at risk of imposing their values
onto clients, especially when the
counselor ?s values are inconsistent
with the client?s goals or are discriminatory in nature.
A.5. Prohibited
Noncounseling Roles
and Relationships
A.5.a. Sexual and/or
Romantic Relationships
Prohibited
Sexual and/or romantic counselor?
client interactions or relationships with
current clients, their romantic partners,
or their family members are prohibited.
This prohibition applies to both inperson and electronic interactions or
relationships.
A.5.b. Previous Sexual and/or
Romantic Relationships
Counselors are prohibited from engaging in counseling relationships with
persons with whom they have had
a previous sexual and/or romantic
relationship.
A.5.c. Sexual and/or Romantic
Relationships With
Former Clients
Sexual and/or romantic counselor?
client interactions or relationships with
former clients, their romantic partners,
or their family members are prohibited
for a period of 5 years following the last
professional contact. This prohibition
applies to both in-person and electronic
interactions or relationships. Counselors, before engaging in sexual and/or
romantic interactions or relationships
with former clients, their romantic
partners, or their family members, demonstrate forethought and document (in
written form) whether the interaction or
relationship can be viewed as exploitive
in any way and/or whether there is still
potential to harm the former client; in
cases of potential exploitation and/or
harm, the counselor avoids entering
into such an interaction or relationship.
A.5.d. Friends or Family
Members
Counselors are prohibited from engaging
in counseling relationships with friends
or family members with whom they have
an inability to remain objective.
A.5.e. Personal Virtual
Relationships With
Current Clients
Counselors are prohibited from
engaging in a personal virtual relationship with individuals with
whom they have a current counseling
relationship (e.g., through social and
other media).
A.6. Managing and
Maintaining Boundaries
and Professional
Relationships
A.6.a. Previous Relationships
Counselors consider the risks and
benefits of accepting as clients those
with whom they have had a previous
relationship. These potential clients
may include individuals with whom
the counselor has had a casual, distant,
or past relationship. Examples include
mutual or past membership in a professional association, organization, or
community. When counselors accept
these clients, they take appropriate professional precautions such as informed
consent, consultation, supervision, and
documentation to ensure that judgment
is not impaired and no exploitation
occurs.
A.6.b. Extending Counseling
Boundaries
Counselors consider the risks and
benefits of extending current counseling relationships beyond conventional
parameters. Examples include attending a client?s formal ceremony (e.g., a
wedding/commitment ceremony or
graduation), purchasing a service or
product provided by a client (excepting
unrestricted bartering), and visiting a client?s ill family member in the hospital. In
extending these boundaries, counselors
take appropriate professional precautions such as informed consent, consultation, supervision, and documentation
to ensure that judgment is not impaired
and no harm occurs.
A.6.c. Documenting Boundary
Extensions
If counselors extend boundaries as
described in A.6.a. and A.6.b., they
must officially document, prior to the
interaction (when feasible), the rationale
for such an interaction, the potential
benefit, and anticipated consequences
for the client or former client and other
individuals significantly involved with
the client or former client. When unintentional harm occurs to the client
or former client, or to an individual
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significantly involved with the client
or former client, the counselor must
show evidence of an attempt to remedy
such harm.
A.6.d. Role Changes in the
Professional Relationship
When counselors change a role from
the original or most recent contracted
relationship, they obtain informed
consent from the client and explain the
client?s right to refuse services related
to the change. Examples of role changes
include, but are not limited to
1. changing from individual to relationship or family counseling,
or vice versa;
2. changing from an evaluative
role to a therapeutic role, or vice
versa; and
3. changing from a counselor to a
mediator role, or vice versa.
Clients must be fully informed of
any anticipated consequences (e.g.,
financial, legal, personal, therapeutic)
of counselor role changes.
A.6.e. Nonprofessional
Interactions
or Relationships (Other
Than Sexual or Romantic
Interactions or
Relationships)
Counselors avoid entering into nonprofessional relationships with former
clients, their romantic partners, or their
family members when the interaction is
potentially harmful to the client. This
applies to both in-person and electronic
interactions or relationships.
A.7. Roles and Relationships
at Individual, Group,
Institutional, and
Societal Levels
A.7.a. Advocacy
When appropriate, counselors advocate
at individual, group, institutional, and
societal levels to address potential barriers and obstacles that inhibit access
and/or the growth and development
of clients.
A.7.b. Confidentiality and
Advocacy
Counselors obtain client consent prior
to engaging in advocacy efforts on behalf of an identifiable client to improve
the provision of services and to work
toward removal of systemic barriers
or obstacles that inhibit client access,
growth, and development.
? ACA Code of Ethics ?
A.8. Multiple Clients
When a counselor agrees to provide
counseling services to two or more
persons who have a relationship, the
counselor clarifies at the outset which
person or persons are clients and the
nature of the relationships the counselor
will have with each involved person. If
it becomes apparent that the counselor
may be called upon to perform potentially conflicting roles, the counselor will
clarify, adjust, or withdraw from roles
appropriately.
A.9. Group Work
A.9.a. Screening
Counselors screen prospective group
counseling/therapy participants. To
the extent possible, counselors select
members whose needs and goals are
compatible with the goals of the group,
who will not impede the group process,
and whose well-being will not be jeopardized by the group experience.
A.9.b. Protecting Clients
In a group setting, counselors take reasonable precautions to protect clients
from physical, emotional, or psychological trauma.
A.10. Fees and Business
Practices
A.10.a. Self-Referral
Counselors working in an organization
(e.g., school, agency, institution) that
provides counseling services do not
refer clients to their private practice
unless the policies of a particular organization make explicit provisions for
self-referrals. In such instances, the clients must be informed of other options
open to them should they seek private
counseling services.
A.10.b. Unacceptable Business
Practices
Counselors do not participate in fee
splitting, nor do they give or receive
commissions, rebates, or any other form
of remuneration when referring clients
for professional services.
A.10.c. Establishing Fees
In establishing fees for professional
counseling services, counselors consider the financial status of clients and
locality. If a counselor?s usual fees create undue hardship for the client, the
counselor may adjust fees, when legally
permissible, or assist the client in locating comparable, affordable services.
A.10.d. Nonpayment of Fees
If counselors intend to use collection
agencies or take legal measures to col-
lect fees from clients who do not pay for
services as agreed upon, they include
such information in their informed
consent documents and also inform
clients in a timely fashion of intended
actions and offer clients the opportunity
to make payment.
A.10.e. Bartering
Counselors may barter only if the bartering does not result in exploitation
or harm, if the client requests it, and
if such arrangements are an accepted
practice among professionals in the
community. Counselors consider the
cultural implications of bartering and
discuss relevant concerns with clients
and document such agreements in a
clear written contract.
A.10.f. Receiving Gifts
Counselors understand the challenges
of accepting gifts from clients and recognize that in some cultures, small gifts
are a token of respect and gratitude.
When determining whether to accept
a gift from clients, counselors take into
account the therapeutic relationship, the
monetary value of the gift, the client?s
motivation for giving the gift, and the
counselor?s motivation for wanting to
accept or decline the gift.
A.11. Termination and
Referral
A.11.a. Competence Within
Termination and Referral
If counselors lack the competence to
be of professional assistance to clients,
they avoid entering or continuing
counseling relationships. Counselors
are knowledgeable about culturally and
clinically appropriate referral resources
and suggest these alternatives. If clients
decline the suggested referrals, counselors discontinue the relationship.
A.11.b. Values Within
Termination and Referral
Counselors refrain from referring prospective and current clients based solely
on the counselor?s personally held values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.
Counselors respect the diversity of
clients and seek training in areas in
which they are at risk of imposing their
values onto clients, especially when the
counselor?s values are inconsistent with
the client?s goals or are discriminatory
in nature.
A.11.c. Appropriate Termination
Counselors terminate a counseling relationship when it becomes reasonably
apparent that the client no longer needs
assistance, is not likely to benefit, or is
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being harmed by continued counseling.
Counselors may terminate counseling
when in jeopardy of harm by the client
or by another person with whom the client has a relationship, or when clients do
not pay fees as agreed upon. Counselors
provide pretermination counseling and
recommend other service providers
when necessary.
A.11.d. Appropriate Transfer of
Services
When counselors transfer or refer clients
to other practitioners, they ensure that
appropriate clinical and administrative processes are completed and open
communication is maintained with both
clients and practitioners.
A.12. Abandonment and
Client Neglect
Counselors do not abandon or neglect
clients in counseling. Counselors assist in
making appropriate arrangements for the
continuation of treatment, when necessary, during interruptions such as vacations, illness, and following termination.
Section B
Confidentiality
and Privacy
Introduction
Counselors recognize that trust is a cornerstone of the counseling relationship.
Counselors aspire to earn the trust of clients by creating an ongoing partnership,
establishing and upholding appropriate
boundaries, and maintaining confidentiality. Counselors communicate
the parameters of confidentiality in a
culturally competent manner.
B.1. Respecting Client Rights
B.1.a. Multicultural/Diversity
Considerations
Counselors maintain awareness and sensitivity regarding cultural meanings of
confidentiality and privacy. Counselors
respect differing views toward disclosure
of information. Counselors hold ongoing discussions with clients as to how,
when, and with whom information is
to be shared.
B.1.b. Respect for Privacy
Counselors respect the privacy of
prospective and current clients. Counselors request private information from
clients only when it is beneficial to the
counseling process.
? ACA Code of Ethics ?
B.1.c. Respect for
Confidentiality
Counselors protect the confidential
information of prospective and current
clients. Counselors disclose information
only with appropriate consent or with
sound legal or ethical justification.
B.1.d. Explanation of
Limitations
At initiation and throughout the counseling process, counselors inform clients of
the limitations of confidentiality and seek
to identify situations in which confidentiality must be breached.
B.2. Exceptions
B.2.a. Serious and Foreseeable
Harm and Legal
Requirements
The general requirement that counselors keep information confidential does
not apply when disclosure is required
to protect clients or identified others
from serious and foreseeable harm or
when legal requirements demand that
confidential information must be revealed. Counselors consult with other
professionals when in doubt as to the
validity of an exception. Additional
considerations apply when addressing
end-of-life issues.
B.2.b. Confidentiality Regarding
End-of-Life Decisions
Counselors who provide services to
terminally ill individuals who are considering hastening their own deaths have
the option to maintain confidentiality,
depending on applicable laws and the
specific circumstances of the situation
and after seeking consultation or supervision from appropriate professional and
legal parties.
B.2.c. Contagious, LifeThreatening Diseases
When clients disclose that they have a
disease commonly known to be both
communicable and life threatening,
counselors may be justified in disclosing information to identifiable third
parties, if the parties are known to be
at serious and foreseeable risk of contracting the disease. Prior to making a
disclosure, counselors assess the intent
of clients to inform the third parties
about their disease or to engage in
any behaviors that may be harmful to
an identifiable third party. Counselors
adhere to relevant state laws concerning disclosure about disease status.
B.2.d. Court-Ordered Disclosure
When ordered by a court to release
confidential or privileged information
without a client?s permission, counselors seek to obtain written, informed
consent from the client or take steps to
prohibit the disclosure or have it limited
as narrowly as possible because of potential harm to the client or counseling
relationship.
B.2.e. Minimal Disclosure
To the extent possible, clients are
informed before confidential information is disclosed and are involved
in the disclosure decision-making
process. When circumstances require
the disclosure of confidential information, only essential information
is revealed.
B.3. Information Shared
With Others
B.3.a. Subordinates
Counselors make every effort to ensure
that privacy and confidentiality of
clients are maintained by subordinates, including employees, supervisees,
students, clerical assistants, and
volunteers.
B.3.b. Interdisciplinary Teams
When services provided to the client
involve participation by an interdisciplinary or treatment team, the client
will be informed of the team?s existence
and composition, information being
shared, and the purposes of sharing
such information.
B.3.c. Confidential Settings
Counselors discuss confidential information only in settings in which they
can reasonably ensure client privacy.
B.3.d. Third-Party Payers
Counselors disclose information to
third-party payers only when clients
have authorized such disclosure.
B.3.e. Transmitting Confidential
Information
Counselors take precautions to ensure
the confidentiality of all information
transmitted through the use of any
medium.
B.3.f. Deceased Clients
Counselors protect the confidentiality
of deceased clients, consistent with legal requirements and the documented
preferences of the client.
B.4. Groups and Families
B.4.a. Group Work
In group work, counselors clearly
explain the importance and parameters of confidentiality for the specific
group.
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B.4.b. Couples and Family
Counseling
In couples and family counseling, counselors clearly define who is considered
?the client? and discuss expectations and
limitations of confidentiality. Counselors
seek agreement and document in writing
such agreement among all involved parties
regarding the confidentiality of information. In the absence of an agreement to the
contrary, the couple or family is considered
to be the client.
B.5. Clients Lacking Capacity
to Give Informed
Consent
B.5.a. Responsibility to Clients
When counseling minor clients or adult
clients who lack the capacity to give
voluntary, informed consent, counselors
protect the confidentiality of information received?in any medium?in the
counseling relationship as specified by
federal and state laws, written policies,
and applicable ethical standards.
B.5.b. Responsibility to Parents
and Legal Guardians
Counselors inform parents and legal
guardians about the role of counselors
and the confidential nature of the counseling relationship, consistent with current legal and custodial arrangements.
Counselors are sensitive to the cultural
diversity of families and respect the
inherent rights and responsibilities of
parents/guardians regarding the welfare of their children/charges according
to law. Counselors work to establish,
as appropriate, collaborative relationships with parents/guardians to best
serve clients.
B.5.c. Release of Confidential
Information
When counseling minor clients or
adult clients who lack the capacity
to give voluntary consent to release
confidential information, counselors
seek permission from an appropriate
third party to disclose information.
In such instances, counselors inform
clients consistent with their level of
understanding and take appropriate
measures to safeguard client confidentiality.
B.6. Records and
Documentation
B.6.a. Creating and Maintaining
Records and Documentation
Counselors create and maintain records
and documentation necessary for rendering professional services.
? ACA Code of Ethics ?
B.6.b. Confidentiality of Records
and Documentation
Counselors ensure that records and
documentation kept in any medium are
secure and that only authorized persons
have access to them.
B.6.c. Permission to Record
Counselors obtain permission from clients prior to recording sessions through
electronic or other means.
B.6.d. Permission to Observe
Counselors obtain permission from clients prior to allowing any person to observe counseling sessions, review session
transcripts, or view recordings of sessions
with supervisors, faculty, peers, or others
within the training environment.
B.6.e. Client Access
B.6.i. Reasonable Precautions
Counselors take reasonable precautions
to protect client confide
