The Adventures of Ethical Man and Super Confidentiality!!
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I'm Ethical Man! Ethics are important in decision making. I help those to see the way through ethical dilemmas. Ethical dilemmas can be difficult as oftentimes the answers are not clear or easy to navigate. I do especially abide by the laws and legal standards when combating ethical dilemmas.
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And this is Informed Consent Dog! Informed consent is the primary means of protecting ones self determination and self governing rights. Informed consent is ongoing and requires one to voluntarily, knowingly, and intelligently make choices to enter or continue a counselling relationship ethically.
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We all work together!
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Ahh! I need your help! We need to find all of the Super Ethical Principle Jewels that power our dilemma deciding abilities!
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Let's go searching for them!
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We found the Blue Beneficence Jewel!
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The Blue Beneficence Jewel allows us to consider and promote the best interest of the person we are helping when combating ethical dilemmas. Great job finding one of the Super Ethical Principle Jewels! Let's continue looking for the others.
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Can you spot any of the Super Ethical Principle Jewels around here?
Over there! Ruff! Look on the bush!
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We found the Yellow Fidelity Jewel!
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The Yellow Fidelity Jewel allows us to consider honouring commitments to the person we are helping and maintain integrity in the relationship when combating ethical dilemmas. Awesome! We found another one of the Super Ethical Principle Jewels! Let's continue looking for the others.
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Hey Informed Consent Dog, Check out that rose bush over there!
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We found the Red Nonmaleficence Jewel!
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Hey look up in that tree!
Yes! Another one!
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We found the Green Autonomy Jewel!
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The Green Autonomy Jewel allows us to consider and respect the rights of the person we are helping to have their own agency and self-determination when combating ethical dilemmas. We found another one of the Super Ethical Principle Jewels! Wahoo! Let's continue looking for the others.
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Do you see anything around here?
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We found the Purple Justice Jewel!
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Check it out! The last one is amongst the delicious produce!
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We found the Pink Societal Interest Jewel!
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Now we are prepared to help combat ethical dilemmas! Let's follow the BCACC Process of Ethical Decision Making with these 6 Super Ethical Principles together!!
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Let's look at this example of an ethical dilemma together
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This is Skyler. Skyler is going to counselling with their counsellor, Sam. Skyler has created a positive relationship with their counsellor and feels comfortable sharing with them. Recently, Skylers counsellor has been offering Skyler to join Sam at a community social event outside of the counselling setting. Skyler's friends don't know that Skyler is going to counselling, and although they enjoy coming to counselling, they feel conflicted on what to say to Sam. Skyler doesn't want to feel mean or let their counsellor down, but also doesn't want to go to the social event with Sam and would rather go with their friends instead, without them knowing about their counselling.
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Those involved include: Skyler, Sam (the counsellor), Skyler's friends, and the social community.
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Risk Level Order:1. Client - Principle I: Respect for the Dignity of all Persons2. Counsellor- Principle II: Respect for the Dignity of all Peoples- Principle III: Responsible Caring- Principle IV: Integrity in Relationships(respecting the safety in the counselling relationship)3. Skyler's Friends/Social Community- Principle V: Responsibility to Society
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Wait a second... Look closer at this ethical dilemma! One of our arch enemies is lurking around here!
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Oh No! It's the Bad Boundaries Bot!
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That's right!! I create ethical dilemmas! I have put the counsellor under my trance to have bad ethical boundaries! You'll never find a way through the ethical dilemmas I set!
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Bad Boundaries Bot is definitely one of our key issues with this ethical dilemma! His influence is affecting the counsllor to not show clear professional boundaries with their client! Plus the clients social circle are unaware of them attending counselling. Going to a social event outside of the therapeutic goals can be blurring the boundary lines and is the key issue to this ethical dilemma.
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Informed Consent Dog is right. I feel very angry right now and can identify with Skyler as I have been in a similar situation with my own counsellor when I was younger. I wish to protect Skyler and defeat Bad Boundaries Bot so he can no longer cause trouble through these ethical dilemmas! I know we have the competency to assess all the factors and find a way through this dilemma.
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BCACC Ethical Standards That Apply:1. Client Centered Care and Consent2. Competence and Quality Improvement3. Professional Integrity and Communication4. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism5. Indigenous Cultural Safety, Cultural Humility, and Anti-Racism6. Clinical and Counselling Assessment and Reporting7. Virtual Practice and Digital Technologies8. Relationships, Boundaries, and Conflict of Interest9. Sexual Misconduct10. Privacy and Confidentiality11.Marketing, Advertising, and Fees for Service12. Documentation and Record Keeping13. Ethical Conduct
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Great now let's look at Step 3. Lets evaluate our options for courses of action moving forward
1. Do Nothing. No need to intervene on this ethical dilemma.Risks: client feels uncomfortable and confidentiality is compromised.Benefits: Both client and counsellor still go to the event.
2. Have the counsellor seek supervision to facilitate repair in the client counsellor relationship by battling the Bad Boundaries Bot effects to the counselling setting.Risks: Counsellor will have to model humility in confronting bad boundaries mistake.Benefits: Client counsellor relationship is maintained, confidentiality is maintained, and client does not feel in a position to have to consent to going to event with counsellor. Both still go to the event.
3. Have the counsellor invite the clients parents to also come along to the social event with them.Risks: Client feels uncomfortable and confidentiality is compromised.Benefits: Both client and counsellor still go to the event.
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Option #2! Let's move on to Step 4 where we commit and take action to defeat this ethical issue once and for all!
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The act of attending supervision with an experienced counselling supervisor holds a lot powers to combating ethical dilemmas! Look at Sam engaging in supervision right now and what is it doing to the Bad Boundaries Bot!
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Bad Boundaries Bot's programming has transformed to Professional Boundaries Bot!
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If Sam continues to seek regular supervision, then their counselling practice will continue to operate under this professional boundaries mindset, along with acting as a preventative measure to any future ethical dilemmas that arise!
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Professional Boundaries Bot is so much help in the counselling setting! The relationship is maintained, confidentiality is maintained, and both still enjoyed going to the community social event separately!
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Thanks for all your help combating this ethical dilemma!
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The End!
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ReferencesBritish Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC). (n.d.). BCACC Guideline for Ethical Decision Making [Class Handout]. Department of Education, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia.British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC). (2023, November 1). Standards of Clinical Practice: Ethical Conduct [Class Handout]. Department of Education, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia. Martin, L., Shepard, B., Lehr, R. (2015). Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Experience: Ethics-Based Issues and Cases. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.
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Let's work together to find them! We are looking for the jewels of Beneficence, Fidelity, Nonmaleficence, Autonomy, Justice, and Societal Interest. Ethics Man, let's show them what they look like so they can keep an eye out for them. We need to consider them all when combating eithical dilemmas!
I'm Super Confidentiality! Confidentiality is a fancy word for privacy of personal information. Confidentiality requires sound judgement during complex and complicated decisions. The only time confidentiality is limited is when it has to do with ones safety, court orders, or consent is given to share.
Here are the Super Ethical Principle Jewels that are we are searchng for. Keep an eye out for them! Once we find them all, we can help combat ethical dilemmas together!
Let's meet my partner in combating ethical dilemma decision making!
Ruff! Look, do you see one over there! Ruff!
Yes! We found another one!
Ruff! The Red Nonmaleficence Jewel allows us to refrain from actions that risk harm to the person we are helping when combating ethical dilemmas! Ruff! We found another one of the Super Ethical Principle Jewels! Ruff-erific! Let's continue looking for the others.
Ruff! By the trash can!
You're right! Good eye!
The Purple Justice Jewel allows us to consider respecting the dignity of all persons and honouring their right to just treatment when combating ethical dilemmas! Wonderful! We found another one of the Super Ethical Principle Jewels! Only one more left to find!
Fantastic!
Ruff! The Pink Societal Interest Jewel allows us to consider upholding responsibility to acting in the best interests for the society when combating ethical dilemmas! Paw-sitively great! We found all of the Super Ethical Principle Jewels! Ruff!
Ruff!! Remember, informed consent is given freely without pressure, fully knowing all the relevant information, and ensures one has the ability to comprehend conditions for consent to make an informed decisions! Ruff!
Step 2 of the BCACC Process of Ethical Decision Making then has us thinking about what are the key issues in this situation?
When we consider this ethical dilemma we need to follow the BCACC Process of Ethical Decision Making. Step 1 begins with us thinking about who is invovled in this situation?
Okay, great. Skyler has the right to their own autonomy, to be treated by the counsellor with nonmaleficence, beneficence, fidelity, and justice. Sam has a responsibility to also consider societal interest in this ethical dilemma situation. Skylers social circle and the counsellors social circle can exist at the same event, but to protect Skylers confidentiality, should not interact with one another.
This Bot will work to influence further potential issues to boundariers that can harm the maintenance of a healthy client and counsellor relationship! We need to stop him!!
Ruff! Wait! We need to take a step back and first evaluate all contributing factors to these issues, including our own self awareness. Is this dilemma in our area of competence? Do we hold any biases, have any life stressors or personal interests that could affect this issue? Or are we reacting with any strong feelings? Ruff!
Ruff! Good thing we took the appropriate steps to combating this ethical dilemma together! Step 5 is important for documenting the process by making notes regarding everyone you connected with to work through this ethical dilemma. Ensuring safe keeping of the confidential information that the documentation contains following BCACC guidelines. Ruff!
Ruff! Let's look at the risk level for each group involved!
Professional boundaries are important to maintain in the counselling relationship with clients. Skyler is belonging to the vulnerable population and the counsellor will need to take the stance of ensuring that boundaries are vocalized in a clear, concise, and caring way. It will help if we consider the Ethical Standards that are important in this instance.
The applicable ones to this ethical dilemma we have highlighted here!