Violation of Professional Boundaries Between Counselors and Students

BENCHMARK ETHICAL VIGNETTE PAPER ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS
OVERVIEW
School Counselors must abide by the ASCA Ethical Standards and ACA Code of Ethics, the laws and regulations of their state in which they practice, and federal laws. Understanding and knowing these standards, laws, and regulations are imperative to a counselor’s practice standards. This assignment helps you become familiar with an ethical decision-making model, ASCA Ethical Standards/ACA Code of Ethics, state laws, regulations, and federal laws. You will learn how to apply both ethical standards and laws to common ethical scenarios.
INSTRUCTIONS
Your paper must be in current APA format (title page, abstract, introduction, conclusion, reference page, etc.). The body of your paper must be 3-5 pages and your paper must include at least 4 scholarly references published within the last 5 years. Citations for the ASCA Ethical Standards, ACA Code of Ethics and your state code of ethics must be included and count towards the 4 required scholarly references. Note that the title page and reference page do not count toward the required page length. Also, all references must be from professional sources (professional academic journals and professional texts; no informal websites; no materials from courses within the degree program).
Step 1: Choose one scenario from the “Ethical Dilemma Scenarios” document to complete this assignment.
Step 2: Now that the scenario presented has happened to you, read the Practitioner’s Guide to Ethical Decision-Making. Read each step carefully. For this assignment, pay specific attention to steps 1-4 of the ethical decision-making model as this will become the headings for your paper as outlined in step 4 below. Step into the shoes of the school counselor (as though you are the counselor in the scenario you watched).
Step 3: Read, the remaining assignment instructions in its entirety. Then, review your chosen scenario again and take copious notes to identify the problem(s).
Step 4: Divide your paper into the following required headings and answer the questions below in 1st person:
Identify the problem
• Clearly state the facts of the scenario. Do not provide innuendos, assumptions, hypotheses, or suspicions.
• Correctly and clearly identify the ethical/legal problem(s) in the scenario.
• Answer the questions: “Is this problem an ethical, legal, professional, clinical, or technology problem? Is it a combination of more than one of these?”
Apply the ASCA Ethical Standards and ACA Code of Ethics
• Identify two to three applicable standards from the ASCA Ethical Standards and ACA Code of Ethics. Which standards apply, or can address, the problem(s) presented in the scenario?
• Make sure to cite the standard numbers and state how the standards apply to the scenario.
Applicable State Codes/Laws and Federal Mental Health Laws
• Which ethical codes from your state licensure laws, rules, or practice act apply to this scenario?
• Correctly and clearly identify any Federal Mental Health Laws that might apply to this scenario.
• Make sure to include the code number(s) and state how the code(s) apply to the scenario.
Determine the Nature and Dimensions of the Dilemma
• Identify which ACA moral principle(s) apply to this scenario. Autonomy, beneficence, justice, nonmaleficence, fidelity, and/or veracity? How do the identified principle(s) apply to the scenario?
• If more than one applies, determine which one is priority based on the problem identified in the scenario.
• Review relevant professional literature from professional, refereed journals, related to the identified problem and moral principle to find the most recent professional thinking regarding the ethical dilemma. Materials must be outside of your textbooks, course materials, and materials from other classes. You need at least 2 journal articles published in the last 5 years.
• Provide two experienced professional counselors (supervisors, peers, etc.) who also abide by the ASCA Ethical Standards and ACA Code of Ethics and two state and/or national professional counseling organizations you will consult to help you with the dilemma.
Generate Potential course of action
• Brainstorm 3-4 potential courses of action to explain how you would address or resolve the problem. Make sure this section is written in 1st person and fixes the problem. You are not preventing the problem.
• For each potential action item, provide evidence from the literature to support your decision. Do not state you will work through the ethical decision-making model as this is the ethical decision-making model. You need at least 2 scholarly journal articles published in the last 5 years.
Step 5: When you have completed your paper, save it as a Microsoft Word document under your name and assignment title (Example: Doe_J_Ethical_Vignette_Paper). Submit your paper via the assignment submission link in Canvas and LiveText. If the final paper you submit contains entire sentences or paragraphs that have a high similarity index to other sources, it may indicate either unintentional or intentional plagiarism. You may be contacted by your instructor.
ETHICAL DILEMMA SCENARIOS
Scenario 1
John is a counseling intern working for a high school in his local area. John has been interning with the high school 7 months. He is particularly involved in co-leading two after school small groups and has gotten to know many of the students well. One evening, while checking his email, he notices a friend request for his personal social media account. John recognizes the email as originating from Ben, one of the seniors in his group. John has enjoyed his interactions with Ben, so he grants Ben his request. A few days later, Jeanne, another student from the high school, emails John with her request to befriend John via social media. John does is not as fond of Jeanne because she is often argumentative in group. John decides to deny the request, explaining to Jeanne he does not befriend female students.
Scenario 2
A fourteen-year-old middle school student reports to you that Sarah, a counselee of your colleague Mr. Barnes, is involved in Satanism and has entered a murder-suicide pact with another student. You and Mr. Barnes call Sarah in and she vehemently denies the allegations and even scoffs at the idea that she would ever be involved in a cult. You follow up with the other student and she denies the allegations as well.
Scenario 3
Robin is a school counselor in a rural area in her state. In fact she is the only elementary school counselor in her entire county. Because she lives in a small town rural area she knows many of the parents of her students. She attends church with two parents and often sees another parent each weekend at the local grocery store. One Sunday, one of the parents approaches her and informs her that she is planning to divorce her husband. The parent shares that her husband has been distant from her and that their oldest daughter, a 9 year old, is deathly afraid to be alone with him. She does not share any additional information, but asks Robin to ensure that he does not pick the student up from school nor allow him access to her student records.
Stone, C. (2013). School counseling principles: Ethics and law. (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: American School Counselor Association.