Counseling Ethics Indiana Counseling Ethics the State Research Paper

Counseling Ethics

Indiana Counseling Ethics

The state of Indiana, like all other states, regulates the professionals within their state to ensure that they comply with state law. Ethical requirements are maintained by the state's individual counseling agency; in this case the Indiana Counseling Association. Guidance for licensure is controlled by the state's licensing agency the Indiana Professional Licensing Administration. Through the efforts of these three agencies, professional counselors understand the constraints and requirements of their profession and consumers can understand the protections that they are afforded when they require counseling services. This essay will look at specific requirements, how they are governed, ad who has responsibility for that governance.

Three professions -- mental health counselors, marriage and family counselors, clinical social workers -- are governed by the statutes in Indiana licensure (IPLA, 2008). These three share some of the same responsibilities, but, according to job title, split others. All three act as counselors at times during their time with clients, and all three use assessment materials. However they also differ. Clinical social workers will search out "tangible health services" (IPLA, 2008), marriage and family counselors use group and family techniques to resolve conflicts, and mental health counselors use information and community resources to promote client growth. Mental health counselors also conduct counseling referrals and conduct vocation planning (IPLA, 2008).

All three professions have strict guidelines with respect to confidentiality, privileged communication and duty to warn. The statute regarding confidentiality says that confidentiality of the consumer is inviolate except when the individual speaks of harming themselves or others, abuse to themselves or others, or the counselor is ordered to divulge confidential information by a court (OCR, nd). Privileged communication, according to the IPLA (2008), is any communication between a counselor and consumer during the commission of therapeutic session. That is except when,

"disclosure relates directly to the facts or the immediate circumstances of the homicide; reveals contemplation or commission of a crime; client either minor or incompetent adult and was abused or victim of a crime; proceeding to determine mental competency; civil or criminal malpractice of counselor; express consent of client or client's representative; to a physician who has established a physician- patient relationship; and, abrogated by Indiana law" (IPLA,…