Ethical Issues in Counseling Essay

ETHICS When I sit and think about what the concept of ethics means to me, it seems as if there are many ideas that come to mind. Although they all revert back to one simple meaning and that is to believe in what you say and say what you believe. Treat everyone equally, do not judge one person from the next and do your job as you have been taught. I think that we should use ethics in our everyday lives not just in the work force area. As per our literature the term ethics means, universal principles that societies have determined to be right, just and fair and are generally regarded as the standards that govern the conduct of a person. (Unit 02: Ethical Issues in Counseling) 1. Next, discuss the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC’s) Code of Ethics. Smith and Hodges define ethics as a â€Å"human reflecting self-consciously on the act of being a moral being. This implies a process of self-reflection and awareness of how to behave as a moral being. Some d efinitions are dictated by law, individual belief systems, religion or a mixture of all three. NAADAC recognizes that its members and certified counselors live and work in many diverse communities. NAADAC has established a set of ethical best-practices that apply to universal ethical deliberation. Further, NAADAC recognizes and encourages the notion that personal and professional ethics cannot be dealt with as separate domains. NAADAC members, addiction professionals and/or licensed/certified treatment providers (subsequently referred to as addiction professionals) recognize that the ability to do well is based on an underlying concern for the well-being of others. This concern emerges from recognition that we are all stakeholders in each other’s lives – the well-being of each is intimately bound to the well-being of all; that when the happiness of some is purchased by the unhappiness of others, the stage is set for the misery of all. Addiction professionals must act in such a way that they would have no embarrassment if their behavior became a matter of public k nowledge and would have no difficulty defending their actions before any competent  authority. The NAADAC Code of Ethics was written to govern the conduct of its members and it is the accepted standard of conduct for addiction professionals certified by the National Certification Commission. The code of ethics reflects ideals of NAADAC and its members. When an ethics complaint is filed with NAADAC, it is evaluated by consulting the NAADAC Code of Ethics. The NAADAC Code of Ethics is designed as a statement of the values of the profession and as a guide for making clinical decisions. This code is also utilized by state certification boards and educational institutions to evaluate the behavior of addiction professionals and to guide the certification process. What kind of issues does NAADAC’s Code of Ethics address? 2. Lastly, select one component of NAADAC’s Code of Ethics. Briefly summarize the component and discuss how it will affect your interaction with clients. For example, you may choose the component of the â€Å"Counseling Relationship† or â€Å"Professional Responsibility† within NAADAC’s Code of Ethics. All papers should be written using 12 point Times New Roman font with one inch margins. Be sure to properly cite all sources used within your writing assignment using APA format. For a review of APA style and how to cite sources, please see â€Å"Proper APA Format Citation† in the Study Skills classroom or visit the Research Guides page on the Online Library Resources site.