Week 8 Topic 1
Assessment Description
In your opinion, what are the general ethical principles that must be applied when
dealing with special groups? Why might how you refer to individuals in special groups
be especially important, such as referring to a client as a man with a disability instead
of disabled man?
I believe that when referring to those within special groups or populations as "person with
disabilities" rather than "disabled person" you are seeing them as a person instead of focusing on
their disability. It is our ethical responsibility to treat all persons equally without judgment. So,
when dealing with those from special groups, putting them first as a person is ensuring that they
receive the best treatment we can provide. This does not mean that we do not acknowledge the
disability. We still know that they have a disability, but that is not their entire being. The best
way to learn how to approach situations that involve special groups would be to go through more
training and experience with this population. As it says in the reading posted, "First, sufficient
insight into their own limitations is needed to accurately determine whether they are competent
to provide services to persons with disabilities" (Barnett et al., 2008). I too believe that i t is
important for us as counselors to determine if we can provide the right kind of care/treatment to
this population. And to do see we need to do a self-evaluation of ourselves to gain that insight.
Topic 2
Assessment Description
Review the case of Julea Ward. Watch the "Ethical Implications of a Critical Legal Case
for the Counseling Profession: Ward v. Wilbanks" video by Alliance Defending Freedom
and read the articles from the Journal of Counseling & Development. These resources
are in the Topic 8 Resources folder.
What is your perspective of this situation? What are the ethical considerations?
Regardless of your perspective, what might you do in a similar situation as a
paraprofessional?
While reviewing the information given to us for this week's discussion post, I feel that this
situation could have been handled much differently. We as counselors also have rights. Julea
exercising her religious freedoms is just as appropriate as her colleague calling her out for being
unethical. As counselors we are taught over and over about diversity and that we must be willing
to work in diverse areas. But the ACA Code of Ethics also mentions "If counselors determine an
inability to be of professional assistance to clients, they avoid entering or continuing counseling
relationships” (ACA, 2005). The line starts to get a little blurry at this point because it seems as
if she is refusing to provide care to the client because she is unable to affirm the lifestyle of her
client because of her religious reasons. Is she denying care or is she exercising her religious
freedoms? Personally, I feel that because of her inability to affirm the lifestyle of her client she
is putting a limit on what she can do for them. She does not need to agree with or support their
lifestyle. But she can support her client through relationship problems or everyday issues they
Assessment Description
In your opinion, what are the general ethical principles that must be applied when
dealing with special groups? Why might how you refer to individuals in special groups
be especially important, such as referring to a client as a man with a disability instead
of disabled man?
I believe that when referring to those within special groups or populations as "person with
disabilities" rather than "disabled person" you are seeing them as a person instead of focusing on
their disability. It is our ethical responsibility to treat all persons equally without judgment. So,
when dealing with those from special groups, putting them first as a person is ensuring that they
receive the best treatment we can provide. This does not mean that we do not acknowledge the
disability. We still know that they have a disability, but that is not their entire being. The best
way to learn how to approach situations that involve special groups would be to go through more
training and experience with this population. As it says in the reading posted, "First, sufficient
insight into their own limitations is needed to accurately determine whether they are competent
to provide services to persons with disabilities" (Barnett et al., 2008). I too believe that i t is
important for us as counselors to determine if we can provide the right kind of care/treatment to
this population. And to do see we need to do a self-evaluation of ourselves to gain that insight.
Topic 2
Assessment Description
Review the case of Julea Ward. Watch the "Ethical Implications of a Critical Legal Case
for the Counseling Profession: Ward v. Wilbanks" video by Alliance Defending Freedom
and read the articles from the Journal of Counseling & Development. These resources
are in the Topic 8 Resources folder.
What is your perspective of this situation? What are the ethical considerations?
Regardless of your perspective, what might you do in a similar situation as a
paraprofessional?
While reviewing the information given to us for this week's discussion post, I feel that this
situation could have been handled much differently. We as counselors also have rights. Julea
exercising her religious freedoms is just as appropriate as her colleague calling her out for being
unethical. As counselors we are taught over and over about diversity and that we must be willing
to work in diverse areas. But the ACA Code of Ethics also mentions "If counselors determine an
inability to be of professional assistance to clients, they avoid entering or continuing counseling
relationships” (ACA, 2005). The line starts to get a little blurry at this point because it seems as
if she is refusing to provide care to the client because she is unable to affirm the lifestyle of her
client because of her religious reasons. Is she denying care or is she exercising her religious
freedoms? Personally, I feel that because of her inability to affirm the lifestyle of her client she
is putting a limit on what she can do for them. She does not need to agree with or support their
lifestyle. But she can support her client through relationship problems or everyday issues they
