Ethical Codes: An Overview
Consuela is a 24-year-old woman in the master’s of human services program at the University of Nebraska. Her bachelor’s degree is in English and she plans to pursue licensure as a human service professional upon completion of her program. She is currently meeting her internship requirement at the Children First Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. She spends ten hours each week shadowing different administrators, social workers, and counselors as they provide therapy for children and their families who have been referred for incidences of abuse and neglect.
During the first half of her internship, Consuela enjoyed all that she was learning and received high marks on her midterm evaluation from her site and faculty supervisors. She described her experience as “significantly increasing” her knowledge of child abuse, family therapy, and counseling skills for children and adolescents. On a particularly busy day, just after her midterm evaluation, Consuela’s site supervisor is absent from work. One of the other therapists, Jessica, with whom Consuela does not have a strong relationship and by whom she often feels intimidated, is in charge of providing her duties and responsibilities for the day. She asks Consuela to co-facilitate a parents’ group, work with Tonya in the file room, and then check back in with her for further assignments.
After completing these tasks, Consuela finds Jessica, who describes how “swamped” they are with the state officers coming in tomorrow. She explains to Consuela that an aunt has just brought a little girl into the office and the aunt thinks she may have been sexually abused. She says that the aunt just wants to talk with someone before they check the girl out, but “our protocol requires an evaluation for any suspicion of sexual abuse.” Jessica explains, “you never know who is telling the truth,” but that they need to start the paperwork, complete an evaluation and then conduct an initial interview. Jessica gestures toward the other employees, Saying, “there’s no one else that’s free to do il but you and I,” and asks Consuela if she has shadowed a physical evaluation. Consuela says that she has and Jessica responds “Great! Then I will start the paperwork while you take the girl for the evaluation and we can meet together so you can shadow me on the initial interview.”
Consuela starts to express reservation but before she can speak Jessica pats her on the shoulder and says. “I really appreciate this and won’t forget it on your next evaluation. Days like this make me wonder why I ever get out of bed.” Confused by the mix of emotions surrounding the afternoon and concerned about the impact of expressing hesitancy toward the assignment, Consuela conducts the physical evaluation.
Read a case study about Consuela and looked at it from an ethical perspective. This week you will consider the same case study but now from a legal issue.What do you think are some of the legal issues?
What did you identify in last week’s assignment as some of the ethical issues?
What, if any, might be one of the conflicts between an ethical and legal issue you identified?
What do you think would be the best course of action for Consuela to take that would result in the least harm to the child?
This discussion board will be used in an evaluation of your mastery of (CO2): Appraise best practices in case management.
