3.4 Rights, Responsibilities, And Accountabilities Of Counselors

3.4 RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES, and ACCOUNTABILITIES of COUNSELORS

As

state registered and licensed professionals, counselors are protected.  They are responsible for the practice of their profession in accordance with their mandates and professional guidelines and ethics. They are accountable to their clients, the professional body, and the government. It is critical that the counselor and the client fully understand the nature of the concerns, which leads to a contract to take action on mutually agreed upon problem. (Peterson & Nisenholz 1987)

3.5 CODE ETHICS OF COUNSELORS

CODE OF ETHICS FOR COUNSELOR

Republic Act No.9258 Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004

An act professionalizing the practice of guidance and counseling and creating for this purpose a professional regulatory board of guidance and counseling, appropriating funds therefor and for other purposes.

As

in all professional practices in applied social sciences, counselors must observe confidentiality at all times. The code ethics also states that counselors live and work in accordance with the professional standards of conduct set forth for the practice of guidance and counseling.

One

of the oldest professional organizations in guidance and counseling is the Institute of Guidance Counselors, established in 1986. Its preamble provides that guidance counselors work with clients. Guidance counselors must respect the dignity, integrity, and welfare of these clients.

To protect the clients’ interests, the body produced a Code of Ethics for its members’ compliance. The values include an assertion that the work of guidance counselor involves a special relationship of trust. Guidance counselors have a sensible regard for the social context of their work, which includes the wider community, the law and professional colleagues.

The institute of Guidance Counselor’s Code consists of four overall PRINCIPLES that subsume a number of specific ethical standards:

Guidance counselors honor and promote the fundamental rights, moral and cultural values, dignity, and worth of clients.

PRINCIPLE 1: Respect for the rights and dignity of the client

Guidance counselors maintain and update their professional skills.

PRINCIPLE 2: Competence

Guidance counselors are aware of their professional responsibility to act in a trustworthy, reputable, and accountable manner toward clients, colleagues, and the community in which they work and live.

PRINCIPLE 3: Responsibilities

Guidance counselors seeks to promote integrity in their practice.

PRINCIPLE 4: Integrity

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES:

1. Respecting human rights and dignity. 2. Respect for the client’s right to be self-governing. 3. A commitment to promoting the client’s well being 4. Fostering responsible caring 5. Fair treatment of all clients and the provision of adequate services.

6. Equal opportunity to clients availing counseling services. 7. Ensuring the integrity of practitioner-client relationship. 8. Fostering the practitioner’s self knowledge and care for self. 9. Enhancing the quality of professional knowledge and its application. 10. Responsibility to the society.

The Code of Ethics define parameters for general respect, privacy and confidentiality, informed consent and freedom of consent, and recognition of limits od competence.