Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 30 - Professions and Occupations › Part 2202 - 2014 American Counseling Association Code of Ethics › Section 30-2202-C - Professional Responsibility

Current through June 25, 2024
Introduction
Counselors aspire to open, honest, and accurate communication
				in dealing with the public and other professionals. Counselors facilitate
				access to counseling services, and they practice in a nondiscriminatory manner
				within the boundaries of professional and personal competence; they also have a
				responsibility to abide by the ACA Code of Ethics. Counselors actively
				participate in local, state, and national associations that foster the
				development and improvement of counseling. Counselors are expected to advocate
				to promote changes at the individual, group, institutional, and societal levels
				that improve the quality of life for individuals and groups and remove
				potential barriers to the provision or access of appropriate services being
				offered. Counselors have a responsibility to the public to engage in counseling
				practices that are based on rigorous research methodologies. Counselors are
				encouraged to contribute to society by devoting a portion of their professional
				activity to services for which there is little or no financial return (pro bono
				publico). In addition, counselors engage in self-care activities to maintain
				and promote their own emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual well-being to
				best meet their professional responsibilities.
C.1.
Knowledge of and Compliance With
			 Standards
Counselors have a responsibility to read, understand, and
				follow the ACA Code of Ethics and adhere to applicable laws and
				regulations.
C.2.
Professional Competence
C.2.a.
Boundaries of Competence
Counselors practice only within the boundaries of their
				competence, based on their education, training, supervised experience, state
				and national professional credentials, and appropriate professional experience.
				Whereas multicultural counseling competency is required across all counseling
				specialties, counselors gain knowledge, personal awareness, sensitivity,
				dispositions, and skills pertinent to being a culturally competent counselor in
				working with a diverse client population.
C.2.b.
New Specialty Areas of
			 Practice
Counselors practice in specialty areas new to them only after
				appropriate education, training, and supervised experience. While developing
				skills in new specialty areas, counselors take steps to ensure the competence
				of their work and protect others from possible harm.
C.2.c.
qualified for Employment
Counselors accept employment only for positions for which they
				are qualified given their education, training, supervised experience, state and
				national professional credentials, and appropriate professional experience.
				Counselors hire for professional counseling positions only individuals who are
				qualified and competent for those positions.
C.2.d.
Monitor Effectiveness
Counselors continually monitor their effectiveness as
				professionals and take steps to improve when necessary. Counselors take
				reasonable steps to seek peer supervision to evaluate their efficacy as
				counselors.
C.2.e.
Consultations on Ethical Obligations
Counselors take reasonable steps to consult with other
				counselors, the ACA Ethics and Professional Standards Department, or related
				professionals when they have questions regarding their ethical obligations or
				professional practice.
C.2.f.
Continuing Education
Counselors recognize the need for continuing education to
				acquire and maintain a reasonable level of awareness of current scientific and
				professional information in their fields of activity. Counselors maintain their
				competence in the skills they use, are open to new procedures, and remain
				informed regarding best practices for working with diverse populations.
C.2.g.
Impairment
Counselors monitor themselves for signs of impairment from
				their own physical, mental, or emotional problems and refrain from offering or
				providing professional services when impaired. They seek assistance for
				problems that reach the level of professional impairment, and, if necessary,
				they limit, suspend, or terminate their professional responsibilities until it
				is determined that they may safely resume their work. Counselors assist
				colleagues or supervisors in recognizing their own professional impairment and
				provide consultation and assistance when warranted with colleagues or
				supervisors showing signs of impairment and intervene as appropriate to prevent
				imminent harm to clients.
C.2.h.
Counselor Incapacitation,
			 Death, Retirement, or Termination of Practice
Counselors prepare a plan for the transfer of clients and the
				dissemination of records to an identified colleague or records custodian in the
				case of the counselor 's incapacitation, death, retirement, or termination of
				practice.