Assignment: Ethics and Legal Issues in the Practice of Substance Abuse Counseling
Overview
Having considered the basic terminology associated with substance abuse counseling; historical developments; national and international policies; laws that have an impact on substance abuse and substance abuse counseling; and strategies aimed at prevention, you now have a basis from which to think about your potential role in counseling individuals with substance abuse issues.
For this Application, you will reflect on the personal strengths you might bring to counseling substance abusers. You also will reflect on the challenges you might face given your own attitudes and beliefs about substance abuse, addiction, and substance abuse counseling, and how you might address them.
This assignment will help you to clarify your understanding of ethical codes, laws, cultural competence, and diversity as they relate to your development as a substance abuse counselor. You should also listen to the lecture, review supplemental materials, and use the rubrics as guides to help you complete the assignment.
As part of this assignment, you will reflect on the personal strengths you might bring to counseling substance abusers. You also will reflect on the challenges you might face given your own attitudes and beliefs about substance abuse, addiction, and substance abuse counseling, and how you might address them.
Learning Outcomes
1. Define and understand the terminology commonly associated with the field of chemical dependency.
2. Explain the typical risk and protective factors that impact different populations, including, but not limited to, children; adolescents; adults; the elderly; women; men; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) people; people with disabilities; and different ethnic groups.
3. Understand the ethnic and cultural differences that can impact the etiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of addiction
4. Analyze and discuss ethical issues inherent in substance abuse counseling
Directions
Read your textbook chapters and additional resources. Also, visit your state licensure board website and review your state law for regulations related to substance abuse counseling. Reflect on the following as part of this assignment (TWO or THREE pages).
1. Review your state counseling law and the ACA ethics code. Consider how these may guide your work as a substance abuse counselor. Provide an example of at least one legal and one ethical consideration for the practice of substance abuse counseling (1 paragraph)
2. Consider counselor characteristics that may be important for an effective client-counselor relationship. Consider your own characteristics and view of the treatment relationship in comparison to these. What insights did you develop? (1-2 paragraphs).
3. Evaluate your strengths and challenges in relation to potential work with substance abusers and how these might have an impact on your clients. Discuss at least two personal strengths and two areas of growth important in your development as a substance abuse counselor.
4. Discuss your perceptions of substance abuse, addiction, and substance abusers. Discuss how these perceptions might impact your ability to be effective.
5. Consider how you might address the potential challenges related to your attitudes and beliefs as you work with substance abusers.
6. Reflect on your learning experience related to competency, ethics, legal issues, and cultural competence in substance abuse counseling (1-2 paragraphs).
Websites:
The American Counseling Association has a directory of all state licensure board websites at: https://www.counseling.org/knowledge-center/licensure-requirements/state-professional-counselor-licensure-boards