Problem: As a student, how will you respond to this classmate of yours, include in-text citation, references and ask questions
Even in scenarios where the counselor must consider both legal obligations and ethical requirements, the counselor should lean more heavily into ensuring that client confidentiality and personal privacy are ethically secure.
In this situation where Doug's probation officer is asking for data involving Doug's progression or recession while attending the treatment program, the counselor would need to communicate with Doug. As the counselor, I would obtain written consent from Doug, explain his rights as a client, and acquire informed consent from him before any information is disclosed to the third party (ACA, 2014, B.2.d.). These are the requirements for when a court has ordered for disclosure, but the probation officer does not directly fit into this category. Thus, even without written and informed consent from Doug, I would not be legally obligated to release Doug's progression report.
However, if the court that referred Doug to the program were to request the report, then I would utilize minimal disclosure and only submit specific data regarding Doug's progression, and no other confidential information that would not be related to this request (ACA, 2014, B.2.e.). Doug should also be made aware of any possible breaches in privacy that could occur as a result of the court getting involved in this situation (Wheeler, 2019). This is why informed consent is so important; clients are aware of their own rights to their private information.
If Doug was voluntarily attending the group and there was no court-referral, the process of written and informed consent would still be applicable. If Doug agrees to begin and submit a progress report, then I would need to monitor the data to ensure that no other private information is being added, therefore not risking the possibility of breaching confidentiality. Need Assignment Help?