This assignment will provide you with the opportunity to explore potential Field Placement sites, to arrange for a placement, to apply the concepts related to legal and ethical issues in human services, and to identify ethical dilemmas in human services and apply critical thinking skills to the resolution thereof.
Make arrangements for the agency visit(s) early in the course. Explore agencies in the area whose services are interesting to you. If you are already working in an agency, you may interview a representative of that agency, as long as it is not your direct supervisor. Schedule the visit for no later than the fourth week of the course.
Collect the following information:
·
Agency name
· Name and position of contact
· Date of interview
· Services provided by the agency
· Population served
· Requirements for agency interns
· General ethical dilemmas in the human services profession (from the perspective of the interviewee)
· Ethical dilemmas that are faced by the specific services provided by this agency
· Legal requirements placed on the agency
· Specific efforts required for compliance with legal requirements
· Specific efforts by the agency to assist employees in resolving ethical dilemmas
· System(s) used to collect client/consumer information
· Interviewee’s perceptions of the unique challenges currently facing the human services profession
· Any additional information that the interviewee wishes to share
Write a paper that includes the information you have gathered, as described above.
Prepare a 1000 to 1400 word summary of the information in your presentation. Submit it to your faculty member in the Assignments Section for grading. Your paper should be written in essay format and include an introduction, a conclusion and a resource list.
Agency visit interview question
1. How do you keep your religious values and beliefs from affecting the counseling process with your client?
2. How do you determine when it is necessary to break client confidentiality and release information to others?
3. How do you set up boundaries and keep social, sexual, religious, and business relationships out of your professional work?
4. How do you determine the level of physical contact, is a hug okay or placing an arm around a shoulder to show comfort and support acceptable?
5. How do you keep yourself from violating the values and ethics of the varied cultures and ethnicities you may come across in your practice?
6. Are there any situations in which it might be acceptable to give or receive gifts from a client?
7. How do you determine how much personal information pertaining to your own life and experiences is appropriate to share with your clients?
8. When you run in to a client in a public place, such as a restaurant or grocery store do you acknowledge that you know each other or have conversation?
9. Is it acceptable to become close friends with co-workers and if so how much information regarding your clients should you discuss?
10. When working with peer groups or families how do you maintain the privacy and confidentiality of all involved?
11. When counseling with a child should you share with parents what has been discussed?
12. Is it acceptable to refer to oneself as counselor or clinician without having a counseling degree?
13. Is it acceptable to give a client a diagnosis if you are not a medical professional?
14. How do you maintain your own mental health and avoid vicarious trauma and burn out?
15. How do you ensure that your practices, policy, and procedures are up to date and effective?
16. When networking within the community is it acceptable to do favors or” scratch the back” of another agency when acquiring services or resources for a client?
17. What do you do if you have doubts about the ethical behavior of a colleague?
18. Are dual relationships ever acceptable and how do you determine when it is beneficial or detrimental?
19. When using social media how do you maintain professional boundaries?
20. What steps does your agency utilize to keep client information confidential when using computers and other electronic devices to store information, or when communicating via email or text messaging?
