Ethical Issues In Substance Abuse Counseling

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Ethical Issues in Substance Abuse Counseling In the United States having a substance abuse addiction is a serious problem. All counselors one time another will encounter a client with a problem of substance abuse .Every case is different no one case is the same when counseling clients with drug and alcohol problems. Counseling someone with a substance abuse problem can be unpredictable and as a counselor you must focus on your ethical framework to guide you in providing the necessary interventions that will help your clients. There are standard ethical crossroads and roadblocks that must be considered when counseling substance abusers. So as counselors we must remember that ethics are moral principles that …show more content…
The counselor will provide effective treatment with educational and meet the legal and financial resources needed of the client. Ethical Issues in Substance Abuse in counseling it is important that counselors use ethical decision –making models and take into consideration the ethical and legal issues. Some of the issues will include informed consent, confidentiality, client welfare, client relationship, duty to report. You should be in accordance with the legal, ethical and moral standards. Counselors will always try to attempt to resolve ethical dilemmas with direct and …show more content…
All substance abuse counselors must follow the Federal and State confidentiality laws, which include who the client is and what is being discussed in the counseling session .All the client’s important information must be stored in a safe place and make every effort to avoid an invasion of privacy. Duty to report you will have to decide what constitutes imminent danger in the case of substance abuse. If the client shares with you that he or she is sharing a needle for drug use its puts the client in imminent danger the question asked is it the counselor ethical duty to report. It is so important when counseling to have a trusting and caring relationship especially when dealing with someone who is so vulnerable when they have a substance abuse problem. To navigate ethics when counseling can be a difficult challenge it is important to use the ethical decision making model when working through a difficult situation. Many counselors know the importance that ethics can play when setting boundaries. Boundary issues can be a concern when counseling substance abuse clients. Boundaries are crucial aspect when you what effective counselor and client relationship. It has been said there is a big difference between boundary crossing and boundary violation. Boundary violations can happen when the counselors cross the line of decency and exploit his or her clients. A counselor may be overly friendly and