Benchmark Critical Incident Paper Assignment

BENCHMARK CRITICAL INCIDENT PAPER ASSIGNMENT

Identify: What is the issue?

The issue with Jane’s scenario is that, as a counselor, she did not properly screen the potential

participants for the group of teenage girls that she started: girls ages thirteen to fifteen. Due to the

lack of screening, one of the participants had a history of depression, and Jane allowed her to

participate in this group. This resulted in the participant going home and attempting to commit

suicide after the session, and this girl's mother now blames counselor Jane for her daughter's

suicide attempt.

Summarize:

The ACA Code of Ethics, looking at code A.2.a., states that if the client is a minor, the counselor

must get written informed consent from the child's guardian before starting treatment. Jane did

this so she would not violate the code of ethics. The ACA Code of Ethics, looking at code A.9.a,

states that the counselor should screen their clients to see if the client's needs and goals match the

group's overall needs and goals. Also, that section states that the clients' well-being should not

jeopardize the group experience; however, counselors should take the necessary precautions to

protect their clients.

Act: What is the best course of action now and why?

Jane did not break any of the ethical standards that were set. So, consulting with colleagues on

how to move forward could be helpful. Jane should document everything to show that she has

not violated any ethical codes and be able to provide the mother's written consent. Jane did not

perform the screening properly, and while this had terrible consequences, it did not technically

violate anything ethically. Jane could have also been doing ongoing screening to check on the

clients after the group session, which could have prevented this situation. Jane is still responsible

for this client, so she should give the client and her mother their opinions of counselors to whom

she can be referred. Jane also needs to remove this client from the group, do assessments, and

adequately screen the rest of the clients to ensure they do not happen again. This whole case

comes down to a lack of appropriate screening, and while this is not ethically wrong, it should be

used by Jane as a learning experience to ensure her screening improves in the future.

Couples and Family Counseling (COUN 645)