ACA ILT 2016

Keynote: Upholding the ACA Code of Ethics: Lessons Learned from Tennessee (Room Regency Ballroom E & F)

29 Jul 16
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Tracks: Branch Group A, Branch Group B, Committees/Task Groups, Divisions, Governing Council, Regions

Speaker(s): Lynn Linde, Senior Director of the Center for Counseling Practice, Policy and Research, American Counseling Association; Shawn Spurgeon, Professor, Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program, University of Tennessee at Knoxville; Barbara Herlihy, Professor, University Research Professor, Counselor Education Graduate Program, University of New Orleans

Ethics, foundational moral principles, and professional values are central to who we are, what we believe in, and how we should carry out our responsibilities to others. ACA’s Codes of Ethics have always put clients first, and the 2014 Code of Ethics built upon the previous codes to further clarify the expectations for ethical behavior. This code makes it clear that counseling is about the client, not the counselor. The bill that became law in Tennessee allows counselors to refuse to work with a client based on the counselor’s personal beliefs and is therefore contradictory to the ACA Code of Ethics. This panel will elaborate on the situation in Tennessee and the potential for other such bills. Panel members will discuss the importance of practicing within the framework of the ACA Code of Ethics for counselors, examine why this is important for our profession, and offer suggestions for ethical practice.