Colorado Technical University Human Services Field Discussion Reply

RESPONSE GUIDELINES

Respond to the post of at least one of your peers, highlighting points about the different options for consulting others about difficult ethical decisions that are helpful to you to consider in this or future situations. Ask questions that will help you better understand the post and contribute to expanding the discussion. Make substantive suggestions that will provide food for thought.

ORDER NOW FOR COMPREHENSIVE, PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPERS

Student post down below:

In the human services field, we are often asked to do what is the most selfless, compassionate, loving act possible for ethical or moral dilemmas (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2015). However, the best decision to make is often challenging to determine as the answer to someone’s situation is often more complicated than a simple yes or no decision. For example, a person’s right to self-determination can conflict with their right to confidentiality (Capella University, n.d.). In moments like the one mentioned in the previous sentence, Sommers-Flanagan and Sommers-Flanagan (2015) stated that mental health professionals often turn to colleagues, supervisors, former professors, local authorities, attorneys others for insight. Though this is a comprehensive list, there may come a time when none of those above resources are available. In the example of the employee service provider deciding to help her elderly client determine whether to sign a life insurance agreement that could benefit the client’s neighbor (the neighbor has encouraged the client to sign the agreement), I would warn the elderly client of potential implications associated with signing the life insurance documents and recommend professional services to assist them in protecting them from making a decision that could be detrimental shortly (Granich, n.d.). By responding in this manner, I would be in alignment with standard three and four of the Ethical Standards for Human Service Professionals, which are that human service professionals protect the client’s right to privacy and confidentiality except when such confidentiality would cause serious harm to the client or others when agency guidelines state otherwise, or under other stated conditions (e.g., local, state, or federal laws) and that if it is suspected that danger or harm may occur to the client or others as a result of a client’s behavior, the human service professional acts appropriately and professionally to protect the safety of those individuals (Ethical Standards for Human Service Professionals, 2015).