Abstract a professional conduct and abiding by

Abstract a professional conduct and abiding by

Abstract In the following research paper it gives a detailed description of what services a rehabilitation counselor provides to society. The paper provides a detailed of how The National Organization for Human Services set standards for human service worker which includes rehabilitation counselors. It also gives the history of a rehabilitation counselor and when the profession started to grow. The paper provides different laws that have affected the human service profession in general and rehabilitation counselors.

The American Counseling Association code of ethics gives a detailed description on the different values and how a counselor should perform professional. A rehabilitation counselor is very important in today’s society for many reasons. Rehabilitation counselors help people with both physical and emotional disabilities. These disabilities can be from birth defects, illness, disease, and accidents. Some of the disabilities have not even been linked to a cause. The purpose of the counselor is to evaluate the strengths and limitations of individual.Once the counselor evaluates the client they will provide them with personal and vocational counseling to reach their full potential.

The counselor will keep the case manager update on the person’s progress. In many case the client will need medical care the counselor will arrange it for the client. Many times the client will need some extra vocational training and the counselor may help with employment opportunities. Rehabilitation counselors go is to increase their client’s ability to live independently by working with other service providers.Rehabilitation counselors make a positive impact on the world while maintaining a professional conduct and abiding by the standards of a human service professional.

The National Organization for Human Services introduced the ethical guidelines that are a set of standards of conduct that human service professionals and educators use in ethical and professional decision making (http://www. nationalhumanservices. org/ethical-standards-for-hs-professionals#section_1). The goal of these guidelines will assist human service professionals in the in the event that they are faced with complex ethical ilemmas.

These codes are not legalized documents the primary function is to assist the human service worker in making the appropriate decision that about a certain issue. Human service professionals have many roles. When a human service worker helps a person they will enter into professional-client relationships. The relationship can consist of one person or many individuals such as families, and groups. There are a set of standards that refer to the human service professionals responsibility to client. The human service professional will discuss the boundaries of the relationship.Human service professionals especially rehabilitation counselors consult with clients the intentions, what goals they want achieve, and definition of the helping relationship.

A rehabilitation counselor and other human service professionals are to value the integrity and wellbeing of the client at all times. Each client is treated with respect, acceptance and dignity. It is also very important that client’s privacy is protected at all times.

Professionals must also be aware of a client’s behavior if they suspect that the client may endanger themselves they must take the appropriate step to help the client.The client can also refuse services at anytime. The relationship between a professional and a client is a very important relationship, it is important for the professionals to know and build on the clients strong points. There is also a responsibility of human service worker to their community and society. It is important for rehabilitation counselors to have a general awareness of the different local, state, and federal laws. They also are advocate for change when legislation or new laws conflicts with ethical guidelines and the rights of clients.Human service workers are activist for the rights of all members of society, particularly those who are members of minorities.

Most of these minorities have been discriminated throughout history. Professionals that work in the human service field understand the complex relations between themselves, other individuals, their family unit, and their communities. Human service workers also give a detailed description of their programs, treatment plans, and the effectiveness of their programs to the community.The services that are provided by human service professional are non-discriminatory, the do not show difference between age, sexual orientation, race, religion, or gender. These professionals are educated on the different cultures in which they serve. They also are very knowledge about the communities in which they work.

It is important for these professional to set aside their own beliefs because it can impact the professional-client relationship. There is also a responsibility between colleagues.It is important for professional not to duplicate another professional relationship with a client.

The professional will discuss with each other when there is a need to discuss what it is the best interest of client. If there is a disagreement between colleagues, they should discuss the problem and come to a solution. Sometimes there may not be a resolution and there is need assistance from a supervisor. Human service professionals work together in the event that a professional is acting unethical behavior they will come together to find a solution.The discussions between professionals are always kept confidential. Professionals in the human service field have a responsibility to their profession. It is important for human service professionals to know the limit and range of their professional knowledge and present services with their knowledge.

In many cases the professionals will ask for administration to assist in decision-making when there are official legal, ethical or any other predicament. Human service professionals perform with reliability, honesty, realness, and objectivity.Human service professionals encourage cooperation among associated disciplines to promote professional expansion and interests within a variety of fields. Those in the human service field are always encouraged to continue to learn and development the education and are encouraged to join a membership in professional associations. Those who work in the human service field are frequently looking for new and effective approaches to improve their professional capabilities. When a person takes on a job as a human service professional they have a responsibility to their employers.

Human service professionals make a commitment to their employers and are expected to adhere to this commitment at all times. They also contribute in efforts to establish employment conditions that are maintain to provide high quality client services. These professionals will help out in the process of evaluating the efficiency of the agency. This is done through consistent and official assessment measures. When there is a conflict between fulfilling the duty to the employer and the responsibility to the client. The professional will inform the client and employer so they can find a solution to the conflict.

There are many advantages to working for a company or agency that employs rehabilitation counselors “One of the advantages of seeing clinical supervision as a broad and encompassing term is that it does not limit the range of what counts and does not count as ‘proper’ supervision. In our view, any professional exchange that enables development can be seen as a form of supervision” (Bezyak, J. , Ososkie, J. , Trice, A. , & Yeager, P. , 2010). There is also a responsibility of self awareness as a human service professional.

They make every effort to exemplify those characteristics that are associated with the human service profession. They also support self-awareness and personal growth. When a professional recognize their own values, outlook on life, cultural background it will be easier for them to help other and not as likely to have a negative effect. The professional will continually learn and improve their skills as a human service professional.

Rehabilitation Counseling began in the twentieth century with legislation intended to help people who have disabilities return to productive lives (http://www. ent. edu/ehhs /rhab /index . cfm) It not only focuses on those who have physical but those with mental disabilities as well.

The curriculum of rehabilitation counseling includes areas of vocational, psychological, social and medical. Originally rehabilitation professionals were enlisted from an assortment of human service areas. Some of the areas where nurses from the public health sector, social workers, and including public health nursing, social work, and educational counselors. In the 1940s there emerged educational programs for rehabilitation counselors (http://www. ma assn. org/ama1 /pub/upload/mm/40/coun03-rehab-couns.

pdf). Then in 1954 there was federal funding that came into play rehabilitation counseling programs at this time the profession began to develop and establish an identity ((http://www. ama assn. org/ama1 /pub/upload/mm/40/coun03-rehab-couns. pdf) . Through the years many rehabilitation counselors for the most part served middle aged adults with disabilities.

Today, there is a demand for rehabilitation counselors to assist people of all ages who have disabilities.A rehabilitation counselor can provide general and specialized counseling to people with disabilities in public and private settings. There is also the evidence based practice which developed in response to the quality of care that clients where receiving from human service professional (Burker &  Kazukauskas, 2010). “EBP developed from the concept of evidence-based medicine, which originated in Ontario, Canada in an attempt to create patient care based on empirical research” (Burker &  Kazukauskas, 2010).In 1969, a group of rehabilitation professionals had a meeting to talk about the need for accreditation programs for those who were interested in beginning a rehabilitation counselor. Two years later, the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) was formed in 1971 (http://www.

ama-assn. org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/40/coun03-rehab-couns. pdf).

During this time there were a number of different rehabilitation organizations that were present to the Council on Rehabilitation (http://www. ama-assn. org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/40/coun03-rehab-couns. df). Some of this were the American Rehabilitation Association (ARA), American Rehabilitation Counseling Association (ARCA), Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation(CSAVR),National Council on Rehabilitation Education (NCRE), and the National Rehabilitation Counseling Association (NRCA) (http://www.

ama-assn. org/ama1 /pub/upload/mm/ 40/coun03-rehab-couns. pdf). The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was the first legislation to forbid discrimination against people with disabilities.This law applied only to programs put on by federal agencies, the different organizations that received federal funds, this included colleges that take part in federal student loan programs, people who were employed with the federal government, and also those organization and businesses with federal contracts (http://www.

bu. edu/cpr/reasaccom/whatlaws-rehaba. html).

In 1986 there where amendments made to the Rehabilitation Act which stated that services are be delivered by qualified personnel and that additional supported employment as suitable goal for rehab services.This also incorporated rehab engineering services (www. vr. idaho. gov/doc/VR-history-law-regs-public-website. doc).

“Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 prohibits private employers, state and local governments, employment agencies and labor unions from discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities in job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, job training, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment”( http://www. eeoc. gov/facts/fs-ada. tml). The ADA covers people with disabilities this includes those who have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits major life activities, or has a record of such impairments. In 1998 the Workforce Investment Act was formed this act was to implemented to consolidate, coordinate, and improve employment, training, literacy, and vocational rehabilitation programs in the United States, and for other purposes (www.

vr. idaho. gov/doc/VR-history-law-regs-public-website. doc. ).

Confidentiality between a professional and a client is something that should be maintained during and after their relationship. The rehabilitation counselor obligation is to maintain confidentiality this means that counselors may not release any medical information given by a patient or discovered by a counselor in relation with the treatment of a patient. The code of ethics also incorporated a detailed explanation of what is expected of a rehabilitation counselor and maintaining confidentiality of their clients. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act establishes national standards to protect individuals’ medical records and other personal health information and applies to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and those health care providers that conduct certain health care transactions electronically”( http://www. hhs.

gov/ocr /privacy/hipaa/understanding/index. html). This imposes safeguards to protect the personal health information of clients. This act covers many small details it helps protect client medical information by setting limits on the release of any other information without their permission.

Clients may want to look at their health information and this gives them the authority to obtain any medical records pertaining to their wellbeing. The American Counseling Association has implemented a code of ethics for those in this profession as well as other in different areas of counseling. The ACA mission is to improve the quality of life for clients in society by supporting the development of professional counselors, giving the tools to advance in the counseling profession, and to encourage respect for human dignity (http://www. ounseling.

org/). There are eight sections to the ACA code of ethics. The first section entails the counseling relationship.

This is an overview of what is expect from both the counselor and the client. Section A also incorporates about the needs of employment of clients and how it will access by the counselor. A counselor is to communicate with the client that is both developmentally and culturally correct.

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