Section C: Professional Responsibility

Question 1

With whom do counselors aspire to open, honest, and accurate communication?

Answer 1

Public and other professionals

Question 2

What type of organizations do counselors participate in?

Answer 2

those that foster development and improvement of counseling

Question 3

What are counseling practices based on?

Answer 3

rigorous research methodologies

Question 4

How are counselors encouraged to contribute to society?

Answer 4

devoting a portion of their professional activity to services for which there is little or no financial return

Question 5

Why do counselors engage in self-care?

Answer 5

to maintain and promote their own emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing to best meet their professional responsibilities

Question 6

c.1 Which codes and laws do counselors have a responsibility to abide by?

Answer 6

ACA Code of Ethics, applicable laws and regulations

Question 7

C.2.a Professional Competence: Boundaries of competence

Answer 7

Counselors practice only within the boundaries of their competence, based on their education, training, supervised experience, state and national professional credentials, and appropriate professional experience. Whereas multicultural counseling competency is required across all counseling specialties, awareness, sensitivity, dispositions, and skills pertinent to being a culturally competent counselor in working with a diverse client population.

Question 8

C.2.b. Knowledge of and compliance with standards: New specialty areas of practice

Answer 8

Counselors practice in specialty areas new to them only after appropriate education, training, and supervised experience. while developing skills in new specialty areas, counselors take steps to ensure the competence of their work and protect others from possible harm.

Question 9

C.2.c. Knowledge of and compliance with standards: Qualified for employment

Answer 9

counselors accept employment only for positions for which they are qualified given their education, training, supervised experience, state and national professional credentials, and appropriate professional experience. counselors hire for professional counseling positions only individuals who are qualified and competent for those positions.

Question 10

C.2.d. Knowledge of and compliance with standards: Monitor effectiveness

Answer 10

counselors continually monitor their effectiveness as professionals and take steps to improve when necessary. counselors take reasonable steps to seek peer supervision to evaluate their efficacy as counselors.

Question 11

C.2.e. Knowledge of and compliance with standards: Consultations on ethical obligations

Answer 11

counselors take reasonable steps to consult with other counselors, the ACA Ethics and Professional Standards Department, or related professionals when they have questions regarding their ethical obligations or professional practice.

Question 12

C.2.f. Knowledge of and compliance with standards: Continuing education

Answer 12

Counselors recognize the need for continuing education to acquire and maintain a reasonable level of awareness of current scientific and professional information in their fields of activity. counselors maintain their competence in the skills they use, are open to new procedures, and remain informed regarding best practices for working with diverse populations.

Question 13

C.2.g. Knowledge of and compliance with standards: Impairment

Answer 13

counselors monitor themselves for impairment, seek assistance, limit, suspend, or terminate professional responsibilities until safe to return. Counselors assist colleagues in monitoring.

Question 14

C.2.h. Knowledge of and compliance with standards: Counselor incapacitation, death, retirement, or termination of practice

Answer 14

counselors prepare a plan for the transfer of clients and the dissemination of records to an identified colleague or records custodian in the case of the counselor’s incapacitation, death, retirement, or termination of practice

Question 15

C.3.a. Advertising and soliciting clients: accurate advertising

Answer 15

when advertising or otherwise representing their services to the public, counselors identify their credentials in an accurate manner that is not false, misleading, deceptive, or fraudulent.

Question 16

C.3.b. Advertising and soliciting clients: Testimonials

Answer 16

Counselors who use testimonials do not solicit them from current clients, former clients, or any other persons who may be vulnerable to undue influence. counselors discuss with clients the implications of and obtain permission for the use of any testimonials.

Question 17

C.3.c. Advertising and soliciting clients: statements by others

Answer 17

When feasible, counselors make reasonable efforts to ensure that statements made by others about them or about the counseling profession are accurate.

Question 18

C.3.d. Advertising and soliciting clients: recruiting through employment

Answer 18

counselors do not use their places of employment or institutional affiliation to recruit clients, supervisors, or consultees for their private practice.

Question 19

C.3.e. Advertising and soliciting clients: products and training advertisements

Answer 19

counselors who develop products related to their profession or conduct workshops or training events ensure that the advertisements concerning these products or events are accurate and disclose adequate information for consumers to make informed choices.

Question 20

C.3.f. Advertising and soliciting clients: Promoting to those served

Answer 20

counselors do not use counseling, teaching, training, or supervisory relationships to promote their products or training events in a manner that is deceptive or would exert undue influence on individuals who may be vulnerable. however, counselor educators may adopt textbooks they have authored for instructional purposes.

Question 21

C.4.a. Professional Qualifications: accurate representation

Answer 21

counselors claim or imply only professional qualifications actually completed and correct any known misrepresentations of their qualifications by others. counselors truthfully represent the qualifications of their professional colleagues. counselors clearly distinguish between paid and volunteer work experience and accurately describe their continuing education and specialized training.

Question 22

C.4.b. Professional Qualifications: credentials

Answer 22

counselors claim only licenses or certifications that are current and in good standing.

Question 23

C.4.c. Professional Qualifications: educational degrees

Answer 23

counselors clearly differentiate between earned and honorary degrees.

Question 24

C.4.d. Professional Qualifications: implying doctoral-level competence

Answer 24

counselors clearly state their highest earned degree in counseling or a closely related field. counselors do not imply doctoral-level competence when possessing a master’s degree in counseling or a related field by referring to themselves as “Dr.” in a counseling context when their doctorate is not in counseling or a related field. counselors do not use “ABD” (all but dissertation) or other such terms to imply competency.

Question 25

C.4.e Professional Qualifications: accreditation status

Answer 25

counselors accurately represent the accreditation status of their degree program and college/university

Question 26

C.4.f Professional Qualifications: professional membership

Answer 26

counselors clearly differentiate between current, active memberships and former memberships in associations. members of ACA must clearly differentiate between professional membership, which implies the possession of at least a master’s degree in counseling, and regular membership, which is open to individuals whose interests and activities are consistent with those of ACA but are not qualified for professional membership.

Question 27

C.5 Nondiscrimination:

Answer 27

counselors do not condone or engage in discrimination against prospective or current clients, students, employees, supervisees, or research participants based on age, culture, disability, ethnicity, race, religion/spirituality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, martial/partnership status, language preference, socioeconomic status, immigration status, or any basis proscribed by law.

Question 28

C.6.a Public Reponsibility: sexual harrassment

Answer 28

counselors do not engage in or condone sexual harassment. sexual harassment can consist of a single intense or severe act, or multiple persistent or pervasive acts.

Question 29

C.6.b Public Reponsibility: Reports to third parties

Answer 29

counselors are accurate, honest, and objective in reporting their professional activities and judgements to appropriate third parties, including courts, health insurance companies, those who are recipients of evaluation reports, and others

Question 30

C.6.c Public Reponsibility: Media presentations

Answer 30

when counselors provide advice or comment by means of public lectures, demonstrations, radio or television programs, recordings, technology-based applications, printed articles, mailed material, or other media, they take reasonable precautions to ensure that:

1. the statements are based on appropriate professional counseling literature and practice,
2. the statements are otherwise consistent with the ACA Code of Ethics, and
3. the recipients of the information are not encouraged to infer that a professional counseling relationship has been established.

Question 31

C.6.d. Public Reponsibility:exploitation of others

Answer 31

counselors do not exploit others in their professional relationships.

Question 32

C.6.e. Public Reponsibility: contributing to the public good

Answer 32

counselors make a reasonable effort to provide services to the public for which there is little or no financial return

Question 33

C.7.a Treatment modalities: scientific basis for treatment

Answer 33

when providing services, counselors use techniques/procedures/modalities that are grounded in theory and/or have an empirical or scientific foundation.

Question 34

C.7.b. Treatment modalities: development and innovation

Answer 34

when counselors use developing or innovative techniques/procedures/modalities, they explain the potential risks, benefits, and ethical considerations of using such techniques/procedures/modalities. counselors work to minimize any potential risks or harm when using these techniques/procedures/modalities.

Question 35

C.7.c. Treatment modalities: harmful practices

Answer 35

counselors do not use techniques/procedures/modalities when substantial evidence suggests harm, even if such services are requested.

Question 36

C.8.a Responsibility to other professionals: Personal public statements

Answer 36

when making personal statements in a public context, counselors clarify that they are speaking from their personal perspectives and that they are not speaking on behalf of all counselors or the profession.