Clients must be assured that all aspects of their communication with any professional regarding themselves or their family members will be held in the strictest confidence. Clients who cannot trust professionals to treat information as confidential may withhold information that is important to investigation, assessment, and treatment. When professionals disregard the privacy of their clients, the clients are injured in obvious and/or subtle ways. A professional code of ethics provides guidance here. Codes of ethics fulfill three major objectives: to educate professionals about sound ethical conduct, to provide a mechanism for professional accountability, and to be a catalyst for improving practice. In this way, they provide a foundation for professional competency and integrity.
In a 1,050- to 1,400-word (or 3- to 4-page) paper (excluding references and title page), discuss how your professional ethics code fulfills these objectives. As ethical issues are also influenced by legislation, discuss how you believe legislation could likewise contribute to the fulfillment of these objectives. Discuss the most significant ways that you believe legislation and ethical codes can affect your future professional practice. To support your ideas, cite one or more landmark court cases from our readings addressing responsible ethical and legal professional practice, and discuss implications for ethical and responsible practice. This paper should reflect an integration of your knowledge of ethical practice, ethical codes, and legislative influences on professional practice. In addition to the required readings, cite at least two scholarly references.
