The development of a strong professional identity rests on clear professional standards of practice. Clients need solution-focused, respectful, nonexploitative and empowering, and, therefore, ethical relationships with their counselors. This chapter deals with the ethical standards of rehabilitation counseling and three types of professional standards which includes the internal standards of the profession, clinical standards for the individual practitioners within a profession, and external regulatory standards. Colleges and universities provide professional education and research services, doing so under the review of credentialing bodies such as the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The intent of a code of ethics is to provide rehabilitation counselors with guidance for specific situations they experience in their practices. The Tarvydas integrative decision-making model of ethical behavior builds on several well-known decision-making models widely used by professionals in the mental health and counseling communities.

Rehabilitation counseling has evolved from its inception in federal legislation in the early 1900s to its current recognition as a specialization of the counseling profession. An initial focus on case management served a constructive purpose during the early years, given the historic link of rehabilitation counseling to the state-federal vocational rehabilitation (VR) system. A psychiatric disability is when an individual with a serious mental illness is unable to perform major life activities in particular life contexts, such as community participation, and independent living. Credentialing has defined and regulated the professional practice of rehabilitation counseling in recent years. The professional identity of a rehabilitation counselor (RC) as a counselor has had wide formal endorsement by the major professional organizations and leaders in the field. Counselor licensure laws emerged because of regulations by Medicare and Medicaid as well as private health insurance that required licensure for the reimbursement of mental health services.

Codes of ethics must undergo periodic revision to ensure that the contents of the code reflect current trends and issues in counseling practice. This chapter provides a brief overview of some of the more common ethical and legal terms counselors may encounter in ethical complaints. Often one of the most confusing concepts for counselors is credentialing. A credential simply indicates that a counselor’s education and experience have been reviewed by a professional or legal body, and he or she can legitimately hold himself or herself out as a professional possessing specific knowledge and skills that meet the minimum standards of the profession. The chapter discusses professional ethics committees and state licensure boards. It also explains the court system briefly as it applies to ethical complaints in counseling. There are four legal entities that regulate the practice of counseling: professional ethics committees; state licensure boards; criminal courts; and civil courts.

This chapter addresses what counselors need to know about professional credentialing, including trends and considerations that counselors may need to monitor. It concludes with basic tips for counselors interested in licensure and certification. Professional credentialing is critical to defining and regulating the practice of counseling. Licensure, certification, and accreditation are distinct forms of professional credentialing. Although each serves the common purpose of protecting public safety by establishing the minimum standards of knowledge and skill for professional counselors. Credentialing is likely to evolve rapidly as the U.S. health care system becomes more politicized. With such progress in professional credentialing, professional counselors need to look ahead for opportunities and challenges in licensure laws and national certification standards. The variety of counselor licensure laws nationally presents a serious problem for professional counselors in their ability to move from state to state without disruption and the ability to practice counseling.

This chapter discusses the ethical issues related to assessment in rehabilitation counseling, describes the ethical standards in the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC, 2017) Code of Ethics, and explains the connection between the CRCC (2017) Code and related assessment standards. Assessment is an essential knowledge domain underlying rehabilitation counseling practice. Since assessment and diagnosis can have a profound effect on clients’ lives, it is critical for rehabilitation counselors to adhere to best ethical practices. Whether or not assessment is their predominant job function, all rehabilitation counselors are responsible for integrating assessment and diagnostic information in their work with clients. The chapter overviews the basic tenets of ethical practice related to assessment and evaluation with specific consideration for disability and diversity. In reviewing processes for competence and informed consent as well as the selection, administration, and interpretation of instruments and tests, the chapter offers behavioral guidance for rehabilitation counselors.

The focus of career counseling has been on helping individuals successfully enter the world of work. This chapter provides a description of the career counseling specialty, defining the roles and functions, employment settings, and clients of career counselors. It provides a brief history of the professional specialty, with information on historic and current credentialing. The chapter outlines professional credentialing and licensure matters for career counselors. It describes ethical and legal issues specific to the practice of career counseling and explains diversity issues and ethical decision making. It differentiates the roles and functions of practitioners of career counseling from those of practitioners of other counseling specialties. The chapter reviews the assessment issues of career counseling. Career counselors practice in a variety of settings and render services to diverse individuals, corporations, and organizations. They must have sufficient knowledge and training to assess clients and administer tests.

Clinical mental health counseling is a specialization within the broader profession of counseling focused on psychological wellness, and the diagnosis and treatment of emotional and psychological disorders. Ethical issues encountered by mental health counselors are similar to other counseling specialty areas, yet there are unique issues related to topics such as diagnosis and third-party reimbursement. Counselors who specialize in mental health counseling are introduced to information that will assist them in managing an array of legal, ethical, and professional issues. The chapter helps the reader identify trends in professional credentialing and licensure. It compares and contrasts the roles and functions of practitioners of mental health counseling from those of practitioners of other counseling specialties. The chapter discusses the ethical issues specific to the practice of mental health counseling and reviews the ethical issues related to diagnosis and assessment.

Rehabilitation counseling as a specialty area of counseling has been at the forefront of advocating for disability rights and the employment, inclusion, and integration of individuals with disabilities. The ethical and professional practice of rehabilitation counseling is similar to other counselors, yet with additional ethical responsibilities and considerations related to disability rights. The ethics of rehabilitation counseling have a more explicit emphasis on client autonomy, advocacy, and accessibility. The chapter describes the specialty of rehabilitation counseling, the historic trends in its evolution, and the sociopolitical issues of importance to the field. It helps the readers differentiate the roles and functions of rehabilitation counselors from those of other counseling specialties. The chapter discusses multiculturalism and diversity in rehabilitation counseling. Rehabilitation counseling has had a complex evolution. With such a diverse scope of practice, it is imperative that rehabilitation counselors only practice within their individual training, education, and supervised experience.

This chapter focuses on the ethical implications of trauma work. The chapter begins with a discussion of the five ethical principles and connects ethics to practice in trauma work. Next, the chapter defines and describes several key terms and concepts related to ethical practice, including wounded healers, compassion fatigue, ethical and moral behaviors, moral suffering, and self-care. The ethical implications of supervising counselors engaged in trauma work are described next, including the importance of addressing multicultural issues and intersectionality in practice. The crucial process of transforming from victim to survivor is described, as well as counselors’ ethical obligations in that process. Finally, a number of resources, related to ethical practice in trauma work, is provided online.