A Comparison Paper of ACA and AACC Codes of Ethics
Most of the professional bodies and associations have prescribed and published code of ethics that guide their members on the most suitable ways to act in different situations. Ethics are an essential part of professionalism and serves to streamline and sanitize the activities, behavior, decision making, and operations of those concerned in discharging their activities. Counseling, including the Christian segment, has specific codes of ethics that have vast similarities and notable differences in how they are framed and the expectations. The American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) have published ethical codes of professional conduct, which guide the professionals on their activities relating to serving the clients. Some of the most critical aspects of this comparative assessment include competence, confidentiality, relationships with the clients, informed consent, and observation of laws and regulations.
Competence
One of the most glaring similarities for both the ACA and AACC codes of ethics relates to competence. Both codes of ethics highlight the essentiality of being a competent counselor. According to the AACC provisions, Christian counselors should maintain high competence standards with integrity. The ACA also underscores the need for the counselors to work within the professional and personal boundaries, and living to respect the underlined boundaries. The counselors in both professional bodies are anticipated to approach their roles and interactions with clients in a professional manner that highlights excellent levels of integrity and competence. For instance, the ACA (2005, pg. 9) provide for respect for distinct boundaries such as education, supervised experience, training, and appropriate professional experience, among others. Both ACA and AACC Code of ethics expect that the counselors are open about their experience, suitability, and skills to the clients, even if it might not be appropriate. This is essential for credibility and underlining the essence of competence in most instances.
Both ACA and AACC expect the counselors to observe the boundaries of competence, which also focuses on understanding the clinical and wellness needs of their clients. However, the ACA code of ethics is not as explicit as wanted and only confine the counselors to boundaries of competence. There are differences regarding the influence of personal issues, problems, and relations of the counselor interfering with the counseling sessions. The ACA codes fail substantially to highlight the ideal professional boundaries regarding the experience of the counselors. On the other hand, the AACC is more elaborate and detailed regarding what the counselors should be doing across different aspects of professional boundaries. Moreover, ACA is more strict and definitive regarding the personal issues and challenges that the counselor might bring into counseling. They are expected to be alert regarding the impairments that could compromise their emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing and those of the clients. There are some sorts of leniency regarding the AACC, which is not too demanding of the personal impairments of the counselors. However, both call for a high level of responsibility regarding their activities and balancing the personal issues to their work and client’s wellness.
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Conflict of Interest
The two ethical codes (ACA and AACC) have some similarities in the approach to conflict of interest regarding the professional conduct of the counselors and their clients. ACA’s section A5 highlights the need for no inappropriate relationship, such as sexual intercourse or any other related actions or behaviors that are personal. However, the section also underscores that such links can only be allowed until after 5 years of the counseling sessions. During this period, nonprofessional interactions or any aspect defined as the inappropriate relationship between the counselor and the client should be shunned. This is meant to reduce conflicts of interest. A similar approach is given in AACC regarding professionalism and avoiding any compelling inappropriate relationship with clients. The counselors should practice refrain, which is highlighted in Sections 1-133 regarding such matters are relationship or even marriage.
However, there are several differences regarding the issue of conflict of interest between the counselors and their clients. The core matter is on marriage, which, according to the ACA code of ethics, should be considered after five years since the last professional interaction. This is the exact opposite of the AACC perspective, in which Section 1-133 outlines that such relationships as marriage can be considered after two years. The disparities in time make it is even stricter for the counselors to operate under the ACA as compared to AACC regarding engaging in an informal relationship with their clients. The aspect of religion is the reason behind AACC’s leniency in initiating a relationship with clients after the termination of the professional relationship. Accordingly, the argument is that marriages are solemnized by God and thus are not outlawed upon following a structured framework. The honorable state of marriage before God makes it an ideal intervention to implement in most instances. Therefore, the differences are evident regarding the conflict of interests.
Discrimination
Both codes of ethics have a similar approach in addressing the issues of discrimination and the related factors regarding client treatment. The Chapter 5 of the ACA ethical codes of conduct underscore the need for nondiscriminatory approaches related to age, gender, disability, culture, language preference, race, spirituality or religion, and marital status, among others of the client. This context of discrimination is ideally understood from the point where the counseling session between the clients and the counselors is nondiscriminatory and accommodating of all characteristics of the population to ensure that the outcomes are realized. This is also related to any other legally prescribed basis, hence the need to comply with the legal paradigms as well as relating to discrimination in counseling sessions. The AACC also highlights the need for respecting the clients’ rights through elaborate support, unless they are related to intentional harm to other individuals. Such exceptional instances include premeditated murder, suicide, abortion, homosexuality, among others. The two codes of ethics are straightforward in the manifestation of anti-discriminatory processes between the professional counselors and their clients. This calls for ideal morality in matters of discrimination and compliance with the statutes, regulations, and religious values to define the actions.
On the other hand, while ACA is strict in its essence of discrimination and appeals to the counselors to observe the available legal, policy, and regulatory perspectives, AACC is more consistent on morality. The morality is also spiritually inspired, including such topics as abortion, homosexuality, and molestation, among others considered within the spiritual doctrines as immoral. The counselors, according to the AACC, should not be a party to such actions and must not abandon their moral conscience to appease such calls. Besides, the AACC champions for client autonomy regarding several issues, hence the need for openness regarding the diverse needs of the clients. The counselors, however, should are not obliged to abandon their values, most of which are spiritual, that contradict the clients’ views. In such an instance, they should refer the clients. These are elaborated in Section 121-122. The differences are evident regarding the behavior of the counselors on matters of discrimination. The counselors are given little room for ignoring the clients’ needs and have to stick to the rules as well as avoiding personal biases. This is the sharp conflict between the spiritual and professional approaches to counseling regarding patient needs and discrimination.
There are also other aspects of the code of ethics regarding the professionalism of AACC and ACA counselors relating to fees. This is one area where lots of similarities are evident, especially on the prior payment of the fees to the counseling agency regarding the client’s needs. Both the ACA and AACC Code of ethics allow for the prior determination of the fees that are contractually agreed upon by the two parties. The policies, clauses, and all the details should be disclosed to the clients for them to accept the terms and conditions for the payment of fees. Both agencies’ code of ethics regulates decision making regarding any aspect of fees’ payment, including non-payment of fees, bartering, or gifts, among others. Both instances call for the effective negotiation of the cases, and this is essential in the management of the set goals and objectives, including the process of termination in case the client is not able to pay the fees. The ACA (2005; Sec A10 asserts these perspectives, alongside the AACC’s section 1-512-13. These similarities mean that the two can coexist regarding the discussion on the contract or termination of such a process. However, the quality of care should not decline during the negotiation for termination.
In conclusion, the ACA and AACC code of ethics are essential tools that guide the professional counselors on their decision making and interaction with clients. The two tools have similarities and differences related to competence, conflict of interest, and discrimination. However, regarding the fees, the two professional, ethical codes of conduct are consistent in highlighting the activities, roles, and decisions that are made in the long run. The similarities and differences are elaborated and create the impression of consistencies and inconsistencies when applying the spiritually and morally-inspired AACC versus the legally and policy-based model of ACA. Meanwhile, the comparative assessment highlights the elaborate perspectives of how they are applied in managing the relationship between the clients and the counselors.
