The key element of all ethical codes in human services is to do no harm to the individual seeking assistance. Harm to the individual can result from something the practitioner does or fails to do when necessary (Sampson, 1999). An obvious case is when a practitioner provides information, advice, or guidance that is inappropriate for the needs of the individual.

• For example, a practitioner quickly determines that an individual needs information about training options (the action) without taking the time to understand adequately the needs of the individual. Given that the individual is undecided about his or her occupational choice, the provision of training information about specific subjects is inappropriate.

Another case is when a practitioner does not provide a service that is clearly needed.

• For example, during the delivery of a guidance intervention, the practitioner fails to identify that the individual is experiencing substantial psychological distress and an appropriate referral is not made to an adequately trained practitioner (the failure to act when action was needed).

Still another case involves a practitioner who creates invalid career resources that are used by numerous individuals.

• For example, a practitioner develops and uses an unvalidated self assessment (the action) that has the potential to provide inaccurate information to numerous individuals seeking insights that are essential to making an informed career choice.

Also, a case can involve the failure of a practitioner to exercise appropriate care in developing an information resource.

• For example, a practitioner fails to consider the potential for bias in various information sources that he or she uses to develop a profile for an occupation that is increasingly in more demand in the local area (the failure to act when action was needed).

In summary, the fundamental ethical principal in the delivery of human services is as follows:

• To do no harm to an individual seeking help by the action or inaction of the practitioner creating resources or delivering services.

Note: In this document, the terms “individual” and “practitioner” are defined as follows:

• The term individual in this document encompasses a wide variety of persons seeking information, advice, and guidance, including clients involved in counselling, students enrolled in education, trainees completing a training program, potential students seeking an educational placement, potential trainees seeking a training placement, customers receiving help from government agencies, non-profit organizations, or profit organizations, patrons receiving assistance at a library, or employees receiving help in a career management program provided by their employer. An individual may also refer more generically to an adolescent or adult seeking to make an occupational, educational, training, or employment decision (Sampson, Reardon, Peterson, & Lenz, 2004).
• The term practitioner includes professionals such as careers advisors, counselors, occupational psychologists, vocational rehabilitation specialists, tutors/teachers/faculty/academic advisers, librarians, and human resource specialists who are qualified by their training and experience to provide information, advice, and guidance (Sampson, Reardon, Peterson, & Lenz, 2004).