The following scenarios and critical questions may help to stimulate thought and discussion, particularly in a continuing professional development context.

For each of the case scenarios presented below,

Identify the ethical principle

• Action by the practitioner
• Inaction of the practitioner

Identify the primary ethical issue

• Quality of assessment and information resources
• Availability of user support when needed
• Quality of practitioner intervention
• Readiness for use of resources and services
• Practitioner awareness of local conditions, events, and cultural issues
• Availability of local counseling services
• Confidentiality
• Security
• Auditory and visual privacy
• Equality of access

Briefly describe the nature of the potential ethical problem

Suggest a strategy for preventing the potential ethical problem

Suggest a strategy for correctingM the ethical problem

Scenario 1

A practitioner recommended a Web site to an individual without suggesting how the Web site content related to the problem the individual was trying to solve. The practitioner also simply recommended that the individual use the Web site without briefly explaining how to navigate the site and without suggesting any sequence for using the content that is available. Finally, the practitioner did not follow up to clarify what the individual had learned from accessing the Web site.

Ethical principle:

Ethical issue:

Briefly describe the nature of the potential ethical problem:

Suggest a strategy for preventing the potential ethical problem:

Suggest a strategy for correcting the ethical problem:

Scenario 2

A practitioner received an e-mail reply from a salesperson at a company that has an ongoing contract to provide office supplies for the practitioner’s organization, stating that the attached document appears to have been sent in error. Upon opening the document, the practitioner discovered that an individual’s service delivery record was sent to the wrong e-mail address. In the practitioner’s contact list, the e-mail address for the office supply company was directly below the address for a physician who is occasionally used as a referral resource.

Ethical principle:

Ethical issue:

Briefly describe the nature of the potential ethical problem:

Suggest a strategy for preventing the potential ethical problem:

Suggest a strategy for correcting the ethical problem:

Scenario 3

A practitioner provided distance guidance to an underemployed adult who was very dissatisfied with his work because it was low paying and repetitive. The individual admitted that making decisions has always been difficult and that he was generally “a nervous person” who was now “more nervous than ever.” The practitioner was unaware that two major employers had closed operations in the area where the individual lived.

Ethical principle:

Ethical issue:

Briefly describe the nature of the potential ethical problem:

Suggest a strategy for preventing the potential ethical problem:

Suggest a strategy for correcting the ethical problem:

Scenario 4

A practitioner was providing distance guidance via videoconference to a woman who would like to return to work now that her children are living away from home. During their second session, the practitioner noticed that the individual was very guarded in comparison to their first session. The individual appeared agitated, regularly looking briefly to the right of her computer before she spoke. At one point she excused herself for a moment and when she returned she said that she wanted to talk about a different problem.

Ethical principle:

Ethical issue:

Briefly describe the nature of the potential ethical problem:

Suggest a strategy for preventing the potential ethical problem:

Suggest a strategy for correcting the ethical problem:

Scenario 5

While working with an individual receiving distance guidance, a practitioner assigned a Web site that a colleague had recommended as being popular with the individuals she had served because the information was brief and well presented. The practitioner briefly examined the Web site and concluded that it looked good enough to use in distance advising.

Ethical principle:

Ethical issue:

Briefly describe the nature of the potential ethical problem:

Suggest a strategy for preventing the potential ethical problem:

Suggest a strategy for correcting the ethical problem:

Scenario 6

A practitioner assigned the use of one assessment Web site and two information Web sites as homework for an individual before their next telephone counseling session. During the next session, he learned that the individual had not accessed the assessment and information resources that had been agreed upon during their prior telephone session. The practitioner assumed that the individual was not sufficiently motivated and that the practitioner needed to clarify the importance of homework resources. The client concluded that he did not “do what was right” and that he was not likely to do what was required to be helped by the practitioner. The client also concluded that being poor meant that it would be very hard to find a good job. Without discussing this problem with the practitioner, the individual decided not to seek any additional help.

Ethical principle:

Ethical issue:

Briefly describe the nature of the potential ethical problem:

Suggest a strategy for preventing the potential ethical problem:

Suggest a strategy for correcting the ethical problem:

Scenario 7

While a practitioner was using her office computer to locate information resources on the Internet for an individual, a pop-up message appeared on the screen stating that she was likely to have unauthorized access from someone over the Internet. Such access would allow a third party to access, copy, or delete files on her computer without her knowledge and that she should immediately purchase blocking software to prevent this type of unauthorized access.

Ethical principle:

Ethical issue:

Briefly describe the nature of the potential ethical problem:

Suggest a strategy for preventing the potential ethical problem:

Suggest a strategy for correcting the ethical problem:

Scenario 8

A practitioner was a member of a development team that created a Web site on job search strategies. The design plan was narrowly focused on the topic of the site and did not include any suggestions about potential problems in conducting a job search that might require assistance from a practitioner.

Ethical principle:

Ethical issue:

Briefly describe the nature of the potential ethical problem:

Suggest a strategy for preventing the potential ethical problem:

Suggest a strategy for correcting the ethical problem:

Scenario 9

A practitioner provided distance guidance to an individual who lived in a location where the practitioner had never before served an individual. The practitioner was not familiar with any of the local practitioners, but the individual’s problem appeared relatively simple and the individual seemed to be “high functioning” so the practitioner proceeded without identifying local service delivery options.

Ethical principle:

Ethical issue:

Briefly describe the nature of the potential ethical problem:

Suggest a strategy for preventing the potential ethical problem:

Suggest a strategy for correcting the ethical problem:

Scenario 10

A practitioner became frustrated when the individual he was serving at a distance seemed continually confused about the how the use of assessment and information resources could be helpful with her problem solving. The practitioner was also frustrated that the individual had continued difficulty in properly using the resources that had been recommended. The individual became increasingly pessimistic about her chances for improvement and discontinued service delivery without speaking further to the practitioner.

Ethical principle:

Ethical issue:

Briefly describe the nature of the potential ethical problem:

Suggest a strategy for preventing the potential ethical problem:

Suggest a strategy for correcting the ethical problem: