Report of the ACA Ethics Committee: 1997–1998

Abstract

This report summarizes the activities of the American Counseling Association's (ACA) Ethics Committee for 1997–1998. Summary data of the complaints fled and the inquiries received are presented along with a discussion of the other activities of the committee.

Ethical Complaints Made Against Credentialed Counselors: An Updated Survey of State Licensing Boards

“…Although the ACA ethics committees noted that 276 (52%) of their 1998 inquiries and 300 (48%) of their 1999 inquiries pertained to confidentiality (Brown & Espina, 2000;Shumate & Espina, 1999), inquiries do not translate to complaints against credentialed counselors. In fact, breach of confidentiality constituted only 53 (5%) of the complaints in this study, 42 (5%) in the 1992 study, and 2.6% in the 1987 study.…”

“…To assist professionals and the public in understanding the extent to which ethical standards are being upheld, the Ethics Committees of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) provide annual reports on the number, nature, and disposition of ethical complaints (see APA, 2000;Brown & Espina, 2000;Shumate & Espina, 1999). However, these associations receive relatively few complaints (e.g., ACA received 14 in 1998 and5 in 1999;APAreceived 42 in 1999), and only a small number are found to be valid and adjudicated through the mechanisms associations have-remediation of the problem or expulsion from the association.…”