Abcde decision making model worksheet

Post by Day 2 a brief description of two ethical decision-making models you selected from the Learning Resources. Then explain two strengths and two limitations of each model. Finally, explain any insights you gained about ethical decision making from these models.

Ethical Decision-Making Models

As a professional counselor there will become times where the code of ethics will come into play to ensure protection for clients, counselors and their therapeutic relationship. Although counselors are to follow these codes of ethics they may at times not deliver enough information or guidance in the assistance to problem solving. For counselor there is not a quick fix to an ethical dilemma, Larry Eberlein (1987) states that as professional counselor there should be a major focus on not only the short-term consequence of their actions but take into account the long-term one as well. When dealing with the codes of ethics involving ethical dilemmas there has been many different ethical decision-making models created to help counselors along the way that need further guidance and or support. Two of the many models are the A-B-C-D-E model by Fran Sileo and Mary Kopala, and the second model is the Integrative Decision-Making Model (Cottone R. & Claus R. 2000)

Two Strengths:

Frank Sileo and Mary Kopala developed a worksheet in order to not only simplify the counselor’s consideration when it came to ethical issues, but its primary goal was that of promoting beneficence. There are many strengths that have come along with their contributing model to the mental health profession. The first being, they have created a model of simplicity and is very easy to remember, There A-B-C-D-E model stands for assessment (A), benefit (B), consequences and consultations (C), duty (D), and education (E) (CITE1). The second strength to this model is it permits a counselor to analytically combinations of persona characteristics, a person’s virtue, and their sound thinking to guarantee the best response to a present ethical dilemma.

The Integrative Decision Making Model of Ethical Behavior was designed by Villa Tarydas was a model created to enlighten the “contextual aspects of the psychological process of ethical decision making” this through illumination of both feelings and thinking. The strengths of this model is its importance to self-awareness, collaboration with others, and the attention to detail (Cottone R. & Claus R. 2000)

Two Limitations

Although Sileo and Kopala model had many strengths to them there were many limitations in conducting this model when presented with an ethical dilemma. The main limitation was the model did not fully equip counselors with the requisite skills to work out ethical issues in a counseling setting. The other limitation was the model main goal was to promote beneficence not to help solve an ethical dilemma, it was more or less based on reeducation and assessment of ethical dilemma that help guide a counselor to the right treatment in ethical problem solving.

Tarydas model also came with some limitation, because the dilemma went through an eight step or stage process one mistake in one the steps could case a ethical dilemma itself, in step six, “consult with supervisor and peers” if a counselors was given the wrong advise or solution it could be harmful to the individual being treated (Cottone R. & Claus R. 2000). Another limitation was that the course of action wasn’t monitored, they evaluated the course of action but I believe monitoring any action and its outcome would benefit better in the long.

Insight:

From reading the differ ethical decision models, there is a profound insight gained about how ethical decisions are made. Before reading about the different models, I assumed that counselors just used the code of ethics in order to successful deal with dilemmas in a counseling session. Reading on the models create a clear understanding that ethics in counseling is not cut and dry, there is no quick fix and counselors have to use resources, peers, and other things in order to find the better outcome for a situation. In order for professional counselors to be successful we given the right tools and guidelines that will help us promote positive social change in the communities we interact with.

Reference

Cottone, R. R., & Claus, R. E. (2000). Ethical decision-making models: A review of the literature. Journal of Counseling & Development, 78(3), 275–283.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Eberlein, L. (1987). Introducing ethics to beginning psychologists: A problem-solving approach. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 18(4), 353–359.