1. REHABILITATION COUNSELING James S. Flowers, MA, LPC
ETHICAL PRACTICES IN
REHABILITATION COUNSELING
James S. Flowers, MA, LPC

2. INTRODUCTION: PURPOSE
People enter the Rehab profession because the job role is compatible with personal values:
Wanting to help others
Desire to better understand the needs of persons with disabilities
Recognition
Autonomy
Job security
Desire to teach and share knowledge

3. Five Ethical Principles for Rehabilitation Counselors
Value
Ethical Principle
Practitioner Behavior
Desire to do good
Beneficence
Acting in a manner that promotes the growth and well being of the client
Desire to prevent harm
Nonmaleficence
Acting in a manner that does not cause harm to clients or prevents harm to clients
Desire to promote freedom of others to make personal choices
Autonomy
Respecting the clients freedom
Promote the fair treatment of people
Justice
Treating clients fairly
Being true to one’s commitments
Fidelity
Keeping commitments to clients and colleagues, both stated and implied

4. Examples Timely delivery of services Beneficence
Withholding distressing information when a client is not prepared to handle it
Nonmaleficence
Encouraging the client to choose his own goals
Autonomy
Refusing to spend limited available time assisting an unmotivated client
Justice
Adhering to organizational policies
Fidelity

5. Concluding Points
As you have seen, five ethical principles, beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, justice, and fidelity, guide rehabilitation counselors to act in certain ways, and have relevance for ethical decision making. They:
Form a basis for personal and organizational values
Provide general directions for rehabilitation counselor actions or conduct