Purchase Solution

Counseling referral with an ethical dilemma

Not what you're looking for?

Ask Custom Question

Irina, a 13-year-old girl of Arabic cultural heritage living in Boston, Massachusetts, was brought by her parents to a hospital emergency room after an assault by a stranger. Based on her injuries, the hospital staff suspected that the attacker had also sexually assaulted the girl, but she and her parents refused medical evaluations for rape. The family received a referral to see Janet Matthews, a clinical psychologist specializing in adolescent trauma. During their initial meeting with Dr. Matthews, the parents asked the psychologist not to discuss any sexual aspects of the assault with their daughter but to treat the psychological trauma from the assault in general. They told the psychologist that admitting a rape had taken place would cast a stigma on their daughter and make her ineligible to be married to men in their closely knit ethnic community. When asked in private, the girl also requested that sexual issues not be discussed for the same reason.

Ethical Dilemma
Dr. Matthews does not know if she should agree to the parents' and child's request
How might Irina's age and parents' involvement in the referral affect how Dr. Matthews can resolve the dilemma? How might the state law on treatment of minors and HIPAA rule on access of guardians to a minor's health care record influence Dr. Matthews' decision?
What are Dr. Matthews' ethical alternatives for resolving this dilemma? Which alternative best reflects the Ethics Code's aspirational principle and enforceable standard, as well as legal standards and Dr. Matthews' obligations to stakeholders?
What steps should Dr. Matthews take to ethically implement her decision and monitor its effects?

Purchase this Solution
Solution Summary

This solution involves a counseling referral with an ethical dilemma - cultural context and minor patient with suspected sexual assault. It also discusses reasons for ensuring that the psychologist must do all that she can to work in the best interest of the minor client.

Solution Preview

Dr. Matthews does not know if she should agree to the parents' and child's request. How might Irina's age and parents' involvement in the referral affect how Dr. Matthews can resolve the dilemma? How might the state law on treatment of minors and HIPAA rule on access of guardians to a minor's health care record influence Dr. Matthews' decision?

Since in this is case, clearly, the trauma is related to being subjected to harassment and sexual violation, then there is no reason why the parents of the minor client should not be made fully aware of the consequences of not addressing and investigating the nature of the assault that their daughter was subjected to.
If still the parents and the minor client decline such investigation, medically and psychologically, then at least parents should be clearly made aware of the consequences of not addressing such an important background to the reasons why their daughter was referred to psychological treatment.
What are Dr. Matthews' ethical alternatives for resolving this dilemma?
Which alternative best ...

Solution provided by:
Saira Qureshi, MA
Education
  • BA, Rutgers, NJ
  • MA, NYU
Recent Feedback
  • "thank you"
  • "Thank you"
  • "Thank you Miss Saira."
  • "This is great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
  • "Thanks"
Purchase this Solution
Free BrainMass Quizzes
Psychoanalysis and Sigmund Freud

This quiz explores the personality theory of psychoanalysis, in particular reference to how Freud conceptualized of this theory.

Brain and behaviour

Reviews areas of the brain involved in specific behaviours. This information is important for introductory psychology courses.

Developmental Psychology

This quiz explores the concepts, theories and key terminology associated with human psychological development.

Emotional Intelligence: A Beginning

An introduction to an emerging branch of Psychology-Emotional Intelligence.

Role of Memory in Learning

This quiz addresses the role of memory in the learning process. The quiz differentiates between the different types of memory that facilitate learning.

View More Free Quizzes
Related BrainMass Solutions

  • Ethical Dilemma Scenario

    The parent on the other hand will surely defend the issues related with the reputation of her family. Ethical Dilemma Scenario

  • Ethics and Group Counseling

    Counseling must be thoughtful and considerate from both an ethical and legal perspective when counseling with a militiaperson group.

  • Ethical issues in dealing with an agitated patient

    562836 Ethical issues in dealing with an agitated patient Using the case study below, please help me with applying the ethical model as developed with Canadian Code of Ethics (applying all 10 steps).

  • Confidentiality in Ethical Decision making

    Step 3: Figure out who, if anyone, is the client There may be problems if you are counseling with a person with whom you may have had some relationship. Avoid counseling people with whom you currently or in the future have a relationship with.

  • ACA Code of Ethics Scenario Analysis

    Retrieved from http://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/ethics/practioner's-guide-to- ethical-decision-making.pdf Review the following: Identify each ethical dilemma in the scenario. Which ACA ethical principle applies.

  • Breaking confidentiality

    413843 Ethical Dilemma Scenario Suppose you are a school counselor, and a student comes to see you with concerns about how much his parents are fighting with each other. After talking with the student, you plan to meet again in a week.

  • Ethical Dilemmas - The Case of Ward and June

    - Applies ethical guidelines used by licensed and/or certified counseling professionals to resolve an ethical dilemma. - Analyzes ethical guidelines used by counseling professionals to resolve an ethical dilemma and evaluates how personal values and

  • Van Hoose & Paradise's Ethical Theory Slideshow

    How does one decide the correct course of action when faced with a difficult dilemma?

  • Ethical and Legal Codes: Case Study

    in this case,and the depht and breadth of ethical dilemma (What makes it an ethical dilemma?

View More Related Solutions