Ethical Dilemma: Parental Notification Essay

Parental Notification

Professional ethics is an integral part of counseling since it ensures proper service and helps in resolving complicated cases. In the chosen dilemma, a social worker interacts with a 15-year-old adolescent, who has depression. The boy tells that his friends offered him to try crystal meth and ecstasy, and he agreed. The counselor notes that the speech of the client is slurred, and his eyes are blurred. When the adolescent says that he is concerned about drugs, the social worker suggests him to enroll in a state-funded program. The main issue that is to be addressed is that the boy asks the counselor not to notify his parents about the drug problem, but is it ethical to keep this information confidential?

Dilemma’s Scope and Impact

Speaking of the impact of the defined dilemma, one should stress that there are several involved groups that can be affected. First, the boy and his parents as a family can face a crisis in relationships. On the one hand, the adolescent may perceive the disclosure of his information as a betrayal of the counselor. On the other hand, his parents need to know what happens with their son to help and support him (Pope & Vasquez, 2016). Even though there is a threat of significant misunderstanding between the family members, it seems that they should be aware of the problem. Second, the group of friends who use drugs can be impacted through this client by showing them that crystal meth destroys their bodies and minds. Their parents can also be either contacted or remain unaware of this situation. Third, this ethical dilemma can also affect the counselor since his or her professional competence seems to be challenged (Bryan et al., 2016). On a broader scale, this dilemma impacts the future of all the mentioned people, defining their mental and physical health.

Competing Values and Gut Solution

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) provides six core values that should be taken into account during counseling. Relating them to the given dilemma, it is important to note that the value of dignity and worth of a person competes with the value of integrity. On the one hand, this social worker should respect the adolescent and his requests (“Code of Ethics”, 2017). This value also refers to resolving broader social conflicts and the client’s self-determination. In the other hand, the client is underage, and his parents have responsibility for caring for their son. Integrity implies that a counselor should behave in a trustworthy way, practicing honesty and the awareness of professional standards (“Code of Ethics”, 2017). In this case, the social worker should rely not only on values but also personal experience and common sense.

Personally, I understand that the boy wants to keep his drug experience in secret from his parents. There can be a range of reasons, including but not limited to fear, potential misunderstanding, an excellent student syndrome, and the belief that he can easily quit (Bryan et al., 2016). When I was addicted to alcohol, I also tried to hide it from my family and friends because I was not sure how they would perceive it. They finally found that I have the addiction since my behaviors and thoughts changed dramatically. Even though the counselor would not tell the boy’s parents, they are likely to learn about it later. Therefore, I believe that this information should be disclosed to the parents to allow them to take action and help their child.

Most importantly, the way of revealing information should be chosen with caution so that the parents would not damage their relationships with their son. The Bible teaches that the family is a strong source of support and that relationships present the opportunity to open one’s soul. For example, the following quote describes the expected acceptance of parents: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4 ESV). It seems to be useful to plan a visit to the boy’s parents and talk to them, trying to explain that their son is concerned about taking drugs, and he needs their assistance. God states that “love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs” (Corinthians 13:4-5 ESV). It is better to initiate the second meeting with the whole family and discuss both sides’ concerns.

According to the value of human relationships, the social worker is expected to recognize the role of families and social groups in one’s life. In this case, the attention should be paid to both the family and friends of the adolescent as both are quite significant for him. The Code of Ethics clarifies that relationships can be viewed as a powerful mechanism for changing social patterns (“Code of Ethics”, 2017). The social work strives to strengthen the relationships to promote and improve the well-being of the involved persons. Pope and Vasquez (2016) state that the value of service means elevating a client’s interests above personal ones. In this dilemma, the interests of the adolescent are closely related to those of his parents, which also confirm that they should be notified of the problem and the need to enroll their son in the special program.

Another rational for having an informed consent of parents for the program enrollment is the presence of a significant risk to the health of the boy. By communicating to the parents, the social worker would create more opportunities to address the mental issues and drug use more effectively(Bryan et al., 2016). The type of the family and the adolescent’s maturity should be considered while choosing the strategies of communication. One can anticipate that the negative emotions may appear in the client and his family, but the key goal is to avoid misunderstanding and reach a compromise. For example, the treatment benefits can be clarified, and long-term outcomes can be discussed with the family members. The importance of timely help should not be underestimated since drug addiction is a serious condition that is difficult to overcome.

Applying the Morality Framework

1. The principles of dignity and respect for a person’s request are violated in this case. As a social worker, it was decided to notify the client’s parents of the fact that he tried drugs and needs corresponding treatment, although the adolescent asked to avoid involving his parents.
2. The harms avoided include potential drug addiction and poor relationships with the family members and society in general. Among the caused harms, there is the violation of ethical principles of social work and information disclosure, while prevented damages are physical and mental health deterioration (Bryan et al., 2016).
3. Since the mentioned principles were violated towards the client, it is useful to mention his desires and believes. This adolescent noted that he is afraid of trying crystal meth, and he considers this situation as a problem that he wants to resolve. However, he hoped to handle the case without the participation of his parents, which was perceived as possible.
4. The relationships between a counselor and underage patient can be complex since the former should pay attention to a particular situation, the family, and professional ethics. It makes the counselor to sometimes violate the ethical values to minimize harms to provide the necessary help; in this case, the client’s freedom is broken as a deliberate solution.
5. A child’s family is the main resource to lean on in difficult times, which is the key idea of violating the principles in the given dilemma. By building openness and trustworthiness among the family members, the counselor would connect the client and his parents, which would help in overcoming drug issues.
6. This point is not directly related to the given case since the client did not violate any moral principles. However, without the cooperation with parents, he could continue using drugs and sharing them with friends, which would threaten their physical and psychological well-being.
7. This point is not applicable to the target dilemma as the client did not broke moral rules, which is evident from his story and behaviors (Bryan et al., 2016).
8. It seems that the identified decision is the most preferable one since the client is underage, he struggles to overcome drug use, and he is also afraid and hesitant about further actions.
9. The violation was done knowingly and intentionally to save and improve the life of the client. The compliance with the supposed treatment through a specialized program is the basis for contacting the parents.
10. The given situation is emergent: there is a serious threat that the underage client would become drug addicted, deceiving to parents, and unwilling to accept the help of others.

Speaking of the justification for the moral violation regarding the given dilemma, it is possible to identify the position of the social worker from the point of impartiality. Namely, there is no lie in this case since the counselor would clearly state that the information would be shared with the client’s parents in a way to explain them and mitigate potential emotional reactions. As for allowing the colleagues and the public to know about this moral violation, one may assume that the parent-child relationships require transparency, which justifies the solution.

Reevaluating the Initial “Gut” Solution

The review of the initial solution that was discussed in the first part of the dilemma paper shows that it was correct. Based on the above morality framework, it becomes evident that this decision violates some moral values, but they are justified by the prevented and avoided harms and potential benefits to the client, as well as his family and friends (Bryan et al., 2016). While the underage client asked the counselor to avoid notifying his parents about drug use, it was decided to contact them. The situation was complicated by depression of the client, which may serve as the aggravating factor that could lead to drug addiction. On the one hand, it was evident that the adolescent needs more understanding and acceptance from his family. On the other hand, there was a threat that they could perceive the situation with misunderstanding and excessive emotions, while the so-called “betrayal” could lead to a lack of trust in the future. Nevertheless, the consideration of the dilemma from different viewpoints and with relation to the ethical values of counseling allowed for making a correct decision.

Another way to reassess the decision taken is to pay attention to its benefits for various involved parties. First, the client as the key stakeholder would receive the necessary support not only from the counselor but also his mother and father. In turn, the family would have the opportunity to improve their relationships. Second, the client’s friends would benefit from having a peer who handled drug using, and probably, they would also enroll in the program. Third, the identified solution is advantageous for the counselor, who is expected to rely not only on the professional ethics but also a common good sense and specific client context. This dilemma is an opportunity to practice a complex case and address with the minimal harms and maximum good.

Identifying Alternative Solutions

One of the alternative solutions is to contact the parents, but leave the client without notifying that the counselor would do it. In other words, deceive to the client, but disclose information to the family. However, according to this alternative, the social worker would also violate the moral rules, and the client would be more likely to lose his trust in counseling as a source of support (Ruch et al., 2018). More to the point, one may assume that the identified alternative would not be justified in terms of the morality framework as it undermines the principle of the importance of human relationships.

Another alternative solution refers to the Biblical worldview and sharing personal imperfection with the client. If the counselor had a similar situation or she/he knows about people who handled such a case, it should be discussed with this adolescent. While all the sensitive data must be kept confidential, the counselor can change the names, places, and any titles. The Bible says that “We all stumble in many ways; anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check” (James 3:2, NIV). It means that mistakes are integral parts of every person’s life, and, what is more important, they should be considered as the opportunities to improve (Kellemen & Carson, 2015). It is a completely different approach to mistakes, which prioritizes seeking the ways to make one’s life better when she/he stumbles.

The above quote from the Bible clarifies that parents should share the failures and struggles with their children, which can be especially useful in this case. The role of the counselor is to deliver this message to the parents and motivate them to show their imperfections as well (Kellemen & Carson, 2015). At the same time, there is an example and a role model to follow as God and his standards are perfect. Every person has many temptations, and by sharing them, it is possible to unite and withstand the problems together. The counselor should explain that even though the child tried drugs, it is still critical to move forward and be grateful to God for salvation.

Discussing the Roles of Supervision and Consultation

It would be beneficial to share this dilemma with my supervisor, who has more experience in working with complicated cases. Considering that my supervisor has greater knowledge and more skills to interact with adolescents, it would be useful to ask about the ways to approach the client’s parents. Personally, I would approach my supervisor in a confidential manner by keeping names and detailed information securely. I would also consult with the priest of the local church to ask his/her advice and listen to any related ideas. It is possible to expect that the priest would equip me with more biblical stories and relevant words to evaluate my decision. In addition, the local department of health can be contacted to learn more about drug use in adolescence and available resources to help them. It seems to be important to integrate all the received information to considering it regarding the client and his situation. It is also beneficial for the effective implementation of the identified solution since the approach, environment, preparation, and communication are critical to ensure that the expected outcomes will be achieved.

Conclusion

To conclude, this paper discussed the ethical dilemma, in which the adolescent client has depression and drug use problems, refusing to notify his parents about them. The social worker faces such competing values as the respect for one’s dignity and integrity. Based on the academic resource and the Code of Conduct, it was suggested that the parental notification should be chosen in the interests of the client and his family.

References

Bryan, V., Sanders, S., & Kaplan, L. (2016). The helping professional’s guide to ethics: A new perspective. Lyceum Books.

Code of Ethics.(2017). Web.

Kellemen, B., & Carson, K. (2015). Biblical counseling and the church: God’s care through God’s people. Zondervan.

Pope, K. S., & Vasquez, M. J. (2016). Ethics in psychotherapy and counseling: A practical guide. John Wiley & Sons.

Ruch, G., Turney, D., & Walsh, J. (2018). Relationship-based social work: Getting to the heart of practice (2^nd ed.). Jessica Kingsley Publishers.